Five Fundamental Tantric Practices

One of the main qualities that distinguish Western philosophy from Eastern ideology and its
various schools of yoga & tantra are; in the West you have the observation of our situation here in
the world, followed by various philosophical ideas & theories that attempt to explain our human
condition. In Eastern and in particular tantric philosophy you also have the same, however with
one added component and that’s what the tantra scriptures call upayas. Upayas are practices such
as meditation, yoga, pranayama, tantric sex, etc. which are designed to assist us to comprehend the
ideology offered even and especially for those who do not fully understand it. The ancient masters
were wise enough to know that if we were to perform our practices with persistence and dedication
that we’d refine our awareness to the degree that we’d eventually understand their teachings.
This is what the following text and exercises offered here are about; the upayas, or methods or
practices of tantra yoga. So that even if you cannot completely understand tantric philosophy that
you will learn, by practicing various upayas you will begin to peel away the layers so that eventually
you do.
‘The five fundamental tantric practices’ that are delineated in this text are the most important
aspects from the tantric upayas and if you were to not be familiar with even one of these five
components it would make the whole of your ‘tantric practice’ nearly impossible. Therefore it’s
important to familiarise yourself with each section listed below because by knowing & performing
them will not only enable you to becoming more balanced, knowledgeable & experienced in your
tantric practices but capable of passing this valuable information on to others.

The following will give you a brief description of the five practices and then afterwards the
exercise that correspond with each are listed

1 – Self Purification. In order to achieve self-purification most people have to completely change
their; life-style, their habits along with their goals & priorities in life. It also takes a lot of self-
discipline, persistence and patience as well. Therefore many people when they finally realize what’s
required of them become reluctant to fully embrace the tantric dharma and often return to their
former ways. Never-the-less without such a transformation, successfully sustaining a dedicated
practice of tantra yoga is unlikely.
When the term ‘self-purification’ is used in tantra yoga
one should understand this does not apply to just your
physical body, in tantra yoga one must purify or refine
all five bodies or ‘sheathes’ known in Sanskrit as Koshas.
They are as follows: 1 - Anamaya Kosha or the physical
body, 2 - Pranamaya Kosha or the energy body, 3 -
Manamaya Kosha or the mental body, 4 - Vijnanamaya
Kosha, or the wisdom body, 5 - Anandamaya Kosha or
the bliss body and finally Atman or the Self. Purification is not necessary for the Atman or the Self
as that is what one becomes once the other koshas are purified, however purification of; the
physical (the first or gross level) the astral (the energy, mental & wisdom levels) and the causal
(bliss level) is necessary. We cover these more in the advanced Tantra Yoga Teachers Training
course, however for now we will just look at only two categories purification of one’s lifestyle and
purification through various disciplines.
Purification of life-style involves which mainly deals with the physical level of reality involves;
having a good diet and/or pure health habits, for example being a vegan, vegetarian &/or avoiding
foods and substances that you know to be harmful to you, such as smoking and/or eating lots of
white sugar or fatty, salty foods with lots of chemicals etc. Please note that I’m not saying everyone
should be a vegan or vegetarian, in fact you should follow that path only if it’s proven to refine your
awareness and is healthier for you. Also taking on regular physical exercise such as going to the
gym, jogging or attending yoga classes are also possibilities. As for ‘life-style purification’ I will not
make any more suggestions as I think what I’ve said pretty much gets across the point and you
should also already have a pretty good idea what makes you healthy and unhealthy by now
therefore I’ll simply say use your common sense and abide by that.
For self-purification in tantra, spiritual disciplines are equally if not even more important. Later on
in this text will suggest a few specific daily practices most of which fall under the category of;
regular meditation, pranayama and yoga asanas, as well as regular tantric practices with your
partner assuming you have one. - Note that if you do not have a partner in tantra yoga it’s seen as
perfectly legitimate to have a practice partner of whom you perform sexual and non-sexual tantric
practices with. The main difference being, in the tantric practice partner relationship there is no
‘ownership’ or attachment allowed. - The exercises given in the practices section later in this text
are all operative on all five bodies or koshas or levels: physical astral and causal.

