Urban Tantra, Second Edition: Sacred Sex for the Twenty-First Century Paperback – November 21, 2017

I've been familiar with Tantra for over a decade mow, both as a philosopher and a practitioner, and as a cultural analyst too. I've greatly enjoyed reading this book and I'd like to share what I found very valuable. Sooooo many people out there still think of Tantra as one of those esoteric schools where, if you're a 'person with a penis' you learn to 'last longer' so that a 'person with a pussy' will want to have sex with you again, and if you're a 'person with a pussy,' you want to take your mate so he can figure out how not to leave you high and dry in the middle of things. This seems a caricature, yet, when you exit the circle of the initiated, it it not too far from the truth. So, many people approach Tantra as a small luxury, the treat you can give yourself when you've been really good. Others don't get near it at all, lest it feel altogether tooooooo good. All think it's a sort of mainstream luxury, like shining up your car with bees wax. Very few really know that Tantra is and always has been a countercultural tradition: a vein that runs parallel to the mainstream ideology of things, in its original cultures where Hinduism prevails. The many become one in Vendanta Hinduism, the one becomes many in Tantra. At least, this is how I put it in Gaia and the New Politics of Love, an ecosexual theory book. Barbara Carrellas is one who understands this only too well. And has written a book that transfers Tantra into a Western cultural context without betraying its original countercultural attitude, without reducing it to a soporific way to get your typical hets happier in their ideologically-correct married bliss. Yes, Tantra is countercultural to begin with. Can you imagine in caste-ridden Hinduism, claiming that when the one goes to the many and not vice-versa, this is good? Like making religion democratic, making the sacred run its erotic energy into the fabric of life as it is! Woooooooooow! That's heretical, the Pope would say if he were a Hindu guru! And that's why Carrellas is so skillful and successful too in showing what Tantra can do for all the queers, the bis, the gender-queers, the singles, the polys, the BDSM people who also seek sex as a way to access the sacred and not quite sure how to get there yet. To use a metaphor from the theater, one might say that her adaptation of Tantra to the urban landscapes of our post-modern world is what Brecht would have called 'political theater.' A period piece is a show where all the characteristics of the original setting are reproduced seamlessly, yet the essence of what's relevant about the piece to the new viewers can be lost in the process, and often is. A Brechtian adaptation re-situates the piece in the experiential present of those who view it. This process of re-situation the real re-vitalizes the piece with what's relevant to them. As in, for example, a Romeo and Juliet where we see a picture perfect Medieval Balcony Scene, and a West Side Story adaptation where we see the ethnic strife that crushes their passion in. And the most interesting part is that Carrellas's book doesn't even try to engage the terrain of critical theory, or even be literary. It is just presented as a manual (a very effective one at that) of orgasmic breathing techniques for those who wish to put their sexual energy to good use for a more balanced, more holistic and healthier way to be related to our surroundings and those who accompany us in life's journeys. That's where the deconstruction of what we take for granted begins. For example, in teaching Erotic Awakening Massage techniques, she refuses to divide humans as 'men' and 'women,' and opts for the neologisms 'persons with penises,' and 'persons with pussies' I have also adopted in the opening of this. This deconstruction aligned with practical teaching is exactly what we need. It is very important to re-sacralize all forms and agents of erotic expression in our age if we want to muster the creativity, the respect, and the sensitivity to the needs of the ecosystems we are embedded with and without whose generous hosting we can easily become just another extinct species. Tantra is just a way to bring ritual, spirit (in the Romnance language sense of air/breath/soul), ceremony, and magic into the way we choose to actualize the already always existing relatedness that runs among all of the living. Obviously, bis, polys, queers, gender-queers, BDSMs, swingers, and people in other practices and communities are integral parts of today's erotic landscapes. Urban Tantra embraces the complexity, the diversity of this landscape, and presents tantra as a pervasive element of it, with practices that emphasize the ritualistic aspects of eroticism with its elements of balance, safety, kindness, beauty, peace, sacredness, and community. When we get to Tantra as a countercultural tradition, we can't be too surprised that it applies so well to practices of love that emphasize participation and inclusiveness. Thanks Barbara, for this. My practice of Tantra arose spontaneously from being sexual with consciously loving out-of-the-box people. But I always asked myself, 'is this queer enough for me?' Now I can learn Tantra formally (maybe in one of your workshops) without feeling at risk of being 'cured.' As you revisit the past to invent a new future, you create a Tantra that is post-modern and pre-modern too! Gaia and the New Politics of Love: Notes for a Poly Planet

great read

Barbara Carrellas provides a wonderfully practical and readable introduction to how to integrate kundalini energy into your health and sex life. She is careful to stress the core of tradition, providing an in-depth look at what chakras are and how they work, while intentionally targeting a 21st century audience. Carrellas’ book is especially valuable in its inclusion of queer and nonbinary people into what is traditionally a two-gendered area of spirituality, as well as including BDSM and group tantra. Best of all, this is not just a theoretical book but a practical one chock full of exercises and instructions. Carellas includes guides to breathing and meditation; awakening your chakras and your kundalini energy; tantric rituals for yourself, for you and a partner, and even ritual sex ideas for healing various ailments and blocks in your life. Having just had a recent (and unexpected!) kundalini awakening, I was eager to find more information on how to implement this new spirituality into every area of my life. This book was the perfect introduction.

A fresh way to look at pleasure, ecstasy and self-awareness. Carrellas has a sense of humor, great expertise, and a tremendous amount of helpful information that can transform the way you think about sex. You feel better about everything, and enlightened that there is a new way to look at your physical self as it connects to your spiritual self. Written in an accessible style that makes it easy to learn how to feel good about who you already are, and helps you clear a path for the places you want to go. Written for men and women and everything in between, this book refuses to use stereotypes or rigid gender identification because we simply don't need them. That in itself is worth the price: why have I been trying to label and categorize people? Phew, I'm giving that up for sure thanks to Barbara Carrellas (see her other book Ecstacy is Necessary). Buy this book, and share it then tuck it away for the next time you plateau in your pursuit of happiness. Way more in here than sexual advice and guidance. This is about becoming your best, happiest self and it's working for me. Keep your mind open and try it yourself.

I highly recommend reading this book if you're into the Tantra readings of Eastern philosophy when it comes to relationship building. We both enjoyed the process and we are highly energetic from each other. It also helps with our meditation between each other when it comes to intimacy and energy transfer between two partners. If you're into meditation at Eastern philosophy in connecting with your partner I highly recommend it. Also please consult with your doctor if needed.

A linguagem utilizada no livro é bem clara. Atende a todos os gêneros e é muito bem explicado.De todos os livros relacionados ao tantra que eu já lí é o mais diverso no ponto de vista do digamos "neotantra".

Very informative.

Sto leggendo questo libro, davvero molto interessante e ben argomentato, si adatta benissimo alla vita di tutti i giorni!

For those who want to have an overview of modern tantra, this is the book for you. If you are not of the reading type, you can also give a quick look for each chapter to have an idea, and if interested in more detail, then take some time to read it.