Osho's Four Pillars of Health

Health is not only a physical phenomenon. That is only one of its dimensions, and one of the most superficial dimensions because basically the body is going to die — healthy or unhealthy, it is momentary.

Real health has to happen somewhere inside you, in your subjectivity, in your consciousness, because consciousness knows no birth, no death. It is eternal.

To be healthy in consciousness means: first, to be awake; second, to be harmonious; third, to be ecstatic; and fourth, to be compassionate. If these four things are fulfilled, one is inwardly healthy. And sannyas can fulfill all these four things. It can make you more aware, because all the meditation techniques are methods to make you more aware, devices to pull you out of your metaphysical sleep. And dancing, singing, rejoicing, can make you more harmonious.

There is a moment when the dancer disappears and only the dance remains. In that rare space one feels harmony. When the singer is completely forgotten and only the song remains, when there is no center functioning and only the song remains, when there is no center functioning as I — the I is absolutely absent — and you are in a flow, that flowing consciousness is harmonious.

To be awake and harmonious creates the possibility for ecstasy to happen. Ecstasy means the ultimate joy, inexpressible; no words are adequate to say anything about it.

And when one has attained to ecstasy, when one has known the ultimate peak of joy, compassion comes as a consequence.

When you have that joy, you like to share it; you cannot avoid sharing, sharing is inevitable. It is a logical consequence of having. It starts overflowing; you need not do anything. It starts happening of its own accord.

These four are the four pillars of inner health. Attain to it. It is our birthright; we just have to claim it.

Osho, The Last Testament, Vol. 1, Talk #8

An Interview with the Facilitator's of Spiritual Sexual Shamanic Practitioners Training Fall 2010 Sedona by Moses Ma

This powerful training was developed by Baba Dez Nichols of the Sedona Temple and International School of Temple Arts to address the need to heal the world and transform sexual fear, guilt and shame through the tools of shamanism and spiritual awareness. Three of Baba Dez Nichols protégés, who have trained with him and are powerful and dedicated teachers in their own right; Triambika Vengoechea, Lawrence Lanoff, and Crystal Dawn Morris will be teaching the training November 1-6 in Sedona, AZ. They have all studied, assisted, and been blessed with the presence and wisdom of many masters around the world.

Moses Ma of http://onetantra.com and the TantricNews.com caught up with them recently and did a group interview to learn more about them and the training they are giving.

Q: Well, it’s a rare blessing to see all three of you at once. So, tell me a bit about yourselves… from where do you hail? What was your life before tantra?

TV: I was born in LA to immigrant parents from South America Colombia but spent most of my formative years growing up in Miami Beach, Florida… now as to before tantra…let me think back to several lifetimes ago… seriously though, I was involved in metaphysical groups, Eastern philosophy, yoga, practicing massage therapy… oh and did I mention I was a “lingerie model”?

CDM: Me? I was born in Illinois and moved around a lot as a kid. Before Tantra I was a mother, an entrepreneur, a Certified Nurse-Midwife and I had a Shamanic Healing Practice.

LL: Yeah, this is cool. Okay. So before tantra, I was just a little boy. I had my first training with a tantric master when I was 11. It was very cool because it primed me to the idea that there was more to sex than cells meeting cells.

Q: Let’s start with the obvious question… what's this workshop about, that you three are teaching?

LL: This is a hands on training workshop. The idea is to give people direct experiences that they can then take back out into their lives.

CDM: As a nurse-midwife, Tantra teacher and intimacy coach I’ve seen how shame, guilt and fear can affect people's self esteem, how it can affect their health and how it can impact relationships. This training is for those who are interested both in their own sexual healing as well as helping others to heal their sexuality. This training takes the participants on a journey of sexual healing and spiritual transformation. There is a focus on developing the healthy inner masculine qualities of presence, creating safety and living your life with purpose. We’ll also work on releasing shame, fear and guilt so the healthy inner feminine can express her emotions freely and access her creative energy. By going through their own personal healing processes, each participant can learn how to heal themselves as they acquire the tools for helping others, including: emotional release work, healing practices and rituals. We’ll also teach you how to create a following and create a livelihood as a Spiritual Sexual Shamanic Practitioner.

Q: Wow that’s a great answer. Is there anything you want to add, Tri?

TV: This training is also about learning how to embody the energy we are made of. We move deeply into looking at the roles of masculine and feminine within us both from a healthy and unhealthy perspective. Thus learning to create a happy inner marriage. It’s about working with our emotional body, learning about our power and releasing guilt shame and fear. Because if we are truly meant to be sexual healers in the world, these old beliefs that are holding us back need to shift so that we may fully be present. So in a way, this training is really for anyone who is ready to move into the next level of their being.

Q: Wonderful! Well, I’ll include a link below for anyone interested in finding out more about this workshop, but now, let’s delve deeper. Tri, what are the fundamental principles of your work?