2 – Sublimation. Sublimation is arguably the corner-stone of all tantric practice. However if a

careful balance is not maintained with other tantric practices, then it can become one of the major
stumbling blocks as well. The reason for this is; when practicing tantra yoga correctly you often
build an abundance of sexual energy in your lower chakras. (See #3 building and retaining pranic
energy). And if for whatever reason you do not transmute or sublimate this sexual force to higher
levels, such an energy build-up in your lower chakras becomes so seductive, that you may allow
yourself the succumb to non-productive sexual practices. In other words if your desire to indulge in
non-productive sexual activity outweighs your motivation to transcend, you’ll pretty much remain
stuck at the level you started out on. In tantra yoga this is what’s called ‘walking the razors edge’
and is the reason why tantra yoga cannot be practiced by just anyone, as there must first be a
strong desire for self-purification and a willingness to practice the discipline in order live a spiritual
life. This is why the previously mentioned practice of self-purification (#1) is so important. If one
has not sufficiently refined his or her consciousness or taken-on a life-style and practices that
essentially refines his/her consciousness, sublimation will feel more like a task than an
enlightening process. On the other hand if you have successfully undergone genuine self-
purification and appropriately refined your awareness in a way that other people can see that a
transformation has occurred just by looking at you then sublimation will most likely become a
relatively easy practice if not in fact effortless.
In tantra sublimation normally occurs in three different ways; physically, which in most cases is by
using the breath for example, by contracting your Mula & Uddiyana bandhas and drawing your
sexual energy up to your heart chakra on your in-breath. Next there’s mental sublimation which
uses your mind, for example using visualizations or closing-off your ears and focussing on the
highest frequency nadi or inner sound that you can hear. Then there’s natural sublimation which is
definitely encouraged by regular meditation and that requires no effort at all as it occurs
spontaneously without intention.

3 – Building & Retaining Pranic Energy. Producing sexual energy is one thing, just about
anyone can tap into their libido and produce – and in some cases an abundance of - sexual force,
however retaining/containing that force is another process all together. However even if you do not
have a strong libido I will offer exercises in this text that can light a fire to what would otherwise be
a damp, limp, wash rag level of sexuality. Once you’ve accessed let’s say a healthy libido then there
are tantric practices that can enable you to retain and sustain that energy. Examples will be given
here in this text for you to try out.
One method for retaining your lower pranic energy in your higher chakras is by using the three
bandhas or locks located, from lower to higher; the base of your spine or sacral/genital area known
as the mula bandha, your navel or abdomen known as the uddiyana bandha and your throat region
known as the jalandhara bandha. These methods are pretty much all physical and it’s important to
know that retaining these energies can also be accomplished via mental focus and concentration as
well as on more subtle levels.

4 – Mutual Absorption. The Tantric and Taoist texts stress the importance of “absorbing your
partners’ equivalent, especially when there’s an emission of bodily juices.” The semen, which is
drawn from all parts of the body, can weaken and shorten the life of a man. The way for a man to
counter such a loss is to consciously absorb the womanly secretions. This means on all five levels
starting with the physical, then mental, subtle etheric and void. The same is also true for women
therefore she should be as equally attentive to absorb as much masculine energy as possible and on
as many levels as possible. If you’ve ever noticed that after making love with your partner, that the
man seems more feminine, passive and docile and the woman becomes the opposite more strong
assertive and masculine then you should consider this as a good sign. It probably means you’ve
successfully performed mutual absorption. To help you achieve this there are many suggested
techniques that we will cover in the text offered below or in the workshop/class.
When mutual absorption takes place you could say that this is the culmination of the force that
draws opposites together in the first place. Put simply, a man has an abundance of masculine
energy, so to feel more in balance he is drawn to women who have an abundance of feminine
energy. The two come together to exchange energies which is usually a win/win situation, as both
have the opportunity give and receive what the other needs. This is mutual absorption.

