Breathing in Tantric Massage. Is it an erotic practice?
The breath is all important. When we stop breathing, we die. Yet how many of us are really aware of our breathing ?
A rapid, shallow “stress breath”, breathing from the chest, prepares us to fight or flee. It is part of the autonomic nervous system response to stress. It stops us from feeling, as our attention is directed towards the external threat.Our digestion stops and sexual response is inhibited. All our mental energy is directed towards the external environment – we disassociate, we feel shut down, frozen and numb.
Shallow breathing allows us to shut down our emotions so that we can fight or flee more effectively.
When we learn to breathe from the belly, or from the diaphragm, which is how we are meant to breathe, we also feel a fuller range of emotions
Deep full breathing can also release tears and laughter. Simply acknowledging and breathing into a feeling, can clear it.
Through deep breathing, we can learn to practice detachment, with mindful awareness of our emotions – and this is very empowering.
The practice of conscious breathing can alleviate anxiety, depression, everyday stress and stress-related illnesses.
This is why it is taught in hatha yoga classes, by therapists, and that is why we also teach it during our tantric massage sessions. It is a useful tool for all those who experience premature ejaculation or performance anxiety, and in general it helps to heighten and spread the feelings within and throughout the body.