TV: That the Sacred exists in all things. All of life is One, a continuum in which supreme consciousness pervades ‘everything’ in existence… all in an erotic dance of love with the energy of manifestation. ‘Everything’ includes the most profane and shadow aspects of the self. Because it’s in our shadow that the energy for awakening is locked up. Our primal life force has the ability to heal and awaken us. The breath is the vehicle of this life force, and the heart is the alchemical chalice where transformation takes place.

CDM: My principles are very similar… all of life is sacred. Emptiness and form are one. Duality arises out of a misunderstanding of our true nature. The world of form contains masculine and feminine energies. The answers we seek are within us. The body is a vehicle that allows Consciousness to grow and evolve through our life experience. All human beings have the capacity to awaken fully… because we are all divine.

Q: How about you Lawrence?

LL: Sure. Let go. Relax. Have fun.

Q: Very Zen. Okay, can you tell me more?

LL: You want more? You want to get into it? Okay, here we go. What I try to do with people is free their minds. The mind is a prison. If we get stuck in that prison - because of what we desire or believe, then we literally can't move ahead in our lives.

In my experience, there is a very small group of people who are interested in seeing life more clearly. It's not for everybody - but I assume if you're open minded enough to explore sexuality with more clarity in your life - why not explore other sacred cows more clearly.

Frankly, asking questions is inevitable. Things change. There are things that we all believed 10 years ago - very strongly - that now seems absurd. In other words - we were incorrect in our beliefs.

For me, in my life, I have always been appreciative of the people who have come before me have been willing to speak their minds and ask questions - regardless of the fact that others may be offended. These people help us to expand our ideas about the nature of life, reality, sexuality, whatever.

The core idea of modern religious/spiritual thinking comes from ancient philosophers, priests, shaman, looking for answers to the universe. We think this is uniquely human, but self awareness, we are finding out, is an important component of survival for many animals. They may not be asking the big questions - why, how, etc - but some self awareness is essential.Our own self awareness is at a whole different level - but not in and of itself unique.

Deeply religious people always say to me, you have to have "faith". The question I ask is simple. "Faith in what?" They will then proceed to tell me their beliefs about the world, god, etc. In my experience, these beliefs tend to fall into Category II or Category III mythologies. No big deal - it is what it is.
I'm a social scientist - so I observe.

I'm an artist, so I see patterns to things. I notice spaces between spaces.
I'm a filmmaker, so I see how easily people's emotions are manipulated. Films are nothing but a total manipulation of the human emotional brain
I'm a critical thinker - so I see how bad we all are at thinking critically about things we FEEL strongly about.

We underestimate the power of our emotional, feeling brain - which shuts down the reflective brain when it's active. Our deep, religious feelings emanate from the instinctive parts of our brain. So does sex. The more we understand our brains, the more we understand our strong reactions to life.

And so… I am looking to free people psychologically.
If your beliefs are working for you - then it's all good. However, if we are like most other human mammals, inside we are not certain about our beliefs. We have nagging questions. There are major discrepancies - major gaps in our beliefs and the way things actually are. That's why the catch all answer is "just have faith."
However, when our belief systems begin to fail - I'm exactly your go to guy - for the fact that I don't agree with all the canonized spiritual stuff that's out there. Furthermore, I can directly explain how and why the systems have failed us.

Being able to see clearly is essential to leading a happy, healthy, sexual, free, joy filled life. I call it The New Enlightenment. An enlightenment that has no one particular ideology or "truth" - a willingness to let stuff go and move on when it's no longer working for us.

An empowered enlightenment regarding our sexuality, our bodies, our minds, our spirituality. If there is a god-like being in the world - I am positive that she would encourage me to ask questions - and doesn't need me to believe in her any more than I need you "to have faith and belief" in me.

Faith and belief are irrelevant to asking questions. We can have "faith" and ask questions. Who wouldn't? It's a big crazy world, and we would be nothing more than auto-matons if we didn't ask questions.
We have to ask questions. We have to poke at the sacred cows in order to be truly free.

Q: Man, that’s brilliant! That’s a taste of what’s coming in this workshop huh? I could listen to you forever about this, but I have more questions. Tri, can you share with us the impact of the kind of work you do?

TV: Let me think… okay, I have one. I worked with a woman who had never been able to have an orgasm except without the help of a vibrator. She felt this presented a problem in her relationship and was very frustrating for her to try so hard but not be able to get there. There was also history of some sexual molestation when she was about 7. After asking her to discontinue using her vibrator so that she may begin to bring feeling in her body she was rather reluctant at first. She agreed to put it away. We worked together to activate and move the emotional numbness in her yoni and processed the molestation. We had only one very emotional session together. The next night she reported having her first orgasm via oral sex with her partner. Months later she contacted me wanting another session for her and her partner, they were now engaged and she was happy to report being “very orgasmic.” That’s the kind of healing that can happen in my work.

