Feel the force

If you’ve been following Between The Sheets, you may have noticed me mention ‘energy’, especially in relation to sexuality. But what exactly is this mysterious force, and how does it show up in ways we can understand and relate to?
In tantra, energy is more than just a concept or theory. It’s a physical force, and you’re probably already more familiar with it than you realise.
Here’s a quick exercise. Rub your hands together as hard and fast as you can for 10 to 20 seconds, then hold them together so your palms are almost, but not quite touching. Focus on your palms and you should feel some heat and tingling. You may even feel a kind of force field between your hands, almost like they’re magnetised. You’ve created a small electrical charge of energy in your hands using friction.
This ‘charge’ can then be redirected to another part of the body. Try it again and this time place your hands on your heart, breathe deeply and feel that energy enter your chest. Does your heart feel warmer or more open? Perhaps you feel a little more connected to your emotions. You’ve just created and moved energy around the body, and tantra teaches many methods like this to create, build and transfer energy from one place to another.
When energy circulates freely through the body, we’re at our most happy and healthy. We also feel most connected — to ourselves, the people in our lives and the world around us. But when energy’s blocked, we feel lifeless, exhausted, depleted. Of course, these feelings can be caused by a lack of physical energy — but there’s often a blockage in the flow of life force energy occurring too.
Try this body scan to work out where energy might be stuck. Close your eyes and focus on your body. Which parts can you feel most clearly? Your arms and legs? Belly? Toes? Genitals? Shoulders? Jaw? Now sense which parts feel a bit more vague and hard to tune in to. Perhaps these are areas where energy is trapped or sluggish and in need of some work.
One of the most powerful ways to get energy moving is via breath. Next week we’ll look at ways to do that, via some simple breathing techniques that may surprise you with their results.
info: Experience tantric massage with Between The Sheets columnist Tantraguy. Visit www.gaydar.com.au/…..tantraguy for more info.