5 – Circulation of Pranic Energy. Just as blood needs to circulate throughout your physical
body and prana needs to flow throughout your subtle body, the etheric energies that bond you with
your partner also need to flow freely and abundantly. This is what I call the ‘alchemy of
relationship.’ For example both you and a potential partner may enjoy an aesthetic, bodily
attraction for one another and if that’s so, you’ll most likely enjoy sex physically at least for a while.
However in tantra we know that this is not enough to sustain a lasting relationship. If you and your
partner cannot bond on the higher or more subtle levels (astral & causal) the physical attraction
you’re indulging, will in all probability be short lived. In such a scenario even the best
partnerships will dry up and die. Therefore in tantra yoga we strive to keep this flow
abundant and healthy on more than just a superficial level, which is why we offer upayas
or practices to bond you with your lover on all five levels and the circulation of pranic
energy with that partner plays an important role in assisting that to happen. The good
news is, many of these upayas are sacred sexuality practices and making that deeper
connection can easily and blissfully be achieved as long as you and your lover are willing to
study learn and perform them. In tantric sexuality as long as there’s a pure healthy flow of
pranic energies from one partner to the other, this can lift your experience of love making
from the ordinary to the sublime. Therefore in tantra we have many practices that help
maximize pranic circulation that will open your gateways to one other so that the
experience of harmony, oneness and unity can easily be achieved.
You will discover that when the exercises are practiced on a regular basses that you’ll
accomplish several important things; it will open up your chakras, nadis or if you like the
psychic channels between you and your lover so that pranic energy can flow more openly
and freely between you. The practices also increase sensitivity from one partner to the
other as well as transform the overall combined or alchemical energy level surrounding the
two you to a higher frequency, thus increasing awareness on levels that you’ve never
experienced before. Last but not least it more than any other tantric practice can help
create sustainability in your love making. In other words it can allow you circulate or move
energy about so that too much sexual Shakti doesn’t build up in one area and cause an
imbalance. For example it’s the sexual energy building up too quickly in the lower chakras
that can cause a premature ejaculation. However with a good circulation of pranic energy
between partners the couple can easily flow between ‘peaks & valleys’ which is a common
tantric method for sustaining love making for long periods of time.

The Exercises

Please note that the exercises described in the following text are but a few out of many possible
options, therefore at the end of each category other alternative practices are given.

1 – Exercises for Self-Purification. As for refining ones overall energy and self-purification
there is nothing better than meditation. I’d also like to add that regular meditation is far better in
the long run than attending something like a ten day meditation retreat and then failing to sustain
your meditation practice afterwards, however if you continue meditation after a retreat then of
course that’s even better. I would recommend at least 15 minutes a day if not 30 min to an hour.
Some people also find 30 min. in the morning and 30 min. in the evening very suitable, however
whatever you do make sure you keep going on a regular basis.
For your daily meditation technique I personally recommend that you use the method that works
best for you. If you do not have a favourite meditation then here’s one very good option:

The Centring Meditation - To start off sit strait in a comfortable cross legged position such as
sukhasana. Before you commence meditating you will locate three points:
Point 1 - Locating your ‘Heaven and Earth’ or here point. The ‘Heaven and Earth’ or ‘here’ point lies
midway between up and down. Close your eyes and imagine something like a cloud above you to
get the sense of up; then while feeling the downward pull of gravity imagine the earth beneath you
to get a sense of down. Now find the centre point between the two and remain focused there for
about five minutes. Most people will find this point to be about eye level, but this may not be the
case with everyone. You need to choose the point that feels right for you.
Point 2 - Locating your ‘Being’ point. To find this point again you close your eyes, but this time
sense the right side of your head or body, and then the same with the left side of your head or body.
You may need to repeat this several times. Now find the center between left and right and focus
there again for approximately five minutes.
Point 3 - Locating your ‘Now’ point. You’re now point can be seen in terms of the future & the past.
The past is related to memories and the future to that which is yet to be. The center point here
represents the present, however In terms of location; it’s the midway point between behind you and
ahead of you. To do this closes your eyes and sense an object in front of you, such as a wall. Then do
the opposite, sensing something behind you. Try not to focus so much on the objects themselves as
the feeling of forward and backward. Now find the central point, which we’ll call ‘the now,’ and
keep your attention there again for about five minutes.
At this point you can conclude the meditation or continue. To continue locate all three points
simultaneously and combine all three into one point. This point by the way should be at the exact
center of your head in the area of your pineal gland. For the next fifteen to thirty minutes focus on
that location. If your mind wanders bring your attention back to that point for the extent of the
meditation. It is a good sign when you no longer have to hold your attention there and your
awareness resides there naturally.

