Tantra is a Sanskrit word - the blessed language of Hinduism. It is derived from the root word tan, which interprets as "to extend, expand, spread, continue, spin out, weave; to put forth, show, or manifest." A Tantra is sometimes defined as "a type of mystical teaching set out mostly in the form of dialogues between cosmic couples. Intimate insightful dialogs, between God and Goddess, Shiva and Shakti, the male and female Tantric adepts, were written down and became popular as Tantras. Naturally, these dialogs, being intimate, included sexual secrets as well as many other fascinating topics.
Tantrism provides a technology for using creative energy or vital force to effect healing. Healing power, however, does not manifest without careful cultivation. Tantric healers generally engage in extensive ‘Sadhana’, which may include a period of ascetic practice. They may perform the main healing practices in public, but there are also practices done privately, the details of which are shared only between guru and student. The principal tools employed in tantric healing in Nepal include mantra, the breath, pujas (rituals), amulets, and various healing substances, such as blessed water, rice, incense, ash, and herbal medicine.
Nepal is strange in its extensive acceptance of tantric healing. For most Nepalese, access to Western style medical treatment is simply not possible, and for thousands of years the predominant form of healing has been spiritual. For westerners, tantric healing methods can be effective where other forms of treatment are not. Authentic practitioners, however, are becoming increasingly rare.
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