What Is Thai Yoga and Tantra Yoga?

Although Tantra has long been practiced in many eastern cultures, it is just beginning to flourish in the United States. Born in India more than 6,000 years ago, Tantra emerged as a rebellion against organized religion, which held that sensuality should be rejected in order to reach enlightenment.

Tantra challenged the acetic beliefs of that time, purporting that sensuality was a doorway to the divine, and that earthly pleasures, such as eating, dancing and creative expression were sacred acts.

The word Tantra means "to manifest, to expand, to show and to weave." In this context, sensuality is thought to expand consciousness and to weave together the polarities of male (represented by the Hindu god, Shiva), and female (embodied by the Hindu goddess, Shakti), into a harmonious whole.

Tantra relaxes the body, opens the heart and clears the mind. When this integration has taken place, we are ready for a new sexual experience in which physical pleasure becomes a delight of the heart and an ecstasy of the spirit. When practiced with a partner, Tantra contributes to healthy, loving relationships.

Tantra yoga is not concerned with sexuality, but with the creative force and transmuting this energy into higher channels. The goal of tantra yoga is to awaken and harmonize the male and female aspects within each person in order to spiritually awaken and realize the whole universe as an expression of the Cosmic Mother, the divine life force, or Spirit.Tantra Yoga includes physical exercises, breathing methods, purification, mental techniques and meditative practices, all of which lead to the physical and emotional balance of the human being, elevate consciousness, and gradually reveal the Spirit. Tantra Yoga means to live simply, spontaneously and full of happiness, recognizing the same Spirit in everything that exists. Any human being can obtain benefits from practicing it.

Thai Yoga Massage

Thai Yoga massage is an ancient form of therapeutic healing. Its roots are in India from where it was brought to Thailand over 2000 years ago by Ayurvedic doctors and Buddhist monks. It is a comprehensive, interactive yoga therapy that relieves muscular tension, improves circulation, boosts the immune system, and balances the body energetically, facilitating mind-body integration. Thai Yoga Massage combines acupressure, energy balancing and gentle yoga stretches.

Thai Yoga massage is a unique and powerful massage therapy. As well as improving flexibility, relaxation and energy levels, a massage can relieve headaches, asthma, constipation, and improve flexibility. From yoga, a series of stretches have been adopted that are applied by the practitioner in conjunction with breathing exercises. From the Indian medical system of Ayurveda have been taken principles about body type and vital energy lines flowing along energy pathways, and these energy lines are very vital to promote health overall, for mind, body and spirit.