Besides regular meditation, pranayama is also a very good daily practice for self-purification. I
will describe one such possibility here, however there are many other alternatives that you should
become aware of and practice to discover which works best for you..

The Fire Breath or Bhastrika. A powerful pranayama or breath exercise which is commonly used
as a purification exercise is the Fire Breath: This is an individual practice and the emphasis is
entirely on the out-breath as opposed to the PC pump which focusses more on the in-breath (see
‘PC pump under exercises no. 3). Sit in either 'ardha padmasana' or 'vajrasana' - Zen pose. Make
sure your back is strait and your chin is tucked down toward your sternum. By simultaneously
contracting the abdomen muscles rapidly inward and squeezing your pc muscle, you should force
all the air out of your lungs forcefully. This is followed by a normal in-breath. All the breathing is
done entirely through the nose and at a very rapid pace; as much as 2 breaths per second. Note
that you’re out breath should be quite forceful as you would when sneezing.
This pranayama is also practiced to purify the blood as well as to strengthen your respiratory and
immune systems. It's also a very good pre-meditation practice.

Besides regular meditation two practices that I’d recommended to be performed for self-
purification and on a daily basis are: ‘The Kriya Yoga daily practice and the ‘Full Chakra Clearing.’

Other practices that correspond directly to self-purification are: Water and/or juice fasting,
Panchakarma or Ayurvedic Cleansing, Yogic Asanas such as the Surya Namaskar or especially like
those taught in Kundalini or Ashtanga Yoga, the Thunderbolt partner exercise, Tantric Healing,
most Deep Tissue or the Taoist massage, the Solar or Heating Breath, Pranayama Exercises that
activates open and clears the nadis & various chakras, Source Communication (for cleansing on
the psychic or mental body), Yantra Gazing, Mantra Repetition, the use of various Mudras,
Kirtans or Devotional Chanting such as the Gayatri Mantra , the Recitation of Sacred Texts such
as the Guru Gita or the Shiva Mahimnah Stotram and most important of all Shaktipat or
Kundalini Awaking!

2 – Sublimation Exercises – For sublimation practices I’m sending you two options; Vajroli or
Sahajroli and the Psychic Sublimation Exercise. There are many different methods for sublimation
in fact not all of them are tantric for example if you manage to bring yourself out of say a fit of
anger and somehow transform that into enthusiasm then that is sublimation, which is basically
taking crude energy and transforming it into a more refined form or from a low to a higher
frequency. However the examples given here are specifically concerned with tantric practice.

The Psychic Sublimation Exercise – This practice sublimates or raises the lower chakra energies
using a combination of both the mind and breath. Focus and concentrate on your sexual force in
the sacral or the first and second chakra area. If you cannot access any sexual energy there then
place your hands over your genitals and rock to and fro until you do. Do not allow yourself to have
an orgasm.
Once there’s at least a noticeable amount of sexual energy, with your mind visualize all the energy
in your sacral area concentrating itself into a single point at the base of your spine. Next contract
both your ‘pc muscle at the base of your spine and your anus muscle simultaneously, and begin to
inhale slowly and deeply. As you do this visualize your concentrated sexual energy point at the base
of your spine moving upward through each chakra until it reaches your heart chakra. Also on your
inhale you should stretch yourself backward expanding your chest and opening your heart. On the
exhale return your concentration to the base of your spine again and perform several more rounds
or until all your sexual energy has been transmuted into your heart chakra region.

Sahajroli (for women) Vajroli (for men) – There is very little difference between sahajroli and
vajroli except for the name, never the less here is how to perform both.
Vajroli - To perform vajroli sit in siddhasana which is with crossed legs and the man places his left
heel at the base of his spine between his anus and scrotum. Now he inhales holds for a few seconds
and exhales completely which means forcing as much air out of his lungs as possible. Then while
retaining the exhale he sucks his stomach area in and holds that position until all the energy in the
sacral area moves into his abdomen. Once the energy has moved into his abdomen he then inhales
drawing the lower chakra energy up from the stomach to the heart chakra and again holds his
breath in along with the energy in his heart for as long as possible.
Sahajroli - The action described for vajroli above is exactly the same for the woman with sahajroli
except the asana, siddha yoni asana is different. For the siddha yoni asana the woman sits with legs
crossed except her heal in this position is not at the base of the spine as it is with the man her right
heal is pushing inward in the direction of her cervix. The rest of the exercise is the same.

