I have recently had an opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge with a tantric masseuse from Switzerland and a teacher in BKK that has studied tantra for years. I had a two hour intense talk concerning its typical routines and the idea behind it with the former. In a nutshell, tantra massage can be understood as follows:
Tantra comes from Buddhism and it has nothing to do with sex or sexual practice. It was meant to achieve inner happiness or state of enlightenment. However, over the years, it has been employed combined with massage techniques to get people to a different state of mind which hard to put down in words. Just like my nuru massage, tantra massages can have many forms and practiced with a little variations by many followers or practitioners but the overall purpose is to open the door for the receiver to explore their sensuality and sexuality. A typical tantra massage would last at least 90 minutes up to 8 hours depending on clients’ needs, time, endurance and budget. It is a repetition of 30 minute routine where the guys and girls get sexually aroused without being allowed to reach climax. In a tantra massage, clients are encouraged to breathe deeply by listening to and following their breaths then to move expressively as a way to show how they are feeling and finally to communicate. The masseuse will constant check on the receiver to make sure they just stop abruptly before the point of no returning. The masseuse will use a scale of one to ten to indicate how close a client is to having an orgasm. The massage distinctively has an opening and closing ritual. It always start with relaxing clients and helping them focus on breathing. The masseuse will then try to build a connection between her/him and the client with various techniques to get client into the right state of mind. As the massage progresses, the masseuse will ask for permission to move on to other sensitive body parts such as the breast, etc. Yoni/ lingam massage is an essential part of tantra because private parts are the source of our body’s energy. The yoni massage itself has around 20 moves ranging from channeling the energy around the vagina area to massaging the lips, the inner wall and the G spot. For the guys, lingam massage contains a dozen moves of stroking the penis and stimulating the surrounding area. Clients are advised to close their eyes during these intimate moments so they won’t form an attachment to the masseuse later on. The result is not always an orgasm. Some people experience a powerful orgasm; others undergo tingling all over their body. Some burst into crying; some are speechless. It is a massage that helps you get in touch with your inner self. It is very important to perform closing ritual to break the connection between the two. For women that are having a period or concerned about hygiene, the practitioner will wear gloves during the yoni massage.
In conclusion, you might encounter different masseuses offering tantra massages. The best way to find out if they offer a good version is to ask them about their routine and rituals then make an informed decision.
Sheila’s nuru shares with and differs from tantra massages in the following points:
Both try to build up clients’ sexual energy and help them release it. While tantra depends on time (90 minutes straight)and techniques, Sheila’s nuru combines mental and physical aspect and slowly hype clients up over time be it a day to 3 days or more.
Sheila’s nuru is only one hour and has no room for mistakes so connection needs to be built before the session ( if client has time for it)
In Sheila’s nuru, clients are also encouraged to imagine where the masseuse’s body part is and breathe deeply in tune with the masseuse to better achieve multiple orgasm.
Tantric massage is a hand-based massage with the energy channeling out from sexual organs while Sheila’s nuru is body based with the energy converging into private parts.
Tantric massage and Sheila’s nuru massage are different means to an end- the enlightenment of the body and mind with the former focusing on sexual organs and the later on the whole body to achieve the same goal.