What is tantra?
Tantra is an ancient spiritual system that originated in Tibet and Kashmir, then spread to India, went in the shadows for a long time, and then quietly began to infiltrate the Western world. Tantra is also one of many sub-lines of yoga, so the goals of tantra are the same as most yoga lineages. Tantra means to unite, integrate or weave fabric in Sanskrit. Thus, the purpose of tantra is first and foremost to unite one’s body, mind and soul and thereby find divinity and enlightenment through oneself. When you have found divinity in yourself, you will see divinity in other people and in everything else around us. Although ancient tantra is mediated by modern tantric sacred texts, or agamas, they must be regarded primarily as philosophical and technical guides. The Tantric journey means the search for truth and divinity within oneself, not from the books and the outside. Tantra is a lifestyle and a philosophy of life, it can be lived at any moment, so tantra is a way of thinking and an attitude, a conscious way of life, the highest goal of which is enlightenment.
What makes tantra special?
The goals of Tantra and some of the techniques are similar to other types of yoga. Tantra is distinguished from other yoga lineages by the conscious use of sexual energy. At the same time, sexual energy is used very clearly and in a directed way for one’s own spiritual development, to bring about positive life changes or abundance or healing, etc. The concept of sexual energy in tantra is much finer and more refined than in everyday Western jargon. Working with sexual energy begins primarily with self-observation, self-perception, and presence. Tantric practice is not always related to the opposite sex or sexual contact. Only a small proportion of Tantric practices involve sexual contact and these practices are intended for those who understand Tantric philosophy and are able to consciously direct sexual energy.
By allowing sexual energy to awaken and grow and accumulate without being erupted and wasted, then the energy can be directed to higher energy centers, every man and woman becomes bursting with energy, bright, charming and, most importantly, interested in his own spiritual growth. Thus, from the point of view of tantra, it can be said that the higher your sexual energy, the stronger your potential for spiritual growth. This, of course, only as long as you direct and sublimate your sexual energy. Everything you pay attention to gets energy, in relationships, family, business, and your spiritual journey.
Tantra is a life-affirming spiritual development path; it does not set strong limits and does not follow dogmas. Everything that can help you on your way is right, as long as it doesn’t hurt you or others around you. So, you don’t usually have to give up anything in your life in tantra.
Tantra gives you the opportunity and the techniques you need to live your life to the fullest, in awareness, in noticing and in presence. It helps you to be full of energy and joy of life, to enjoy yourself and your companions and at the same time grow powerfully spiritually.
“What’s here is everywhere, what’s not here, it’s nowhere.” Unknown master
Is tantra for me?
It depends on what you want from your life, what are the goals of your life. Just as any management is based on goal setting. The same is true in your life, if you don’t have a goal, you don’t know where to run, walk or crawl. Whether or not tantra is right for you at the moment depends on your previous life experience, but above all on your attitude and decision. What is clear, however, is that you can never know if you don’t try. This tantra festival gives you the opportunity to try and experience it safely. It is often much easier for women to embark on a tantric path than for men, as women are often more receptive to new ideas and less prejudiced than men. However, you can certainly take into account that during any exercise, workshop or practice you have no obligation to participate or do anything you doubt. If at any time you feel the need to take a break or retreat, it is completely your freedom.
Tantra gives you the opportunity to learn to feel your boundaries and to express them safely. Tantra can be very healing for body, mind and soul, it can help remove various negative patterns and blockages. However, nothing can be done by force and you need to feel you are ready.
The classics have said: “When the student is ready, the teacher will also appear“. The festival is a great way to find out if tantra is for you and if you are ready, maybe your teacher will show up.
What does tantra festival give me?
Beware, this is tantra, it can change your whole life! Tantra festival will give you 4 memorable days for life, which can be so powerful that you decide to turn a new page in your whole life.
Tantra festival gives you the opportunity to meet about 16 different teachers from Estonia and abroad to enjoy, experience and feel if and who is the one whose teachings resonate with you.
The Tantra festival has more than 30 different workshops, rituals and co-creations, from which you can choose the most suitable one’s for you to reach even deeper step by step.
At the Tantra Festival, you can enjoy really good vegan food three times a day… and feel how good and heightened feeling it gives you. Maybe you will later discover that such a diet is suitable for you permanently …
At the Tantra Festival you can listen to great music, see breathtaking performances, dance to your soul, even if you are not a “dancer type” at all, enjoy the great weather and nature, take a sauna and swim and most importantly, interact with wonderful people who have come for the same purpose. – SAY “YES” TO LIFE!
The Tantra Festival will give you a wonderful experience for a lifetime, come and experience it all. You’re worth it!
“Every journey starts with the first step”
Is the Estonian Tantra Festival 2021 any different from previous tantra festivals?
