Many will be more than a little bit curious about the concept of tantric sex.
You may have heard it’s all about intimacy, meditation and even mindfulness… with a focus on deep connections, rather than getting physical or chasing a quick orgasm.
Perhaps you’ve heard about it through the media or even spotted the term in Will Smith’s candid autobiography – in which he shared he had gone to see a tantric sexuality expert.
So, what exactly is tantric sex? And where did the practice come from? Here’s all you need to know.
What is tantric sex?
Tantric sex is, essentially, a slow, meditative form of sex.
LELO’s sex and relationship expert Kate Moyle explains: ‘Tantric sex is about the focus of the experience being on mind-body connection.
‘[It’s about] enjoying the sensuality and pleasure, rather than being goal orientated. It’s about fully immersing yourself in what’s going on between you and your partner in that moment, and not on where it’s going.’
Tantric sex also focuses on the body as a whole, not just ‘genital experience’, Kate adds.
‘While all sexual acts can be tantra-based as much of it is about being psychologically engaged, there may be less of a focus on the penetrative act of sex, and more about the sensual and explorative touch and using the breath to channel energy in the body.’
The practice is linked to Tantra, which means ‘woven together’ in Sanskrit, and dates back thousands of years.
It can have many benefits, Kate explains, namely making practitioners feel close to their partners.
She explains: ‘Tantric sex can offer people a deeper sex of connection with their partners and themselves in terms of the complete focus on the experience in the moment.’
It can also help increase desire, as mindfulness techniques are incorporated, and help you focus on the journey – not the destination.
Kate goes on: ‘Directing attention and managing your breathing are shown by research to help increase your perception of pleasure and sensation, and to then act as an additional motivator for desire.
‘So much of our lives is rushed, and sex is not exempt from that, we can be focused on the end goal, which for many is achieving orgasm, and this can be the priority rather than the experience of getting there, and tantric sex is the opposite of this.’
When it comes to thinking about positions, eye contact is key.
‘A natural way of increasing connection which would play into this is positions that encourage extended eye-contact, such as one partner sitting on top of the other with their legs wrapped around them which allows the opportunity for eye-gazing,’ says Kate.
‘This can also be a good position for being chest-to-chest or heart-to-heart which you can synchronise your breathing to feel in rhythm with one another, and this can give a sense of moving as one.
‘The speed of your movement can also be slowed right down to help you to tune into really what you are feeling and channel your breathing, some tantric positions may use very little movement at all.’
Suitably intrigued by the concept? Try Metro.co.uk’s tantric sex for beginners guide.
MORE : Tantric sex for beginners: How to get into it and work through awkwardness
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