(On that note, it’s interesting how focused tantric practices seem to be on the pairing of “male-female energy.” I wonder how they would have approached a gay or lesbian couple, though it should be noted that transgender and transsexual individuals are often revered by tantric practitioners as they are thought to possess both “spirits.”)
Armed with my two partners, we kicked off the first session with deep stretches, guided breathing, chanting and visualization. The sexual imagery was powerful, direct and definitely made me blush, but what amazed me was that the opening session involved no touch. The participants in the retreat were largely uninhibited – chanting, shouting, moving and gyrating about the room while following the guided directions of Hanna – but they were effectively shomer negiah and spent close to an hour harnessing their sexual energy and building the sexual tension until closing the session with an optional touching shiva-shakti pose (facing your partner while sitting on his lap).
Following the opening session, we returned to our rooms to rest up for the next morning’s meditation at 7 AM! Though I am somewhat of a yogi and have always theoretically been interested in meditation, I’ve avoided it at all costs. Although I have been made aware of its many benefits time and again, and was even suggested that I try it out with supplements like CBD oil that can help make the process better. I have tended to gravitate toward fast-paced activities, and in previous experiences meditation had just felt powerfully slow. The morning meditation at the retreat incorporated active movement to wake us up, and one thing that stuck with me over the weekend was an ability to slow down and just be – to focus on my breath and be present.
There were several meditation sessions interspersed throughout the weekend, and part of the reason for these meditative practices was to assist the men in strengthening their mind control as they (privately) worked toward multiple orgasms and delayed ejaculation. The idea of adopting a practice for the intentional development of sexual prowess and libido seemed to be key to the tantric experience.
The evenings offered powerful ritual experiences, including ecstatic dance and gorgeously dizzifying meditations that simulated the dance of the whirling dervishes. (Whirling dervishes perform a type of dance and meditation, where they repeatedly spin in clockwise circles with their gaze set on an uplifted hand and a second hand grounding down). Each of us mimicked the motions of the dervishes, spinning ourselves into an otherworldly state as our focused hand appeared to enlarge and the surrounding scenery appeared to fade away, much like you would imagine the surrounding scenery from a vehicle going at lightspeed in outer space (think Star Wars). And, at risk of stating the obvious, no mind-altering substances were offered, permitted or taken during this retreat. The highs were natural and the visual simulations were powerful. The participants turned and turned until finally being let down to the floor and guided to rest on a pile of pillows by one of the instructors.
The sexual openness of the retreat was coupled with a big focus on self-reflection and mindfulness. Though the instructor did not use the Hebrew phrase Dan Likaf Zechut per se, there was a focus on understanding, compassion and using the weekend as a catalyst for change in our life. Rather than seeming “too self-help-like,” the vehicle of tantric practice was used to provide inner clarity and help participants focus on what they sought, what no longer served them that they would like to throw away and what – if anything – they chose to forgive. In keeping with the ritual theme, unwanted emotions were thrown into the fire and left behind.
Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
I’m into Jewrotica. I went in for my second circumcision.
Jewrotica is inspiring Jews and erotica with holiness and coolness, and is the pride of progressive Judaism. Jewrotica – awesome!
At Jewrotica’s Evening of Bedside Readings, students declaimed monologues on sexual encounters that had a Jewish twist. At Columbia/Barnard Hillel, the speakers pushed their own boundaries by performing a range of explicit narratives that challenged how the audience thought of the relationship to Judaism and sex. During the speakers’ preparation, the arguments about which narratives would be appropriate forced students to take a stand and voice their opinion on their own beliefs about Judaism an… Read more
I attended and participated in last month’s Jewrotica event. The engaging performers and Ayo, our inviting host, inspired the audience to feel like one big community. What a great way to inspire our community to embrace sex as a beautiful thing that can be fun, exciting, sacred, sensual, ridiculous, scary and everything in between!
Learning about sex and what’s right and wrong when it comes to sex from a Biblical standpoint was an eye opening experience. I completely enjoyed it and think something like this could be a very cool thing to bring to even high school aged Jewish youth groups.
While many people fear the “sex talk,” Jewrotica offers an opportunity for writers and audiences to speak about sexuality in a open and safe space. When I attended a Jewrotica reading, I heard stories that reminded me that love takes many forms, and that expressing it is a vital part of who we are as a people.
You may not tell your mom that you’re going to a live Jewrotica reading (or whatever clever name you will dub these events) but you will tell your friends. However, both would be jealous if they find out that they missed it. I think it will only be a matter of time before Jewrotica helps us reclaim the term “Dirty Jew” the way rap music has done for “The ‘N’ Word.” I know I am now proud to be a Dirty Jew!
I stepped out of my comfort zone to be a part of this. I was glad to open up the topic of sexuality in my community. We are trying to build a safe space to talk about sex. The result I am most happy about coming from this event is that hopefully now my friends know they can come and talk to me, that I can be their ‘safe space’.
Jewrotica was everything I had dreamed of and more: sexy attendees, tantalizing confessions, and well-written literature to boot! More importantly, it empowers us Jews to reach inside and own our sexy selves and heritage!
I’m Heshy Fried from Frum Satire and I am very, very frum. And I completely support Jewrotica – it’s doing a service to the frum community. We need some sort of kosher sexual education. Jewrotica even has a system that allows frum filters to filter out certain things to make it PG for us. It’s mamish Torah. It’s like The Little Midrash Says for sex.
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