Other exercises to encourage sublimation: Emptiness Meditation, the Cosmic Orbit, the Partner
Pelvic Thrust, the Lotus Breath, Squeezing and Breathing Exercise, the Kundalini Massage,
Shambhavi Mudra.

3 – Exercises for Building & Retaining Pranic Energy. These practices utilize two very
important aspects of tantra yoga; the bandhas which are energetic locks located in three areas of
the body: the mula bandha at the base of the spine, the uddiyana bandha in the navel region and
the jalandhara bandha at the throat and kumbhaka which is basically breath retention. There are
basically two types; antara kumbhaka which is holding the breath in and baya kumbhaka which is
holding the breath out. In tantric pranayama practices the two kumbhaka and the bandhas are
often used together in one overall exercise.

Naga Prana, Mahabandha or Cobra Breath - Sit in ardha padmasana or half lotus pose with a strait
spine. Breathing entirely through your nose on the in breath, simultaneously and in this order;
firmly squeeze and hold your pc muscle - moola bandha, stomach/lower abdomen muscles -
uddiyana bandha and then the throat by pressing the chin firmly down against the sternum. All
three of these should be held intact for as long as you hold your breath in. This is called the 'maha
bandha' or the great lock. As you perform the maha bandha you should also perform the 'kechari'
and 'shambhavi' mudras. Which is; kechari - placing the tip of the tongue firmly against the roof of
the mouth back to the soft pallet and shambhavi - rolling the eyes back in the head as if looking up
toward the crown chakra. Hold all of these for as long as you can hold your breath in. Take an extra
sniff of air to sustain this pose for a few seconds longer. On the exhale release all bandhas and
mudras, move your tongue flat and forward so that when you exhale you make a hissing sound with
your breath. As you exhale through your mouth allow the energy from your head to descend back
down into your second and base chakra area. This is one complete round, if you're a beginner
repeat this six more times for more advanced you can do up to twenty one.
The Naga Prana is also useful for arousing the Kundalini as well as assisting to clear the sushumna,
ida, pingala and other nadis of the subtle body. These areas contain 'samskaras' or negative past
impressions from this and previous incarnations. By clearing these areas the path to samadhi, Self-
recognition and eventually enlightenment is accelerated.
The PC Pump - This 'pranayama' or yogic breath exercise is practiced more for building lower
chakra energies than anything else. It’s different than the fire breath in that the emphasis is on the
in breath rather than the out breath. It’s also an exercise, that if performed properly, for a
reasonable length of time such as 10 minutes twice per day, should increase you libido or sex drive,
as well as purify your blood and improve your repertory system.
While sitting in ardha padmasana - crossed legged position - contract the pc muscle at the base of
your spine as you breathe in and then release the pc muscle as you breathe out. This breath is also
performed as rapidly as possible, which in pace is similar the 'fire breath;’ about one or two breaths
per second. At the end of each session perform antara kumbhaka along with mula bandha which
is; breathing in fully as possible and then holding your breath in (antara kumbhaka) while
contracting your pc muscle (mula bandha) simultaneously, for as long as you can before exhaling
and releasing the mula bandha or pc muscle. You should begin with two 5 min. sessions a day and
if possible work your way up to two 15 min. sessions per day.

Other exercises for building and retaining pranic energy: The Individual Pelvic Thrust, the Lingam
&/or Yoni Massage or tantric Genital Massage, Naumukhi Mudra or the Closing of the Nine Gates,

Exercises to Enhance & Experience Mutual Absorption. Here are several options for
practicing experiencing mutual absorption. It’s important to sit in meditation and notice in what
ways you feel different after each exercise. Also notice which exercise works best for you.

