Click here to read the entire answer written in the new preface of the book 50 Misconceptions of Sex by Alexa Vartman, founder of The New Tantra.
In the East, Tantra is the name for a broad range of esoteric practices that appeared around the middle of the 1st millennium AD. Core aspects of traditional tantra include the ritualistic use of the contrast between the masculine and the feminine, celebrating the body and sexuality, anti-puritanism, self-experimentation, a playful non-conformism and an enthusiastic engagement with all aspects of life.
In the West, Neo-Tantra is often associated with New Age culture, including supernatural beliefs, pseudoscience, exotic clothes, astrology, diet fads, “healing” and “therapy”, crystals and amulets, escapism, “enlightened gurus” with Eastern-sounding names, cuddly “love and light” workshops and so on.
TNT offers neither traditional nor New Age tantra.
TNT is an attempt to formulate a modern Tantra for the 21st century West, that is free of New Age beliefs. TNT uses old and new elements from Eastern and Western traditions. Depending on the workshop, these elements may include sexuality, meditation, body work, BDSM, rituals, music and DJs, philosophy, psychology, psychoanalysis and even a bit of science. The TNT workshop facilitators regularly connect and discuss with contemporary thinkers, artists, facilitators and philosophers from many walks of life and traditions, both East and West.
Sexuality offers a powerful doorway into embodied meditation and personal transformation. One of the core tenets of TNT is “get your sex life in order”. Mastering your sexuality implies having a greater capacity for human connection and facing the unpredictability of life.
Because it touches upon that most controversial and powerful of all subjects and practices – human sexuality.
Crazy Wisdom refers to practices that are purposefully unconventional, surprising or outrageous. Think of it as a transformative carnival. You will definitely be confronted with the unconventional, the surprising and the outrageous in a TNT workshop.
Exploring and developing sexuality requires setting boundaries when needed. Radical self-reliance means that each person is ultimately responsible for taking care of themselves in a workshop and other events organised by TNT.
Yes. TNT workshops focus on developing practices and skills rather than acquiring a specific belief system.
One of the core TNT practices is staying sexually active and functional without having “peak/spasm orgasms” (that is, conventional ejaculatory or clitoral orgasms). This reminds of the celibacy and abstinence practices that are central to many religious and spiritual paths, but without the guilt, obsession and shame that always come with sexual repression. You can try this at home by staying sexually active without having a peak orgasm for 21 days and noticing the effects.
Please visit 21daychallenge for more information and free sign up.
TNT workshops feature STD safety procedures, a stop-word that halts all physical interaction immediately (“appletree”), rules of consent, exercises on setting boundaries, the presence of supervising assistants and more.
Learn more under TNT’s Code of Conduct.
No. You are welcome to sign up as single.
Depending on the exercise, participants mix and match, but there is always the possibility to say no and change partner. You don’t have to interact with anyone you don’t feel like interacting with. Also many couples like to work with others during the exercises as there are beneficial learning opportunities from practising with a range of different people.
TNT is not for everybody. Consider this FAQ, this website and TNT’s Code of conduct carefully.
If it all sounds fairly reasonable and you want to experience TNT-style tantra at home, try the 21 Day Challenge for free, read the book 50 Misconceptions of Sex by founder Alexa Vartman, or purchase one of the online courses.
If you want to go a step further, talk to some people (online or in-person) that have attended TNT workshops. You can get in touch with them online on TNT’s public Facebook forum. If it still makes sense after that, adopt a critical but open attitude and try a workshop or private session.