CDM: I’ve seen similar kinds of results. I love coaching couples and teaching them how to speak truthfully from their hearts. I teach a process called "the bubble." This practice helps people share their desires, fears and boundaries. Clients have told me it has helped them work though challenging issues with awareness and compassion.

Q: Okay, new question… what was the greatest joy of your life? what did it teach you?

CDM: My children and grandchildren are my greatest joy. They teach me to love unconditionally.

LL: My greatest joys are in the relating with other people, sharing depth, communication, understanding. It always teaches me how incorrect I am when I assume that I can just "know" about somebody and what's best for that person. Reality checking teaches me the humility of error.

TV: My greatest joy? I’d have to say that currently my greatest joy is my work and my niece. My work in the world teaches me service, patience, steadfastness, and how to experience limitless love. My niece just turned 15 and she is the love of my life, I treasure her deeply, she teaches me to connect with the time of my youth, be gentle with that little girl inside and remember to tell her nice things.

Q: How about your greatest sorrow?

TV: A very close family member was incarcerated and still is. The confusion, anger, sadness and grief around this situation has taught me how to and be with pain while maintaining an open heart. For this is now my personal mantra… “No matter what keep opening your heart.”

LL: My greatest sorrow has been regretting my regrets. The past is gone, so regretting regrets is a complete waste of life force for me.

CDM: For me… I went through a grieving process when I ended a six year relationship in 2001. It taught me the importance of living in the now and letting go of expectations about the future.

LL: Hey, we’re not terribly sorrowful people.

Q: Okay, let’s jump to a new question. Tri, tell me a story from childhood that explains how you became who you are...

TV: Wow, what a question. Let me think a minute… Okay, from an early age I was very curious about sex. Most of the information I was getting about sex came from older friends from grade-school, who knew little more than I did. So I took it upon myself to explore and find out what all the hype was about. So in 5th and 6th grade, the boys in my class were starting to get curious as well, yet their best attempt was the occasional ass grab or hand on my thigh while watching films in a semi darkened classroom. While other girls would scream and tattle-tell on boys, I would simply allow the experience to happen and sort of relax into it and wait to see what would happen next.

After a couple of years in my Catholic school, which produced tremendous confusion, I moved forward with boys tentatively. Concerned about what it meant to be a “good girl” versus a “slut” and even more concerned about getting caught, I found myself traveling to the local public high school to connect with my “cooler” friends. Let me tell you, young teenage catholic school girls will jump at the chance to call you a slut, even if your still a virgin. And so it was… My curiosity was stronger than the harsh label, so I went for it, besides I was likely having way more fun than they were.

At the same time, I had developed a keen interest in astrology. This science connected me to the moon, the planets and the earth. It revealed my inherent connectedness to all things. Antithetically in the 9th grade I entered a Christian youth group. Not so much because I was a devout Christian but because I loved the singing and the depth of emotion available on the spiritual retreats. I was fascinated by speaking in tongues, loved the hymns and loved the healing that took place in these states of trance.

One day I brought one of my Astrology magazines to the youth group only to have it condemned by the pastor and my peers telling me it was “not the word of God” and against Christian values and if it’s not the word of God as stated in the Bible then it must be the word of the Devil! But then I thought, “If the stars and the moon and the cycles of time are not God, then what is?” And so, that was the last time I ever went to Christian youth group!

Although Christianity taught me about forgiveness and family values… it left me pretty confused about sex… I could not understand how I could feel such a deep heartfelt sense of connection to God yet be a sinner at the same time. Eventually, I traded in the outdated religion of my parents for the fulfillment of metaphysical and esoteric studies, astrology classes, energy healing, meditation and chakra awareness. And that pretty much got me started in the direction I’m in today.

Q: Damn, I wanted to hear about the lingerie model thing…

TV: That’s what you want, huh? Okay, I was just about to tell you about the time I began working as a “lingerie model”… which was really a front for a live peep show where men could pick the “model” of their choice and be taken to a private room to have a little show. The models would encourage the customers to “make themselves more comfortable”, in other words, please feel free to masturbate and don’t forget to leave a tip.

It was between the ages of 18 and 22 and I was making more money than I knew what to do with! Even though I loved the shopping sprees… my self-esteem began to slowly crumble. I didn’t have a sense of my boundaries, I didn’t even know what they were until they got crossed. The ego boost of all the attention was intrinsically paired with a deep shame and guilt for what I was letting these men do to me. After a few short years in the industry I was left feeling debased and resentful.

Fortunately, after making regular visits to the local Siddha Yoga ashram in 1996, I decided to make a pilgrimage to India. It was in Dharamsala during a meditation retreat that I heard the word Tantra for the first time. Described to me at the time as a high level practice reserved only for Tibetan monks where they would use sexuality to attain a form of enlightenment, I knew instantly there was something there for me to explore.

