Much to do About TantraNova Man

Last night was Theater Night at TantraNova. My one-man show starts out with: …… “I am TantraNova Man!!! Just kidding! I am Freddy and really a tall black guy.”

So today I’d like to give you a taste of what the show is all about. Even if you can’t attend since you live in L.A., Memphis, Rome, or Santiago you can get a glimpse of it here by reading the interview Elsbeth did with me:

Elsbeth: How did you come to create your “TantraNova Man” show?

Freddy Z: I wanted to share with people in an entertaining and inspiring way how TantraNova lives and works for me in my life. I am weaving storytelling with singing, dancing, telling jokes and playing my drums – all to express how the impacting moments in my life starting at the age of five through adulthood have shaped who I am today.

Elsbeth: Any breakthrough that you experienced since starting the play?

Freddy Z: Yes, I always wished I could sing. Until I started the play I firmly believed that I couldn’t sing. I remember as a kid that I was told I’d better keep my mouth shut when it came to singing. As a grownup every time I would listen to Kurt Elling or Carol King or Satchmo I wished I could sing. Three years ago when deciding to do my play I made a pact with myself to learn how to sing. So I took lessons and started to practice and developed my voice. And now I am having a lot of fun performing songs by the great masters while accompanying myself on my jimbai drum, congas or handsonic (my electronic instrument).

Elsbeth: What’s your favorite part in your play?

Freddy Z: The story about the time when I was 13 years old discovering my first orgasm. This was a most exhilarating moment. I thought ‘it doesn’t get any better than this! I never have to leave my room again! I don’t have to take out the garbage anymore! And I was wondering why the teachers in school never had taught us about this?’

What I see now is how much that sexual lusting energy ran me for a long time - falling in and out of love experiencing lots of drama. Looking at it from my present day perspective I find it rather comical – however in my youth and young adulthood it was exhilarating, serious, heart wrenching ……!

Elsbeth: What else do you like about the play?

Freddy Z: I get to do all the things that I love to do: I get to sing, get to play my drums, get to touch people’s hearts with my stories, get to laugh in a group and I’m having fun.

To find out about future show dates please go to TantraNova Man: An Experiential Show or the Special Events section on www.tantranova.com. I also invite you to write me at freddy@tantranova.com.

What’s a TantraNova Practitioner?

Here is Dr E from TantraNova central. This morning I was sitting at my computer working on putting down on paper particular practices that we teach in our seminars and private session program. Over the past year I have been committed to replicating my coaching skills and the results I produce when coaching students. What I mean by that is that any student who gets trained in our practitioner program can – if they apply themselves – produce the same coaching results as I do with their clients, beloveds or friends.

The purpose of my intention is for TantraNova as an approach to become accessible and teachable independently from me. I am of the conviction that this would be a powerful way of making a difference in the world to create conscious relationship, sexuality and intimacy!

The coaching practices I am talking about are of different nature and one set of them we named “Recall Practice”. A “Recall Practice” allows a student or client to explore what drives their present day behavior, emotions, constraints or struggles as they relate to intimacy, relationship, love, sexuality, womanhood, manhood, the feminine or the masculine, and so forth. Most of what we think about, do or act upon in our present life was learned and appropriated at an early time originating from infancy, childhood or adolescence.

It looks like that: If I find myself over and over again in the same pattern of relational, sexual, intimate or love struggles it’s an indication that “my radio dial” is set at a certain frequency. If I want to change something in my life I need to change the dial setting. First I need to get what my dial is set for – and the “Recall Practice” is a great way to learn about that.

The past generations of our certification graduates have helped and supported me in my own development as an intimacy and relationship coach. Within the next week we’ll have a dedicated page up on www.tantranova.com representing a number of TantraNova practitioners. Please take a look at who they are!

By the way if you’d like to learn more about how to apply and share the “Recall Practice” you may want to look into our Certification Level I & Certification Level II certification programs. The next round starts March 9, 2008.

Write us at tantranova@tantranova.com with further questions or thoughts on your “dial setting” and what you’d like to change in your setting so you can get what you want in your life. http://www.tantranova.com

A Story on Intimacy

Did you, by any chance, listen this past week to Terri Gross’ interview with Peter Sagal, the host of the NPR news quiz Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me? Lately, Peter has spent many an hour going to strip joints, a swingers club, a porn-movie set and casinos — among other dens of what some call iniquity. All research, of course, for his new project, The Book of Vice. He wanted to get a perspective on the indulgences of others, and report back to the rest of us.

