Play Hard

Everyone can benefit from trying tantric sex. Here’s how to get started at home.

Whether you’re going it alone or with a partner, the benefits of trying tantric sex are plentiful. Nothing to lose, and only pleasure to gain…

Written by High Life North

Published 11.02.2023

Even though it’s an ancient Indian practice dating back more than 5,000 years, tantric sex is having a moment.

Some enjoy it as part of a spiritual journey, and some people rave about the mind-blowing pleasure they’ve experienced.

Not only that, but it can bring a range of health benefits for both men and women.

Whatever your motivation, it can’t hurt to give it a try, right?

We spoke to Tatiana Aitken, a Certified Tantric Journey Educator based in Teesside to find out more about this transformative sexual practice.

“Tantric sex is a way to make love – or practice self-pleasure – that can be more deeply connecting and fulfilling for yourself and your partner.

“It is usually slower, with more awareness paid to what is happening in the mind as well as the body.

“Lovers can learn specific techniques to enhance the amount of pleasure they feel, and even have experiences described as spiritual”.

Here’s her advice on how to get started at home. And the best part? You don’t need a partner to get started…

WHAT IS TANTRIC SEX?

Tantric sex is a sexual practice that can be enjoyed alone or with a partner. With origins in ancient India more than 5,000 years ago, it comes from a Sanskrit term ‘to weave’.

Essentially, the purpose is to enable an ecstatic union of life outside of the ‘self’. With practice, and done right, tantric sex promises to let you experience unrivalled levels of intimacy and delivers almost psychedelic levels of pleasure (with or without reaching orgasm, that’s not the goal here).

HOW CAN YOU PRACTICE TANTRIC SEX ALONE?

Don’t worry. You don’t even need a partner willing to spend hours in the pursuit of pleasure and sexual enlightenment to enjoy tantric sex.

You don’t even need to commit hours of time. There are no rules here.

If you want to give it a go, a simple way is to just start noticing your breath flowing in and out of your body. This will help you to be more ‘in the present’. From here, you can explore touching your whole body – experiment with different sensations to learn about what kind of touch you enjoy.

CAN TANTRIC SEX IMPROVE A RELATIONSHIP?

Tantric sex is a wonderful way to help partners to attune more to each other. When having sex, it is common for a man to get aroused and orgasm faster than the woman, as it usually takes women longer to get aroused – but once they are there, they can keep going for longer.

Tantric practice helps to bring more balance, by helping men to learn how to orgasm without ejaculating and helping women to connect more deeply with their natural multi-orgasmic capacity. In this way, the lovemaking can go on longer, helping the couple to bond more deeply.

In addition, tantric sex practice encouragers partners to get to know each other’s bodies, likes and dislikes, which can help to enhance communication in other areas of their lives too.

HOW TO INTRODUCE TANTRIC SEX IN A RELATIONSHIP

Try a short meditation together
Try focusing on your breathing for a few minutes
Think of involving all the senses – light some candles, use incense or aromatherapy oils, put on some calming music (or whatever type feels suitable), have some feathers or other objects that can feel good on the skin nearby.
Take your time and focus on pleasure through touch and connection. Orgasming is not the goal.

WHAT OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS CAN PEOPLE EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE?

The main benefits of practicing tantric sex are:

Prolonged lovemaking can help to release health-promoting hormones in the body, such as oxytocin and serotonin.
Practicing mindful deep breathing can help to bring more oxygen to the blood when we breathe in, and to help detox the body when we breathe out.
Tantric sex can help people to feel happier and healthier, with improved sleep.
For women, it can help with specific conditions such as anorgasmia (delayed, infrequent, or absent orgasms) and vaginismus (the body’s automatic reaction to the fear of some or all types of vaginal penetration).
For men, it can help with specific conditions such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.