Honouring Tantric Wisdom 📿
This journey into somatic and tantric practices weaves the profound lineages these traditions emerge from with the unique needs of queer bodies seeking liberation. Before working with these sacred technologies, I invite you to understand their origins and how they inform this approach to healing touch.
⛛ 1. Naming Tantra’s Roots ⛛
Tantra is a spiritual tradition that reaches far beyond Western reduction to sexual activity. Nurtured in Bharat within the culture of Sanatana Dharma, Tantra is an expansive path to liberation through the body rather than from it. This non-dualistic approach honours the physical as a profound opportunity for spiritual development, not as an obstacle to overcome.
The word "Tantra" itself comes from the Sanskrit root "tan," meaning to expand or weave. The practices weave together all aspects of existence – sacred and mundane, pleasure and pain, masculine and feminine – into a unified whole. This integration forms the foundation of my work as Tantric Monkey, where we heal in embodied community, finding oneness in queer multiplicity.
⛛ 2. Soma: Divine Elixir of Consciousness ⛛
The righteous who follow
the scriptures strictly,
who drink the Soma
and are purified of their sins,
who pray to be taken to heaven,
they reach the world of the gods
and enjoy an indescribable bliss.
– The Bhagavad Gita
The origins of Yogic Sadhanas (ego-transcending spiritual practices) are deeply connected to Soma: a psychoactive substance and cosmic principle of expanded consciousness. The ancient rishis drank this elixir and gained access to profound insights. The ritualistic preparation and consumption of Soma created the conditions for structured sadhanas, such as Pranayama (life-force cultivation), Dhyana (deep meditation), and integration of natural principles that eventually evolved into the comprehensive system of Hatha yoga.
The word "Soma" derives from the Sanskrit root "su," meaning "to press, extract, or sprinkle" – referring to both the ritual extraction process and the flowing essence of consciousness itself. This ancient understanding of Soma resonates profoundly with our modern conception of "somatics", which comes from the Greek word "soma" meaning "body."
While it is argued that Sanskrit "Soma" and Greek "soma" have distinct etymological origins, I believe they share hidden roots. Either way, these terms share a remarkable conceptual bridge – both pointing to embodied experience as a pathway to expanded awareness. Today's somatic practices honour this potential linguistic and philosophical kinship by recognising the body not merely as passive container but as an intelligent field of consciousness capable of transformation and insight.
⛛ 3. Somatics: Practices of Embodiment ⛛
Somatics refers to an eco-system of global indigenous practices that work with the body as experienced from within rather than as an object observed from outside. Whether using feeling as a way-in to form, or form as a way-in to feeling, these approaches recognise the inseparability of sensing, feeling, and action in the lived experience of embodiment.
When I speak of "somatic touch" or "somatic intelligence," I'm drawing on this understanding that wisdom (even divine wisdom) resides within the many minds of our cells, not just in the myth of the skull-bound mind.
Central to my approach is what Elizabeth Burke calls “somatic matching”, which consists of three elements: awareness of sensation, conscious alignment with that sensation, and creating space for things to change. Through matching, we transform our relationship with our bodies from an "I-It" experience to one of embodied participation. Rather than trying to fix or control sensations, we lean towards them as ongoing processes we're actively maintaining. Through consciously engaging and accepting what is, we paradoxically create space for new possibilities to naturally arise.
⛛ 4. Beyond Appropriation: Honouring Indic Knowledge ⛛
As I've grown on this path, I've been deeply inspired by dedicated sādhakas like Payal Patel who advocate for authentic voices in the wellness industry. Her work reminds us that true Dharmic practice requires acknowledging the colonial trauma embedded in Western distortions of Eastern spiritual traditions. My approach acknowledges the responsibility I have as a white-body working with practices that originated in South Asian spiritual contexts. This means:
Explicitly acknowledging the origins of techniques and concepts
Studying with respect rather than extracting for profit
Centering the profound gifts of Indic teachers to humanity
Recognising how we are all harmed by ripping yoga from its roots
For those seeking deeper understanding of Dharmic practice, I recommend exploring Prana & Poetry's podcast on Yoga, Dharma, and decoloniality, as well as Let's Talk Yoga (Arundhati Baitmangalkar) conversations with traditional practitioners like Prasad Rangnekar and Dr. Manasa Rao.
⛛ 5. Symbolism of Tantric Monkey ⛛
The Tantric Monkey name and logo carry intentional symbolism:
🐒 The Monkey: Represents Hanuman, forest-dwelling embodiment of devotion and service. At the same time, it also gestures to our evolutionary potential and playful, erotic nature.
🔻 The Triangle: References the Muladhara chakra's yantra (geometric form), our foundation of vital energy, while simultaneously reclaiming the pink triangle as a symbol of queer resistance.
🟨 The Colours: Red represents Shakti (divine feminine energy) while yellow represents the earth element – together embodying the grounding and activating principles of tantric practice.
Throughout my communications you will see other symbols from Sanatana Dharma:
📿 Japa Mala: Prayer beads thumbed in meditation and mantra, representing practice (sadhana).
🪔 Dya Lamp: Sacred oil lamp a devotee palms in Arti (a ritual of worship), evoking divine light.
🕉️ Om (A-U-M): Primordial sound of creation containing all existence and universal consciousness.
These elements weave together ancient wisdom with the unique needs of queer bodies seeking liberation. By embracing these traditions, Tantric Monkey creates space for all bodies to remember the divine within.
Start Your Journey:
Floating Sanctuary: Experience somatic massage rooted in these principles
Cuddle Therapy: Receive embodied holding to help regulate your system
Touch-Song™: Discover self-pleasure practices in a gender-expansive container
Three of Wands: Co-create an intimate ceremony to honour your partnership
Digital Resources Deepen your integration of queer embodiment
Ready to begin? Book a free consultation call
to explore which approach feels most aligned to your needs.