The book reminds me of a time in the early days of TantraNova when Freddy Zental and I were contacted by a couple that runs annual swinger conventions serving hundreds of couples from all across the US. We agreed to offer a workshop and thought teaching Tantra to swingers would be a piece of cake because – so we thought – inhibitions, embarrassment or fear regarding one’s body, nudity, etc. were let go of.

Our workshop was attended by some thirty couples and we taught them about the TantraNova basics as well as the healing ritual for the woman. Halfway through the workshop we invited the participants and giving them a choice to do sexual healing work with their partner. Half of the couples stayed on while half of them left.

In the evening, on the way to the dinner ball, a couple came up to us. The woman introduced herself and her husband who had been married for 12 years and swinging for eight. She placed her right hand on Freddy Zental’s arm, looked at us and said: “You two were fabulous. I liked so much what you were doing with us in the workshop. However, I could not stay when you asked us to do sexual healing work with my husband because I was afraid of what I might see if I gazed into his eyes.”

My jaw dropped. It took me a while to compose myself. I looked at her and was wondering about all that sexual freedom and expression she had been involved in though being truly intimate and deeply connected with her husband was something to be afraid of?

Share your experiences and thoughts on the topic of intimacy. Write to us at tantranova@tantranova.com. http://www.tantranova.com

Make Love, No War!

Freddy Zental and I found this great web article sent to us by GoogleAlerts where we get daily updates on what’s written on or published about “intimacy”, “Tantra” and “rekindling passion” on the worldwide web. This particular article was written by Leora Lightwoman, who has a degree in psychology from Oxford University, is trained as a yoga teacher and bodyworker, and has been a Tantra practitioner since 1993. We totally resonate with her philosophy and are therefore sharing her thoughts with you in our blog today:

“For the main part, what is advertised as “Tantra” today is in fact “neo-Tantra”, modern syntheses of one or more traditional Tantric paths interwoven with more eclectic movement meditations, healing processes and personal sharing, dialogue and guidance. The intention of these schools is to offer a practical, spiritual approach to relationships, meditation and life. So the goal is not purely “nirvana” or transcendence, but also to become a happier, more loving and fulfilled human being.

As body-oriented psychotherapy evolves, it has become ever clearer how our parents’ relationship – and this fundamentally involves their sexual relationship – shapes our own patterns in relationship and our sexual expression.

It is also apparent that dissatisfaction and immaturity in these areas leads to all manner of compensatory behaviors, from family break-up to sexual abuse to cultural, religious and international warfare. On the other hand, when one has a fulfilled, mature, spiritual sexual life, then a sense of completeness, overflowing love, connectedness and generosity is the natural consequence. Tantra and neo-Tantra can offer both individuals and couples the skills and transformation required to truly “make love not war”.

FZ and I truly share Leora’s vision. TantraNova is our way of living our commitment to world peace that of course starts with peace within ourselves as well as in all of our relationships be they of personal and intimate or social and cultural nature – locally and globally.

Share your thoughts on how you might contribute to create peace in your life and community. We’d like to hear and learn from you. http://www.tantranova.com

Tantra and Men

Zental here – I am bringing more light today to the relevance of Tantra for men. Tantra is essential in assisting us men in coming back to wholeness and connectedness with our heart, soul and consciousness. One of the fundamental practices for men in Tantra is learning how to separate ejaculation from orgasm. In developing more capacity in conscious breathing, muscle awareness and focus we can begin to unravel the collapse of love, romance, lust, shame, fear and guilt… just to name a few emotional collapses we have with our sexual energy.

In the beginning when I was first introduced to Tantra at the age of 15, the thing that attracted me most was being able to last longer. As I grew older and my understanding and experience in falling in and out of love became broader I became more conscious of owning my own pleasure and feelings which gave me much more freedom in experiencing and letting go. When I am in the sexual energy I am the most open, vulnerable, receptive and loving as I will ever experience in this physical form. Once I developed more capacity in consciousness, focus and my “Observer” or “witness” while in this life giving energy I was able to free myself from the bounds of my unconsciousness, ego attachment and my survival mind. I also got to see and let go old stories and interpretations that no longer served me. In the process I have recognized the intelligence of sexual energy as indicated in creativity, joy and pleasure and how this flows into other areas of my life that seem completely unrelated to sexual energy.

Through practicing Tantra as a man I have discovered more capacity in sinking into that vulnerable, receptive and loving state that happens while being present to my sexual energy. This state of being can be described as “feminine” and the recognition of it has assisted me to be more fully grounded in my “masculine”. This in turn has created more space for my partner to dance in her feminine.