I was deeply affected by my first trip to India. The following year I moved to Berkeley California and began my search for Tantra teachers. About the same time I had found myself completely broke and bruised with shame from the unconscious sexual activity in my past. My housemate suggested I try working at a sensual massage location she knew about. At first I was reluctant because if my history with sex work, but after a bit of prompting, assuring me I did not have to have sex or do anything I didn’t want to do she convinced me to check it out.

I discovered a trade I could offer my healing work while having an outlet for my intense sensual nature. It was there, at Divine Bodies on Vine Street in Berkeley that I found the book ‘Women of the Light’ by Kenneth Ray Stubbs. After reading the captivating stories of these female sexual healers from all walks of life, I knew then with perfect clarity that I had found my path.

My next move was to find a teacher. Initially I took classes with Jwala, Deborah Taj Anapol, Corynna Clark and Margot Anand. But it wasn’t until I serendipitously met Malia Oliver that I began to see the possibility of healing that was available to me through this path. Malia introduced me to Charles Muir and to Michael the Red, a daka living in LA. One warm evening in Michael's home he offered to give me a sacred spot healing session. I mainly remember seeing his face morph into the men who I hated. The experiences I had felt so much shame for had been dug up and emotion around it was activated. I cried and cried, but amazingly, with complete lucidity! I told Michael to stay right where he was, on my spot while I screamed, “Get the fuck out of my body”. Love was literally being poured into my being as I exorcised these men out of my body. After that I was believer and my life would never be the same.
After this healing, Charles Muir became my teacher. I attended three magnificent levels of teacher trainings along with multiple personal experiences with Charles. I am so grateful to him! He offered me countless awakening healing sessions. At first, all I could feel was pain and numbness but with time things evolved into a beautiful journey of self-healing, self-love and self-empowerment. I received the teachings with tremendous fervor. Not only with sexual healing but diligently practicing the mantras, yantras and pranayama I was learning.

A few years later my desire for the source of these spiritual teachings took precedence over the rest of life. I met my Guru in the year 2000, and I quickly underwent an initiation into a Kashmiri Shaivite lineage. The secret tradition of Tantra was revealed to me via the teachings, eye-to-eye transmission, and elaborate ritual.

To this day I honor both traditional Tantra as well as modern day Tantra as amazing vehicles for awareness, indeed they are the foundation of what I teach today. And so I offer my life to this path and offer everything I’ve learned along the way to the students and the seekers who grace my life with their desire to learn. Blessed Be!
And thank you, Moses, for asking this question and letting me tell my story.

Q: Blessed be, babe.

LL: Don’t look at me! I’m not going to follow an act like that!

CDM: Triambika, your story was so beautiful, it made me want to share my story as well.

As a child I always felt a deep connection to spirituality. I felt a deep connection to the Earth, moon and stars. I loved mythology and lived in a world of "make believe". By age 15, I was studying the Tarot and I Ching. At 16, I had a Samadhi experience and was in a state of bliss for a week. On the 8th day I woke up back in my normal state of consciousness. I was surprised and prayed for guidance. I was guided to find a man to have children with and start a family. I left LA and drove to Oregon where I joined a friend who was living on a commune. I met my future husband. We got married in 1974 and were married for 16 years. We have two sons, Elijah and Joshua. After Elijah's birth I knew I wanted to become a midwife and planned to return to school when my children were old enough.

In 1975, we joined the "back to the land" movement. We bought 160 acres on top of a mountain in southeastern Oklahoma, near my great-grandparents homestead. We lived in a tent for a year and then moved into a small cabin we built. My son, Josh was born in the home of his great-grandfather in September, 1976.

And in 1985 I went to a midwifery conference and participated in an amazing shamanic ritual. Eventually, I moved to Sonoma County, and I started a drumming circle called the Wolf Lodge. Shortly thereafter, I took my first workshop with Michael Harner and began using the shamanic journey as a regular and frequent spiritual practice. I remember this one training, in Esalen – it was a two week Shamanic Healing Intensive with Michael Harner and Sandra Ingerman. I was in such an altered state by the end of the workshop that I could hear the whole world singing. This ecstatic state lasted for 2 months.

Fast forward another decade, and this is when I discovered SkyDancing Tantra. In the first hour I recognized that this path felt like coming home. For sometime I had been aware of feeling a split between my work as a nurse-midwife and my shamanic healing work. I felt had been praying to be guided to a way to bridge them. I immediately recognized SkyDancing Tantra as that bridge. I signed up for Margot Anand's next workshop which was in September 2003 at Harbin Hot Springs, called The Yin and Yang of Ecstasy. On the second day I experienced a spontaneous SkyDancing initiation. At the end of a massage, as I rested on the table, a blue Buddha entered my root chakra and shot through me and out my crown. Suddenly, I was dancing in space with the Primordial Buddha. When I returned to my body I was in bliss. I took Margot's Love and Ecstasy Training levels 1 and 2 in 2004.