Tantra festivals have been organised in Estonia for 8 years already, there have been different people in the organising team in different years and thus every year the festival has had a slightly different face, just as each organiser has his own worldview. Every year, the tantra festival has become better and better, because we have all learned and demand more from ourselves and others. Now and in the future, we do our best to keep the tantric festival more and more spiritual, ensuring the harmony and intertwining of the workshops, primarily based on the tantric philosophy, creating the whole Festival from the heart, offering you an uplifting and memorable experience.
This certainly does not mean that the tantra festival would have less fun, joy or pleasure, on the contrary. The festival is completely life-affirming and invites you to enjoy and love life, but it gives it a tantric dimension – to live in consciousness and to raise this whole worldly experience consciously to the heart level and above with the help of tantric techniques. In order for everyone to experience the leap in their development as a human being, to experience a shift of consciousness, and to see and experience the world through a different perspective. Every activity we do at the festival and every decision that the organising team makes has one and clear goal – to provide higher and stronger spiritual growth for both the participants and the organisers.
Let’s grow together in the connection of hearts!
What should I know when coming to a tantra festival?
- You can come to the Tantra Festival alone, with a friend or girlfriend, your old or new partner or spouse, or even a whole group of friends.
- We have designed the program of the Tantra Festival in such a way that you will always find a suitable workshop for both a beginner and an advanced person, and there are also workshops for couples throughout.
- At the Tantra Festival, we take care of your needs as much as we can, you have to make the decision to come, participate, experience and maybe even touch your limits. The choice, of course, remains with you. You are always free to participate or opt out in all workshops. Only participate or take part if you feel it is right for you. If you feel that some practice is not for you, don't let the group take you along. As an adult, everyone takes responsibility for themselves.
- All feelings and emotions are right. There is no false or bad feeling or emotion. Observe yourself and these emotions and feelings, and allow yourself to experience them, take time to do so. Tantra festival is a safe place to feel all the emotional spectra. Remember emotion is a form of energy, it can be the fuel of your spiritual development, learn to acknowledge and guide the energy of emotion, we will help you.
- For yourself and others, only a clear 'yes' means 'yes', 'no' is 'no' and it is very important that 'maybe' is also 'no' and 'a little' is also 'no'. If you decide to say "yes" to anything, do it to the fullest and enjoy it. If someone tells you "no" or "maybe" or "a little", take it as a clear "no". Respect your own decisions and the decisions of others, and remember that you and everyone else have the right to change their decision at any time. At all times have respect others and yourself.
If I don’t have a partner, can’t I practice tantra?
In fact, any development always begins with oneself, self-development does not require a partner. So it is with tantra. There are many different types of tantric lines, including “right hand tantra”, where there is no touch or sexual contact. In this tantric line we work with the inner man and the inner woman, or Animus and Anima, each within himself. Tantra can also be practiced with someone who is not your partner. Keep in mind that tantra does not mean sexual practices or sex as some wrongfully still try to associate it with. There are many exercises in Tantra without direct physical touch, but still between two people. So many simple presence or hand-holding practices can lead into very, very deep self-transformation.
Do I have to expose myself at the Tantra Festival?
Tantra does not mean nudity. The naked human body is a beautiful and admirable creation of God, and if you feel well naked, there is nothing wrong with nakedness. At the Tantra Festival you may meet people who sunbathe naked, swim, sauna, dance or enjoy the day nude. In the same way, you meet people in full dress at the festival. It’s up to you to decide how you feel most comfortable. No one will force you to be naked or look at you obliquely when you walk around in full dress. It is important to respect everyone’s choices, starting with yourself.
Nudity may occur in some workshops, but it is also allowed and respected to participate in clothing. When we drop clothes, we also drop our cultural and social attitudes, we drop masks behind which we hide so carefully. It is a known fact that “everyone in the sauna is equal”. We also get access to the largest human organ, the skin. However, the skin is known to be the organ of the heart. Bare skin and a touch in presence have a wonderful healing and charging power. But only when you are ready for it!
If nudity is expected in a workshop, that workshop is marked accordingly in the program. However, if you are in such a workshop and do not want to go with the nudity, it is your right and duty to listen to yourself and not to do so. No one is forcing you to do that, please don’t force yourself to do so. You can always participate in clothes or choose to watch and meditate.
If I’m gay, do I have anything to do at tantra festival?
The principle of Tantra is based on working with the difference of potential energies, ie the more masculine a man and the more feminine a woman is, the greater the energy between them, you have probably even experienced it or seen it from a movie. A similar difference in potentials exists for gay couples, otherwise the couple would never have met, and the couples would not have attracted each other’s attention. All tantric practices can also be done freely with the same sex partner (even if you are not gay) by emphasizing the inner woman and the inner man. So, it doesn’t matter if you are straight or gay or identify yourself in some other way, tantra works for you anyway. Come and try it. Even if you just don’t want or dare to do an exercise with a partner from the opposite sex, you are free to do it with the partner from the same sex. The most important thing is that you feel good, then you can concentrate and the magic of self-development can take place.