Mutual absorption exercise 1- Sit opposite your partner with

your right hand extended over his/her heart. Now place your left
hand on top of your partner’s hand, which should be over the
area where you feel your heart energy the strongest. Now begin
alternate breathing that is when you exhale your partner inhales
and vice versa. If you’re the male or more masculine of the two
partners as you exhale send unconditional love, along with your
Yang energy down your arm and into the heart of your partner,
as the female or the more feminine of the two partners receives.
Then the feminine partner should send her Yin energy back to you in the same way as her partner
receives. Remember as you inhale you should be receiving the opposite of what you are sending so
if you are sending Yin or feminine energy you should receive Yang or masculine energy. You should
continue this breathing cycle for at least ten minutes. If you like after a while you can move into
‘yab-yum’ position and continue alternate breathing together. However in this position your Yin &
Yang energy via the heart chakra is exchanged directly through the breath or in other words back
and forth from heart to heart. At some point you can also bring your lips together slightly touching
but not actually kissing. The man should take the upper lip of his partner gently between his two
lips as she takes his lower lip between hers. This will create energy around your mouths that should
also be included during the exchange of energies.

Mutual absorption exercise 2 - You and your partner will need to arrange a situation where one of
you can reach a high body temperature while the other does the exact opposite, for instance while
one of you sits in a sauna the other has a cold bath or shower. One couple I know did it with one
lying in the sun while the other swam in a cold lake. After you have reached your maximum cold or
hot body temperature, the two of you should come together and embrace while in yab yum position
or the nurturing pose and absorb the warmth or refreshing coolness whichever the case may be
from your partner. This exercise is best done with no clothes on however bathers are also
acceptable since being completely nude is not always possible in all circumstances. Notice that you
are giving and receiving exactly what the other needs or is craving. In many ways this is exactly the
kind or energy exchange that occurs between you and a partner when you exchange your Yin and
Yang essences while making love, you’re giving what you have in abundance in exchange for what
you need, this is the essence of mutual absorption.

Exercise 3- Sit in yab-yum position with your partner. Reach around to your partner’s lower back
just over his/her coccyx area and rub vigorously for about two or three minutes or however long it
takes to build a noticeable amount of kinetic heat and energy in that area. As you do this your
partner should simultaneously try to absorb as much of that energy into his/her base and second
chakras or in their sacrum area. After you stop rubbing your partner should have stored up energy
in their sacral plexus area. As you draw inward and upward through your second chakra area or
more specifically your urethra into your navel or lower abdomen, using the vajroli or sahajroli
method, your partner should at the same time release the stored up energy to you through their
second or base chakra. He/she can best do this by relaxing and breathing completely and slowly.
You on the other hand should draw the energized Shakti from your partner into your abdomen area
either with your in breath or by sucking in with your stomach vajroli or sahajroli technique. Hold
the energy in your stomach for as long as possible without breathing and then on your exhale send
the energy back to your partner as he/she absorbs. Now as you perform alternate breathing,
mutually sending and absorbing, keep this rhythm going for at least ten minutes. Then change over
and allow your partner to energize your lower back and perform the rest of the exercise in the same
way with you.

Other practices to enhance and improve mutual absorption: The Partner Heating/Cooling Breath.
the Standing and Receiving Exercise.

Exercises to Improve the Circulation of Pranic Energy

Pranic circulation exercise 1 - Synchronised Breath: First sit opposite

your partner with your legs crossed sitting in sukhasana or easy pose,
and also with your hands forward toughing each other. In this
pranayama both partners inhale and exhale in unison. Usually one
follows the other until they begin to spontaneously breathe together
without thinking. This exercise does require a partner but can be
performed as a group exercises as well. Its primary purpose is to
elevate, raise & expand pranic or vital energy as well as bring partners
into harmony with each other.
As pictured on the left; your hands are raised together on the inhale &
then lowered together on your exhale.

Nurturing Pose, Pranayama – The couple should lay down together in nurturing pose and the one
on the outside has his/her top arm/hand is over around their partner so that he/she can massage
their partners genitals. From this point on its quite simple the outer partner massages the inner
partner to the point of orgasm once there is an abundance of second chakra energy they both inhale
deeply while contracting mula and uddiyana bandha together and raising the energy from the base
to the crown of their heads and then on the exhale they both take the energy down to the base of
their spines again and repeat this until the energy spreads throughout their physical and subtle
bodies. Now they change over and the one that received the genital massage, now gives one to
his/her partner in the same way as described previously. At the end of that round they now sit
together in yab yum and as still as possible meditating and feel their combined etheric bodies
expand outward as much as possible.