Shortly afterwards, I went to visit a friend in Sedona. On seeing Sedona my heart chakra blasted open and I suddenly felt I had to move to Sedona. This made no sense on the rational level. When I returned to California I journeyed, prayed and meditated on it... But my Sedona was calling, so I sold my house and quit my job at Kaiser and moved to the desert and started learning as much as I could about Tantra.
And that’s how I came to be here, with you all.

Q: Thank you! Okay, I just have a couple of more questions… so what’s next for all of you, I mean, after this workshop?

TV: As always I continue to work on my self as a more conscious human being, I keep stalking my shadow and ask what it can teach me. On a worldly level, I’m excited to make my place in an international market.

CDM: I am committed to becoming fully awake through Tantra, meditation and self-inquiry.

LL: I'm continuing to do some amazing DVD's with my business partner, Jaiya. We just completed our tantric oral sex series. It's pretty amazing. Packed with techniques. I really love being able to use my 20 years of directing movies, and videos to teach sex education. It's pretty awesome.

Q: Next question, give me one suggestion that will change my life today, if I start doing it.

TV: Stay present to the qualitative experience of every moment, indeed that is the only thing that’s really ever happening.

CDM: I find that daily Breathwork is a wonderful to keep the energy body activated, cleared and feel connected to the Divine.

LL: Focus on having fun. Your brain is an associative organ - which means, once you start rolling in one direction, there is a momentum, and all things related to that direction gather steam. Most of us take whatever brain vomit the brain gives us, and roll with that. That's a mistake if you want to be happier in your life. We have to learn to take control of the brain - and focus on what we want - not in some pollyanna way, but really asking what do I need to do to feel better and better in my life. In my experience, these questions one way or another link back to sex and sexuality.

Q: Final question, spontaneously compose a poem or haiku that expresses your philosophy of life…

TV:
We Are here
We Are now
Now is all there IS
Isness is Love
Love is Eternal
And so are You

CDM:
Love every moment
See the beauty in all things
Give generously of yourself
Offer gratitude for all the gifts you receive

LL:
I know that I
don't know
absolute truth.
Neither does anybody else.

Q: Thank you, all of you, for your wisdom and your beauty. Namaste.

Sedona Sacred Sexual Practitioner Training

Spiritual Sexual Shamanic Practitioners Training Fall 2010 Sedona
Are you ready to shift the Paradigm around sex and consciousness? We are coming down to the wire for the Nov. 1-6,2010 Sedona Spiritual Sexual Shamanic Practitioners Training, formerly called the Daka/Dakini Training. There are still have a few spaces left and payment plans are available. This 6-day immersion is for designed for practitioners, trainees and those interested in their own healing and empowerment in the Sacred Sexual Healing Arts.

Nov 1-6, 2010 in Sedona, AZ, USA

Facilitated by: Triambika, Lawrence Lanoff, Crystal Dawn Morris, who have collectively studied, assisted, and been blessed with the presence and wisdom of many masters around the world for over 30 years. See www.sedonatemple.com.

Discover tools for an ongoing practice of evolving consciousness and embodying bliss. Learn how to support others on this path. Central to this path are presence, personal empowerment, emotional intelligence, sexual wholeness, and a lifestyle which honors the interconnectedness of all things. Acknowledging and embracing one’s shadow (or un-integrated psychological material) is the cornerstone of this work.

In this training, you will become an advocate for total wellness: the integration of physical, emotional, sexual, spiritual, and community health. During this empowering, powerful & dynamic course, you will learn:
1. Emotional Awareness & Fluidity
2. Sacred Inner Marriage
3. Transformation through Ritual
4. The Business of Transformation
5. Creating Abundance and Community

Who will benefit from taking this program?
Both adepts and beginners will not want to miss this powerful and compelling week-long program. It is appropriate for those who seek to work professionally, and for those who choose to walk the path informally. For those who have already begun their personal development with sacred sexuality and integrative wellness, this course will prepare you to move with confidence, presence, and power in private sessions. For those who are just beginning their walk, this course will serve as an evocative initiation and will provide a solid foundation from which to take the next steps. Some experience with Tantra and/or a professional training in healing is strongly recommended.

The experience is inclusive of the physical, personal, emotional, and transcendent, while then coming back to the very practical skills of creating a safe, effective, and satisfying session.

Self-Responsibility and Empowered Communication:
The empowering skills that will be developed in this training will not only help each participant to respond to clients or students with respect and self-responsibility, but also teach you to guide your students into a clear, mutual, and safe agreement in order to create a strong container for sacred ritual and assist you in clarifying and maintaining your role in the session. You will be given the opportunity to assess and understand your own current physical and emotional state while noticing, acknowledging and trusting your boundaries, limits and choices.

