DUE to ignorance and sensationalisation of this form of yoga by western practitioners, Tantra has almost become synonymous with sex and is often referred to as 'the yoga of sex'.

Tantra yoga encompasses all aspects of life trying to understand the macrocosm through the microcosm which believes that what is present in the cosmos is duplicated in every atom of the physical manifestation.

Tantra draws from all sciences physics, astronomy, para-psychology, chemistry, ayurveda, geometry, numerology et al to give us a practical path to achieve the highest spiritual realisation through evolution of consciousness.

All limbs of yoga such as asanas, pranayama, mudras, dhyana and all aspects of yoga such as kundalini yoga, laya yoga, swara yoga, kriya yoga etc also come under its purview.

Tantra uses mantra (sound vibrations), yantra (geometrical patterns that symbolise deities) and esoteric rituals blending everything to give harmonious prosperity to the practitioner in both the material and spiritual world.

Tantra means 'to expand', 'to weave' also sometimes 'a web'. Adi Shankaracharya in his Nirvanashtak systematically breaks down the preconceived notions of mankind about relationships and acquired knowledge.

He negates all programming expressively, "I am born neither of the father nor the mother, I am not the friend or the guru or disciple, I am not the food or the person satiating hunger, neither am I the earth, fire or wind. I am none of the emotions and passions inherent in man; I am not the mind or the intelligence, neither a sinner nor a doer of good deeds. I am the exact image of Shiva," he concludes. Thus does Tantra strip a practitioner of all pretences leading the seeker to realise the truth.

Once again this is a path of refinement leading the practitioner to unite the male (shiva) and the female (shakti) energies within.

It is believed that the perfect sexual union of man and woman in the external is an image of this union within each practitioner of tantra duplicating the state of ecstasy in the physical a hundred million times over or more in the spiritual.

Shiva is the static potential energy in the nucleus of all creation surrounded by the dynamic kinetic energy of the shakti. The kinetic energy being the mover-the divine mother here- who is worshipped as the creator, preserver and destroyer yet understanding that the two energies cannot be separated.

Tantra adds force that moves this phenomenon of creation.   A person adept in the practice of tantra is called 'siddha'-skilful in using the forces of nature. It entails great responsibility and care to be taken while using these powers as every action has an equal and opposite reaction and those misusing them are soon victims of the opposite force that they set in motion.