Heart Chakra to Heart Chakra Alternate Breathing:

Option 1 - While sitting in yab yum position you and your partner place your lips lightly together
without actually kissing. As you breath in your partner will exhale into your mouth. Take his/her
breath/energy deep into your heart, hold for a few seconds and then exhale sending your
breath/energy into your partner in the same way.
Option 2 - While in padmasana sit knee to knee and place your foreheads or 'third eyes' together.
Now perform the alternate breath as described in option 1 except do not touch lips. Be sure to be
close enough to feel the breath of your partner come and go as you do the alternate breathing.
Option 3 - Sit in yab yum and perform alternate breathing as described in option 1 except close
your mouths and perform the alternate breath from nose to nose. You can start in your left side for
about 1 minute and then change to the right side for another minute and then continue changing
side to side for as long as you like. All the options here in the heart to heart alternate breathing
exercises help partners reduce any separateness they may experience, and leads them more into a
feeling of unison or oneness with one another.
These exercises are all practiced to bring energies that may not already be in harmony, into
accord with one another. After any form of alternate breathing the couple almost always feel
more at one with each other.

The Partner Circular Breath – One practice involves the couple sitting in yab yum position and
performing synchronic breath together. As you inhale you both visualize energy traveling from your
base chakras, up your spine and into your throat/mouth area. Then on the exhale you both
visualize the energy traveling down through your partners back starting from his/her,
mouth/throat to the base of their spine. In other words with each complete breath, your
concentration along with the pranic energy circulates one complete cycle; up through you on the
inhale and down through your partner on the exhale.
Another option is to use alternate breath instead of synchronistic breath as before. While alternate
breathing one partner should breathe in and up and the other breathes in and down. Or you could
one breathes down on the inhale while the other This completes one complete cycle. After about
ten cycles then change directions.

Other practices to improve & enhance the circulation of pranic energy: The Chakra Breath, Nadi
Shodhana, the Partner Crown/Base Chakra Circular Breath, the Hollow Flute or Hollow Bamboo
Pranayama (individual or partner) Exercise, any of the various Circular Breathing Practices

Important Qualities

In tantra yoga certain personal qualities are encouraged to develop as they tend to assist and
enable the practitioner to progress with less difficulty as they peruse their spiritual path. In fact
there are certain personal characteristics that can make it near impossible to succeed in practicing
and participating successfully in tantra, such as; being obsessed with sex and sexuality or the exact
opposite; being too close minded about sex and sexuality. However I prefer to focus on the positive
rather than the negative so the following will be a list of ten qualities that I feel would be the most
beneficial for someone wanting to become a master tantrica. If you want to be aware what the
negative qualities one should avoid then try and figure what would probably be the opposite to each
of the following ten examples, for example the opposite to dispassion (the first example) would be
someone who’s overly indulgent.

Dispassion - Dispassion admittedly is a quality that one must develop over time rather than
something a specpractice technique that one learns to practice, never the less without this quality,
tantric practice can become frustrating and difficult to say the least. Dispassion may also sound, at
least to some, like the opposite of what a lot of people would consider as an objective in tantric
practice’s, so therefore let me phrase it another way; in order to sustain and maintaining self-
control over your libido or natural sexual drive you must develop a certain degree of self-control
over your sexual urges and that usually requires a certain degree of detachment and dispassion.
This does not mean however that you cannot enjoy yourself when making love to your partner, but
it does require you to have enough dispassion detachment and self-control that you end up not
being controlled by your sexual urges, instead of harnessing that and using it for your higher
aspirations and goals. In tantra this is sometimes what is meant by ‘walking the razors edge;’ you
certainly don’t want to become so detached and removed while making love with your partner that
you lose touch with your libido or your power source, nor do you want to become so overly excited
that you lose control and cannot direct your lower instinctual energies to a higher level.

Self-Discipline

Having unconditional Love & compassion for the suffering of others. Another way of
saying the same thing is; the ability to sustain yourself in Love.

Maintaining balance in all things.

Discrimination

Trust & Acceptance

Taking full responsibility for all your life circumstances. In other words not allowing
yourself to become weak and embittered by succumbing to a victim-consciousness.

Be True to Your Word.

Non-violence and self-control.

Maintaining good health and good health habits.