Location and Contact: Experience the magical vortex energies of the Sedona Red Rocks, Call 928.282.8511 or email: mail@sedonatemple.com
http://sedonatemple.com/2010-seattle-spiritual-sexual-shamanic-practitioners-training.php

Investment:
The cost for this course is $3000 per person (room & board included) or $2300 without room & board. You may reserve your space with a deposit, below. Please be aware that the skills you receive in this intensive will give you the tools and confidence to begin offering your service and teachings to others.

Training start time for Nov 1, 2010 is 4pm. Full days meet 10am-6 pm. Nov 6, 2010 closing ritual is 10am - 4pm. R

Chakra Talk

Art at Mandalas.com
This practice allows you to access the wisdom held in your chakra energy chttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifenters. You are lending your voice to the center you connect with so you can connect and communicate with it in a direct way, I more you are able to relax and surrender to the experience the easier it is to access the wisdom of your chakras coming through in their unique voice.

Set aside 15-30 minutes for this practice. Make sure the phone is off and that you won't be disturbed. This can be done alone or with a partner. If done alone have your journal nearby so you can take notes. You may also choose to record the experience. If done with a partner, only one person speaks and the other acts as a witness. They may take notes if that feels appropriate to both parties. The witness should not interrupt the speaker while the chakra is talking.

Begin with a Heart Salutation directing your attention to the chakra you are going to connect with. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Take slow, gentle, relaxing breaths into your belly. Relax deeply for about several minutes. As your exhale, breath out any tension you are holding. As you inhale, breathe in life force energy (pnana/chi/ki) and feel your body being energized.

When you are relaxed focus your attention on the chakra you fell called to connect with. Place your hands over the area related to that particular chakra. Breathe into this chakra and begin to tune into this part of your body and the energy of this chakra. Invite it you speak through you, saying, ( the name of the chakra) Heart, I desire to receive your wisdom and invite you to speak to me through my voice.

Then allow the chakra to speak to you, in the first person, "I Heart want to share that I have been feeling ignored lately. Crystal has been… I would like.... It would be helpful if…" Continue to tune in for 5-10 minutes. There may be phases as the information is accessed. Stay present with the process until it feels complete.

End with a Heart Salutation.

Adapted from The Art of Everyday Ecstasy by Margot Anand. This book has wonderful information on the chakras and how to access it directly.

Tantra Events in Chicago-Sept 29-Oct 4, Links and Updates

Art at Mandalas.com

Wednesday, Sept. 29: Pot luck and Exploring Masculine & Feminine Energy

This evening we will explore the qualities of masculine and feminine both within ourselves and in our relationships. We will explore the difference in the qualities of masculine and feminine energy through movement, dialog in dyads and conscious touch. This will increase your awareness of sexual polarity and how it affects your relationships. By shining the "light of consciousness" on these two forces you will learn how to create more presence, flow and harmony in your life. This exciting work is foundational to Tantric practice and can have immediate and profound results in your life. Open to individuals and couples of all ages and all levels of experience.

Private Coaching and Healing Sessions

Thursday, Sept. 30 and Friday, Oct. 1: Private coaching with Crystal Dawn for individuals and/or couples.

Please call Crystal at 928-282-5483 or Cell 928-862-0762 to schedule a session.

Couples coaching sessions can help you ignite your passion and deepen your connection with your partner. These sessions are customized to meet your needs and unfold in a container of respect, compassion, and safety. Relationships offer fertile soil for growth. You are a mirror for your beloved to see both their beauty and their shadow. In these sessions you will learn how to communicate your desires and create your dreams as you transform together.

Individual sessions are for anyone who wants to live a more vibrant, conscious, and abundant life. The journey is one of transformation; remembering your true self and deepening your connection to Source. As you release blocked energy and expand into bliss, you experience the abundance that is all around you and magic begins to unfold. The journey is about being… not doing; abundance flows, vitality increases, and ecstasy expands. You become the creator of your experience. Tantra coaching sessions can be done in person and/or over the phone.

Friday Oct 1, 7 pm: Heart Puja and an Introduction to Sky Dancing Tantra.

This event celebrates the joy of living as we create conscious community. The evening is dedicated to celebrating God/Goddess within each of us through breath, movement, guided visualization, and conscious communication. The intention is to open the heart and expand our capacity for loving connection. We strive to create a safe, respectful, and comfortable environment for all to open and connect. Are are welcome to attend.

Saturday Oct. 2, 1-6 pm: Expand into Bliss: Awaken Your Chakras

Open Your Inner Flute
Access Inner Guidance
Chakra Breath Meditation
Support Chakras with Asanas
Explore Your Chakra Energy Map
Clear Away Blocks and Balance Your Chakras
Connect to Source Energy and Allow Well Being to Flow

Today we will explore the energy map of the body and the Chakras. You will clear away old blocks and by the end of the day your whole being will be vibrating with energy. You will learn tools that can help you to access inner wisdom to improve your health and well being. Together we will celebrate the Divine in form. By the end of this event you will have a new experience of how your chakras can support you in living a more ecstatic and embodied life.

