CENTER HERE AND NOW / WORKSHOPS / October 2017 / 10.10.17 - 15.10.17

In this sequence, we use deep massage to release the sexual energy that is held by habit and unconscious fear or shame in the form of tension in the muscles of the pelvis and thighs, especially the pelvic floor muscle.  But first we use chest, arm and diaphragm massage to open the heart to accept and love our excitement, and cranial and neck massage to reduce the resistance of our minds and moral judgments and enable us to be simply aware of our excitement and pleasure without judging or analyzing it. 

OPENING THE MIND: 

• Elements of Indian and native American head massage
• Jade gate massage
• Reichian neck massage

OPENING THE HEART: 

• Taoist heart opening sequence

OPENING THE SEX: 

• Deep pelvic massage

CONNECTING THE THREE CENTERS: 

• Awakening the sacred body
• Opening the segments and dolphin wave
• Joint release and splitting the body

MASSAGE FOR SEXUAL HEALING 

We continue the deep pelvic work with a healing massage for the perineum, the frst chakra, and for the pelvic floor muscle around the anus, together with the two sphincter muscles. For men, this enables us to massage the prostate both indirectly via the perineum (external prostate point) and directly through the anus. The tension in the frst chakra creates a base of fear and struggle,  which when healed and relaxed becomes a base of pleasure and openness, bringing more flexibility to the character. The anus has many pleasure nerves, and it can be reclaimed as an important source of erotic energy. 

YONI AND VAJRA HEALING 

The next step is a healing massage of yoni  (the vagina) and of the vajra or lingam  (penis). The massage is done with the intent of healing, that is to make contact with whatever is there as energy in the sexual organ. This cannot happen when there is an expectation of arousal. Any pain, insensitivity or negative experiences from the past can be released so that the genitals become open for a deep, relaxed excitement.

SUMMARY OF STRUCTURES TAUGHT  

Opening and connecting sex, heart and spirit

• Elements of Indian and native American head massage
• Jade gate massage
• Reichian neck massage
• Taoist heart opening sequence
• Deep pelvic massage
• Awakening the sacred body
• Opening the segments and dolphin wave
• Joint release and splitting the body
• Yoni healing
• Vajra healing
• Rosetta healing

DESCRIPTION OF THE WHOLE CYCLE (MODULE I-IV)

WHAT IS A TRUE TANTRA MASSAGE? 

“In its highest form, tantra massage has the potential to be
an initiation into a direct experience of the world of tantra.”
– John Hawken   

This course has been developed to set a benchmark and standard for what Tantra Massage should stand for at the pinnacle of what it can be. The training is about learning to receive and give tantra massage as an initiation into tantra.    The word Tantra has been often misappropriated to sell sexual services under the name tantra massage. Even the best-intentioned massages often overemphasize the sexual aspect of tantra, which is fundamentally about sacred sexuality expressed through the heart.  Tantra is an ancient practice that opens the door to an experience of ourselves as beings of energy and consciousness 

THE KEY PRINCIPLES OF TANTRA

• To experience yourself as a bridge between heaven and earth,
  earth and heaven.
• To experience that you have an energy body as well as a physical
• Body, through which you can connect to the ocean of life energy that surrounds you.
• Your body is the sacred temple of your spirit.
• Sacred sexuality is about being, not doing.
• Experiencing the energy body takes you into expanded consciousness.
• To experience yourself as a formless flow of energy, taking form through the conscious focus of your awareness

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR

This course is designed for people who want, through tantric massage, to get more in touch with their body, open their body to energy, heal any old disapproval of their bodies and negative feelings like fear or shame, and to learn to deeply relax, so that their natural energy will start to flow and thus bring up any physical, energetic or emotional issues that need to be released or healed.

The body has its own wisdom and if we or our mind can stop being in the way, then beautiful moments can happen that will connect us again with our natural state of oneness, pleasure, joy and flow

THIS COURSE IS EXPERIENTIAL AND IS AIMED AT:

• Those who are interested in becoming a qualifed and experienced professional tantra massage practitioner
• Existing massage practitioners who wish to add tantra to their repertoire
• Existing tantra massage practitioners who wish to expand their repertoire of practice and techniques and who enjoy the philosophy of tantra as well as the practices
• Anyone who wants to dive deeply into the practice of tantra massage

To this end, it consists of 3 four day blocks, and for those who want to get a professional certifcate, they need to do block 4 and the continuing studies as well.