Share your thoughts with me: What has your experience been with the “feminine” and “masculine”. http://www.tantranova.com

5 Secrets for Increasing Intimacy – Even in the Busiest of Relationships

We want to share an article with you today that we produced for Internet magazines last spring. It’s all about increasing intimacy – here we go:

When you fell in love with your partner or spouse you probably felt a strong intimate connection that made your heart hum. But as the years roll by you may be finding that the demands of your careers, children and parenting are leaving you less time for each other and the connection that brought you together in the first place. You’d like to get it back but you may not be sure how to accomplish that goal.

The good news is that increasing the love and intimacy you share with your partner is not as difficult – or even time consuming – as you might think. In just minutes a day you can connect with your partner, experience more passion than perhaps ever before and truly feel as one. All you need to do is make the following practices part of your daily lives.

No. 1: Touch Each Other’s Heart Through Heart-on-Heart Connection. At least once a day perhaps when you awaken, make it a habit to place your hand over your spouse’s heart while they do the same. Concentrate on synchronizing your breathing. This simple gesture will soothe both of you and make you feel calm and connected.

No. 2: Kiss to Awaken Endorphins. Many couples miss out on the pleasures of daily kissing but once you know that kissing releases the feel-good chemicals known as endorphins you’ll want to lock lips more often. Kissing the upper lip is especially effective at endorphin release.

No. 3: Eye-Gaze into Heaven. When was the last time you looked deeply into your lover’s eyes? For best results, gaze into your partner’s left eye, which corresponds to their right brain hemisphere allowing for feeling and experiencing versus thinking and analyzing. As you gaze into each other’s left eye you will feel a deep connection with your partner’s soul.

No. 4: Give Yourself a Jolt. The human body runs on electricity and if we are mindful we can align ourselves with our partner’s energy. To do so, sit facing each other with your chests and bellies touching. Breathe together as you deepen your connection and increase your loving feelings.

No. 5: Create Fun and Laughter. Humor and intimacy go hand in hand. Take time to experience all the funny things that happen to both of you every day but don’t stop there. Consciously build fun and laughter into your lives by dancing and singing together and, if you like, making on-the-spot rhymes up for each other – your own personal version of hip-hop.

We encourage you to incorporate as many of the above practices in your lives as possible and expand upon them as you feel more comfortable. By doing so, you will find you are less stressed, burned out and disconnected. Best of all, you will exchange those negative feelings for those of peace, loving energy and inspiration.

Good luck!

Life partners and beloveds, Dr. Elsbeth Meuth and Freddy Zental Weaver are the founders and directors of TantraNova Institute in Chicago. They have produced the DVD series “Creating Intimacy & Love” and have been featured on Showtime’s reality show “Sexual Healing,” on NBC’s Starting Over” and many other programs. Click Here Now => http://www.tantranova.com

The Feminine and the Tantric Practice

How does all of that we have talked about like “breath”, “sexual consciousness”, “energy awareness” in our previous blogs have to do with Tantra? Quite a number of years ago, when I, Dr E from www.TantraNova.com, delved deeper into my tantric studies I had a profound experience, namely a sense of coming back to my wholeness.

You might have seen the July-September 2007 issue of the magazine “What is Enlightenment” (www.wie.org). The theme of the issue is on “women, enlightenment, and the evolution of culture.” I got inspired by a quote from a conversation between Andrew Cohen and Ken Wilbert featured in the magazine: “Women’s liberation – a new women’s liberation – is of the utmost importance if we are ever going to truly effect profound change in our own consciousness and culture at the leading edge.”

My consciousness as a woman got drastically changed out of opening up myself to my creative, feminine being. It had all to do with learning to connect to my life force energy that emanates from my Yoni center. The term Yoni derives from Sanskrit and means “the Sacred Space of a woman” – her feminine sexual center including her genitals and reproductory organs. Relating to my sexual center as a Sacred Space that nurthures me, allows me to be grounded in my feminine essence, and is the well of my creativity altered my Being fundamentally. I gained a new understanding of myself as a woman and a human being as I rediscovered my inner connection of my sensual/sexual being with my emotional, mental and spiritual being. Wholeness within and integrity with myself has become available to me as an ongoing reference point to tap into.

The practice of Tantra allowed me to come into this full integration. By sifting through the blocks and misconception of my relationship with my life force energy, early unpleasant or unresolved experiences and feelings, and learning to breathe into and through my whole Being has allowed me to come home to myself. The tantric practice has taught me to open into my flow of energy that is ever present through the breath and the focus via my inner eye (the Third Eye). The result is being at peace and at home with myself and experiencing a sense of liberation and wholeness from which to act and interact with others and in the world.

I invite you to write me with any questions you may have. To learn more about the way how the breath, energy awareness and connecting with your life force center could support and work for you go to www.tantranova.com.