The Wisdom of Tantra: How and Why to Let Your Body Lead
Most of us spend much of our days caught in a dialogue with our own minds. In this busy mental traffic, we move forward through space, while the mind pulls us in other directions, to the problems of yesterday or the imagined worries of tomorrow.
The body, meanwhile, patiently waits for you to notice it. You can feel it in the chair beneath you, in the soft quality of your breath, and the delicate heat of your skin. The body is not pulling forward or pushing backward, it has no ability to be anywhere else but here right now, even while the mind is elsewhere.
Tantra says that this split between mind and body is not a phenomenon to be judged or critiqued, simply noticed; and from noticed, to wondering what might be possible if you began to allow the body to lead back into the present moment?
Wisdom of the Body and Mind
We all have many bodies. We have our physical bodies, of course. But we also have a mental, energetic, an emotional body, and more. While your mind’s thinking is a useful and necessary capacity, it can crowd out the quieter body’s signals of need and desire. It can convince you to override and push through your body’s wisdom, whether that’s hunger, tiredness, the need for touch, or rest. It is so easy to get caught in the mind’s clever thinking, in the habit of not being here.
The mind’s companion, the body, cannot be in the past or the future. The body can only breathe, sense, and feel in the present moment. Every single moment of every day, it is doing this and this alone, gathering information through the senses, pulling you toward that which is safe, nourishing, and pleasurable, and away from that which is not.
If you allow yourself to slow down and notice, the body can be a teacher. It will show you, in the simplest way, how to return to yourself and how to live in this simplest richness, how to embody the spaciousness of the moment and the quiet, reliable trust of being alive.
Tantra’s Invitation to Let the Body Lead
When you allow the body to lead your awareness, you begin to create conditions for a deeper connection, both with yourself and with other humans and all that surrounds you. For some, breath, conscious movement, and the invitation to slow down and receive mindful touch are all practices. For those who practice Tantra, they are also invitations.
Letting the body lead is not about disengaging the mind. It’s not about shutting off the many activities of thinking or strategizing or planning. It’s about allowing the wisdom of the body to speak alongside your thoughts and lead you into a more balanced, integrated way of being.
4 Steps to Returning to the Body
Returning to the body is often as simple as inviting your attention to notice and allowing.
Begin to practice conscious breath awareness. During the day, at any time, pause and bring attention to your breath. Feel the inhale expand your belly and let the exhale soften your shoulders, your jaw. A few cycles of this and you are in the present moment.
Do a simple body scan. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Slowly bring your attention to each part of your body. Notice where there is warmth or coolness, tension or ease. Don’t try to change anything you find. Simply notice.
Slow down your daily activities. When you eat, walk, or wash your hands, see if you can move a little slower. Feel the texture and temperature of things, notice the scent of your home, and allow yourself to receive the sensations of the moment.
Allow yourself gentle movement. Stretch, sway, or shake out tension with awareness. Allow movement to release stuck energy and bring you back into the body.
These practices are not about creating a perfect state of presence, they are about beginning to form a relationship with your body that is based on listening and respect. Over time, this creates a deep sense of safety and aliveness in you. It is this foundation of safety and vitality that supports pleasure, intimacy, and deeper connection.
If you are ready to experience for yourself what it feels like to live and be more fully in your body, Waves Tantra offers one-on-one sessions that will support you in re-connecting with your senses, your breath, and your presence. This is not about striving for perfection. This is about learning to trust the wisdom the body carries and then allowing that wisdom to lead you into a more vibrant and connected life.
Reach out when you are ready to begin. Your body is here, already waiting for you.