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION

• Those completing the 16 days training will be awarded a Certificate of Training as a Tantra massage practitioner.
• Those completing 10 supervision sessions will be awarded a Certificate of Competence as Professional Practitioner of Initiatory Tantra Massage.
• Those who are fully certified will have their names published on the Path of Touch website as approved practitioners.
• Due to its depth and authenticity Practitioners holding this Training Certificate qualify for Student Insurance for their work through ASIS ( the Association of Somatic and Integrative Sexulogy)

This is a Closed Group training so it is not possible to join the training if you miss the frst block

What makes a massage tantric? 

It is not only a sensually pleasing setting, but  also more importantly an attitude: of respect,  of honouring: to work with energy and  consciousness, to touch the spirit through  the body.  We create the experience that the body  is the temple of the spirit, discovering  and honouring the god in each man, the  goddess within each woman. We manifest  spirit on earth through the physical body  experiencing itself as a vehicle for the energy  body. Tantra massage works with the energy  body and is an initiation into our nature  as energy beings, divine beings of fire and  light. This initiation or revelation is the true  purpose of our sexual energy, the longing  to merge with something bigger and more  beautiful than our egos. 

THE DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF MASSAGE 

• Relaxation
• Fitness
• Healing the past/therapeutic massage
• Energy flow and balance
• Sensuality • Arousal • Liberation 
• Entering altered states of consciousness.

We will explore these different qualities and  develop the ability to shift gear and dance  appropriately between them. 

CREATING THE SETTING 

• Creating the atmosphere
• Décor
• Use of ritual
• The comfort and safety of the client
• Creating clear contracts for client and practitioner alike, boundaries
• Communicating a clear intent
• The presence, awareness and consciousness of the masseur
• Verbal and non-verbal communication during the massage
• Conscious touch
• Surface and deep tissue touch
• When to use oil
• Stroking, pinching, scratching, percussion.
• Use of fngertips, knuckles, elbows, breath, hair
• Use of tools: silk, fur, feathers, leather, herbs, milk, hot oil, hot and cold compresses and stones, aromas and  essential oils 
• Preparing the body: exit massage, energy cleansing and de-stressing
• Touching with the quality of innocence
• Touch to sensitize the body
• Using the breath to receive
• Relaxing into the energy, non-doing, coming out of the mind into the body
• Dropping expectations, needs, desires, and being in the moment with what is

AWAKENING ENERGY 

Following the ideas of both Wilhelm Reich  and traditional tantric teachings about  kundalini, before releasing sexual excitement  and power, we open the body to allow the  channels of the body to allow the life energy  to expand. A pleasurable healing massage  gently removes tensions that block this flow  and make us afraid of our own energy, power  and pleasure. Opening the channels of the  spine, we begin with Reichian massage of  the spine to experience the muscles of the  spine as channels for energy flow rather than  as the place where we hold back from life.  We bring the spine back into alignment by  softening the tense muscles that break it up  into isolated segments. Then the kundalini  massage enables us to open up the energy  channels in the spine, ida, pingala and  sushumna, creating a balance between left  and right, masculine and feminine energies  in the body, and inviting the streamings  of life energy to flow through the spine.  Opening the meridians energizes the  whole body and prepares it for a balanced  and pleasurable flow of fre and water. The  experience of energy flowing through our  physical body enables us to realize that we  are more than just a physical being: we are  a point of consciousness becoming aware of  itself as art of the life flow of the universe.  This awareness of our connectedness to  life and energy is the alchemy of ecstasy –  standing outside ourselves.

STRUCTURES TO BE TAUGHT DURING THE FIRST  TRAINING BLOCK 

• The art of erotic touching (Margot Anand) 
• Body imprints massage
• Strokes for grounding the body (bioenergetics massage) 
• Deep tissue massage and useful elements of biodynamic massage 
• Awakening the Senses ritual
• Creative Seasonal Ritual
• Discovering your erotic potential - massage to open the body to the flow  of life energy 
• Reichian spinal massage,
• Reichian pelvic massage 
• Elements of deep draining
• Kundalini massage
• Bio-release massage
• Spinal drumming

Details of the workshop

THE PATH OF TOUCH

Touch is a vital form of nourishment and affrmation, and sensual massage a way of communicating non-verbally and directly. To receive a tantra massage is to be initiated into tantric experience and tantric consciousness. Often tantra massage can be the frst contact with energy and the energy body and the potential of expanding sexual energy into the whole body. On the path of touch you learn to give these massage initiations, whether privately to a partner or professionally to clients. At The Paths of Transformation, we teach and transmit a wide breadth of Tantra and erotic massage, together with an understanding of presence and different kinds of touch, both physical and energetic.