Sunday Oct. 3, 1-6 pm: Discover the Power of “Kundalini Massage”

Activate the Kundalini
Touch your beloved in a new way
Discover a new form of energetic massage
Expand your ability to contain and direct your energy
Clear away blocks and rebalance chakras

This powerful technique activates the energy centers and awakens the Kundalini. I created this practice with my friend Gaia at the request of Margot Anand for her advanced Love and Ecstasy Training. The Kundalini Massage is an energetic massage done with a partner. It can be done clothed or unclothed. We will begin with a warm up of dance and opening the inner flute as a group. I will then demonstrate the Kundalini Massage process. After the demo you will work in dyads as you are guided through the process. After a short integration time you will switch roles and I will guide you through the process again so that both people in the dyad will both give and receive.

Crystal Dawn Morris is the founder of Tantra for Awakening. She is a Certified SkyDancing Tantra Teacher. Her classes, workshops and private coaching sessions give people practical tools for creating an ecstatic life. She is known for her warmth, enthusiasm and ability to create a safe and sacred space where magic unfolds. She is passionate about sharing Tantra with others because it transforms with love and compassion. Tantra moves us beyond separation into connection where we can access more passion, abundance and joy. As we embody this practice we learn to feel the flow and presence in each moment.

For Cost and Location contact Lakshmi Luster, Shaktima99@gmail.com Phone 847-945-122

Tantra Helps You Stay Juicy After Menopause

Menopause can affect a woman's health, sexuality and vitality in a variety of ways. SkyDancing Tantra practices can be helpful in keeping you juicy and sexually vibrant throughout the perimenopausal process and throughout menopause. Some of the symptoms I found that respond positively to Tantra include moodiness, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, dysparunia (pain with intercourse), and problems reaching orgasm.

As you enter perimenopause (this can begin up to 10 years prior to the onset on menpopause) you may notice changes in your libido, moods, and physical body. For some woman the change is gradual and for others it may create a number of challenges. While SkyDancing my not be able to address all the issues that may arise in menopause I found the following practices to be very helpful in addressing many common problems.

Chakra Talk
The seven major chakras are energy centers chakras along the length of the spine. They are associated with the endocrine system which mediates the hormones. Chakra Talk is a great way to connect to your “inner guidance system”. Menopause affects the entire body and by tuning into a particular chakra you can gather information and guidance on how to support your body as you go through menopause. This practice can be done alone or with a partner who can hold space, listen and take notes for you.

Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply until you begin to relax. Then, focus your attention inward and see which chakra desires to speak. Next, consciously connect with your chakra and invite it to speak through you. Make sure that it speaks in first person (e.g. “I, Heart, desire more time for day dreaming.” as opposed to “My heart says she wants to spend more time day dreaming.”). Allow yourself to listen deeply to what your chakras wisdom. There may be pauses as you tune in and listen. Continue until you perceive it has completed its communication. You can learn more about your chakras and how to communicate with them in The Art of Everyday Ecstasy by Margot Anand.

Opening the Inner Flute
I recommend doing this daily. This practice moves energy through all the chakras enhancing your sense of wellbeing and physical vitality. You can also do this practice prior to making love and /or incorporate it into your love making.

Here are 7 steps to opening your "Inner Flute."

1) Stand with your knees hip width apart and slightly bent.

2) Breathe through your mouth and into the belly, allowing it to expand.

3) Increase the energy by breathing in as if you are sipping through straw.

4) Allow your pelvis to rotate freely, keeping the knees bent. As you inhale rock the hips back, creating an arch in the back. As you exhale, tuck the tail bone under, flattening the back.

5) Add the PC pump. As you inhale squeeze the pelvic floor muscles pulling them upwards and as you exhale let them relax.

6) Put all the steps together. As you inhale imagine you are breathing the energy up from your root to your heart. Practice this until you feel the energy pulsing from your root to your heart. You can play with speeding up and slowing down your respiratory rate.

7) Once you have mastered connecting root and heart move the energy to the crown. Practice until you can feel the energy flowing from your root to your crown. See yourself as a rainbow bridge of light connecting Earth and Sky.

Self Pleasuring
Because menopause may affect your libido and sexual response it is very helpful to self pleasure regularly. Self pleasuring is a wonderful way for you to explore your body and sexual energy. It gives you time to discover how your needs are changing. You can take time to love your body and tune into the messages it is giving to you. It is an opportunity to learn what excites you without being concerned about your partner. Self pleasuring is not just about touching your yoni (genitals) it is about connecting to your whole body and becoming aware of its needs and desires. Experiment with different types of touch, pressure, speed and erogenous zones.

I recommend self-pleasure regularly. As you pleasure yourself stay open and present. Take this time to give yourself love and to tune in and listen to what is going on in your body. What messages does it have for you? Notice what feels good in enough detail that you could tell a lover how to do it in the same way.

"The Change" is often a process of rediscovering who you are and coming into a new relationship with yourself. This can also effect how you connect to your beloved. Self pleasuring can be an empowering way to gather information so you can communicate to your lover about how you like to be loved. This is a great way to deepen intimacy and increase the likelihood of being touched in the way that most pleases you.

Menopause is a time of change. It can be challenging for some women and empowering for others. It gives you an opportunity to connect to your body-wisdom in a new way. The practices of SkyDancing Tantra can be helpful in supporting you on your journey. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or would like information about my forth coming book called Awakening Your Inner Goddess, How to be a Juicy Woman in 30 Days or Less.

Copyright 2010 Crystal Dawn Morris

Crystal Dawn Morris is a Certified Sky Dancing Tantra Teacher and the founder of Tantra for Awakening. She is committed to helping people integrate Tantra into every aspect of their lives through her workshops, coaching sessions and blog. Crystal is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and has been involved in women's health since 1984.

Tantra Events and Coaching in Chicago with Crystal Dawn

Wednesday, Sept. 29: Sacred Loving Tantra Meetup.
The Power of the Sacred Tremor- Tantra is about embodying the Divine. Tonight we will use breath, sound and movement to explore our connection to the sacred tremor of creation. Come and learn an ancient practice for tapping in to your natural state of bliss and how you can incorporate this practice into your daily life. This practice is a powerful tool for presence moment awareness.

Thursday, Sept. 30: Private coaching with Crystal Dawn for individuals and/or couples.

Friday, Oct. 1: Private coaching with Crystal Dawn for individuals and/or couples.
Couples coaching sessions can help you ignite your passion and deepen your connection with your partner. These sessions are customized to meet your needs and unfold in a container of respect, compassion, and safety. Relationships offer fertile soil for growth. You are a mirror for your beloved to see both their beauty and their shadow. In these sessions you will learn how to communicate your desires and create your dreams as you transform together. Tantra coaching sessions can be done in person and/or over the phone.

Individual sessions are for anyone who wants to live a more vibrant, conscious, and abundant life. They can be done in person and/or over the phone and are personalized to meet you where you are now. The journey is one of transformation; remembering your true self and deepening your connection to Source. As you release blocked energy and expand into bliss, you experience the abundance that is all around you and magic begins to unfold. The journey is about being… not doing; where abundance flows, vitality increases, and ecstasy expands. You become the creator of your experience.

To schedule Private Coaching Contact Crystal at Crystal@tantraforawakening.com or call 928-282-5483


Friday Evening Event: Heart Puja and an Introduction to Sky Dancing Tantra.
This event celebrates the joy of living as we create conscious community. The evening is dedicated to celebrating God/Goddess within each of us through breath, movement, guided visualization, and conscious communication. The intention is to open the heart and expand our capacity for loving connection. We strive to create a safe, respectful, and comfortable environment for all to open and connect from the heart. Everyone is welcome to attend and no experience is needed.


Saturday Oct. 2, 1-6 pm: Expand into Bliss: Awaken Your Chakras

• Open Your Inner Flute
• Access Inner Guidance
• Chakra Breath Meditation
• Support Chakras with Asanas
• Explore Your Chakra Energy Map
• Clear Away Blocks and Balance Your Chakras
• Connect to Source Energy and Allow Well Being to Flow

By the end of this event you will have a new experience of how your chakras can support you in living a more ecstatic and embodied life.


Sunday Oct. 3, 1-6 pm: Discover the Power of “Kundalini Massage”

• Activate the Kundalini
• Touch your beloved in a new way
• Discover a new form of energetic massage
• Expand your ability to contain and direct your energy
• Clear away blocks and rebalance chakras

This powerful technique activates the energy centers and awakens the Kundalini. I created this practice with my friend Gaia at the request of Margot Anand for her advanced Love and Ecstasy Training. The Kundalini Massage is an energetic massage done with a partner. It can be done clothed or unclothed. We will begin with a warm up of dance and opening the inner flute as a group. I will then demonstrate the Kundalini Massage process. After the demo you will work in dyads as you are guided through the process. After a short integration time you will switch roles and I will guide you through the process again so that both people in the dyad will both give and receive.

Bio
Crystal Dawn Morris is the founder of Tantra for Awakening. She is a Certified SkyDancing Tantra Teacher. Her classes, workshops and private coaching sessions give people practical tools for creating an ecstatic life. She is known for her warmth, enthusiasm and ability to create a safe and sacred space where magic unfolds. Crystal Dawn’s sense of humor and playfulness create a relaxed learning environment. She is passionate about sharing Tantra with others because it transforms with love and compassion. Tantra moves us beyond separation into connection where we can access more passion, abundance and joy. Tantra is weaving the Divine into every aspect of life, from the mundane to the mystical. As we embody this practice we learn to feel the flow and presence in each moment.

For Cost and Location contact Lakshmi Luster,
Shaktima99@gmail.com Phone 847-945-1223