Sequences of techniques that form a developmental series of deepening initiations are shared, which can be used with a lover to go deep into intimacy, or as a professional to open the frst door into tantra for your clients.

INTRODUCTORY GROUPS

Introductory courses of the path of touch and tantric massage will enable you to discover the awareness of you as an energy being. You will learn how to give a massage – how to be in the present moment, attuned to your partner, and still aware of your own energy process. You will learn at the same time to receive a massage - to use breath, relaxing the physical body and expanding more and more into your energy body. So that the
massage doesn’t touch you only physically, but is also an energy experience that can lead to an expanded state of consciousness. The introductory workshop will expand your sense of your erotic self, helping you discover and develop new erogenous zones and to enjoy erotic and orgasmic pleasure with the whole body. It is designed for couples who wish to explore their erotic and energetic potential and professionals who want to get a sense of John’s work and approach before signing up to the full training programme. Look out for introductory and weekend workshops on our website.

Module 3
The Dynamics of Pleasure & the Energy Body
The dynamics of pleasure

Date: 10-15th of April  2018 r.
Facilitated by: Freya Wolna
Price: 1200 PLN

We teach techniques from different traditions  for the massage of yoni and vajra for pleasure  and excitement. The emphasis is on the relaxation into the energy to allow the  pleasure to expand beyond the pelvis and  through the diaphragm to allow the sexual  energy to expand into the heart and then  through the jade gate into the brain.  We will also teach the expanded sexual  orgasm technique of balancing the plus and  minus poles of sexuality to achieve plateau  orgasm and an extended state of expanded  consciousness.  For women we will explore not only  G-spot massage but also other erogenous  zones inside yoni and the science of yoni  reflexology, both for pleasure and for healing.  For men, we explore techniques for being in choice with their ejaculation and how the  masseuse can guide and influence the path of  non-ejaculation.  We will also teach the typology of vajra  and yoni in both quodoushka and hindu  traditions, and the theme of female  ejaculation. 

THE ENERGY BODY 

The next step is to teach the client how to  expand the energy from the whole body into  the energy body. This is the most important  step into tantra proper, using the sexual  excitement to access the experience of the  energy body.  We will explore how to teach the energy  movement of contraction and expansion  including the technique of the big draw, and  massages of the energy body both within and  beyond the physical body.  We will also teach fourhanded massage,  both to encourage surrender and a complete  letting go, as well as for harmonizing and  balancing the energy body. 

SUMMARY OF STRUCTURES TAUGHT  IN BLOCK 3 

• Extended sexual orgasm
• Big draw Shivaite erotic massage
• Yoni and vajra reflexology
• Chakra merging
• Chakra wave
• Sexual breathing
• Erogenous zones massage
• Chakra oil massage
• Male-female breath
• Heart wave
• Heart pleasuring
• Blended stimulation
• Eagles wings energy massage
• Unveiling the god/dess
• Yab yum massage
• Yin yang touch
• Magic wand massage

Module 4:
For Professional Practitioners

What does it really mean to create a  step-by-step initiation into tantra for a  client? 

Date:  11-15th of June 2018
Facilitated by John Hawken and Freya Wolna
Note the place: J. Hawken's Tantra Center Cernivsko, nearby to Praga, Czech Republic
Price: 1500 PLN

We will learn and practice a programme  of massages that take a client from being  motivated largely by the desire for sexual  relief into a full experience of the tantric  energy.  This programme offers a variety of massage  experiences moving into different levels  and creates a series of initiations deeper  and deeper into the essence of tantra, an  understanding of sacred sex and of the  energy body. The client is encouraged to be  less and less the passive recipient of a massage  and more and more an active participant  through breathing techniques and energy  body movements. 

• Earth: expanding genital pleasure into whole body pleasure, moving from stimulation to sensitivity 
• Fire: from physical body pleasure to energy body pleasure
• Air: breathing to fan the fre and open the heart
• Water: letting go
• Spirit: the body as your temple
• Sacred sex: entering the ecstatic dreamtime

In addition, this module will cover how  to set up a Tantra massage practice, code  of ethics, promotion, legal matters, dealing  with customers, finances, personal safety and  boundaries, hygiene, insurance and other  relevant themes. 

Peer Group Support 

Being a tantric massage practitioner can  be a lonely profession and getting together  with others who share your passion without  competition can be really supportive and  refreshing.  This training creates an opportunity to share  existing skills and learn from each other,  as well as the ongoing support of working  deeply together.  We anticipate there will be opportunities  for peer group practice between the formal  training.  Our aim is that these relationships will go  well beyond the training year, enabling  you as a practitioner to feel part of a bigger  tantric family that will support you in years  to come