DECOLONIZING TANTRA: Reclaiming the Indigenous Knowledge

DESCRIPTION

Tantra, in its authentic form, is a profound path of dhyana (meditation), tapasya (ascetic meditation) and moksha (liberation). Over centuries, Tantra has endured spiritual colonization, systematic cultural attacks, and erasure directed at a minority religion, historically practiced by people from marginalized communities. Its teachings have often been distorted, commodified, sensationalized, sexualized, and divorced from their ritual and meditative essence.

In this class, we explore Bhairavas, Shaktis, Mantra, Yantra, and Tantra, alongside Grama, Kula, and Ishta Devata/Devi, the cycles of time (Kalpa, Manvantara, Divya Yuga) and its association with Karma, and the seven Acharas (Modules in Tantric Practice), with examples of Devi Upasana (Goddess Worship practices) in each, particularly after Dakshina Achara (4th Module). We will clarify the distinctions between Hindu and Tantric deities, examine authentic Tantric lifestyles such as Aghoris, and discuss a Fact Sheet: “Is Your Tantra Colonized?” to critically reflect on sources, practices, and interpretations.
This session is a careful, ethical engagement with Tantra as a spiritual science of meditation, ritual, and liberation, free from commodification or sensationalization.
Note to attendees: This session will not include any initiation into the practice.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Participants will move beyond colonial and orientalist interpretations of Tantra to encounter it as a living, resistant, and self-determining tradition.

1. By the end of the class, participants will be able to identify at least three ways Tantra has been spiritually colonized through historical, cultural, or linguistic distortions, especially those impacting marginalized Tantric traditions and practitioners.
2. By the end of the class, participants will be able to critically assess their own or others’ interpretations of Tantra for evidence of commodification, cultural appropriation, or detachment from original Tantric philosophy using the “Is Your Tantra Colonized?” Fact Sheet.

AVAILABLE ON

ErosCoaching	AASECT CE · Standard Access	Access Now
The Elsewheres	AASECT CE · Collective Access	Access Now
Forbidden Tickets	Community Access	Access Now
Eventbrite	Open Access	Access Now

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Access Key
Standard Access: Full course access with AASECT Continuing Education credits. Ideal for licensed clinicians and certified professionals fulfilling CE requirements (First-come, first-served).
Collective Access: Full course access with AASECT Continuing Education credits, offered at a lower price point to support decolonial participation across professional communities (First-come, first-served).
Community Access: Full course access without AASECT CE credits, designed for BIPOC, queer, kink+, and sex-positive community members engaging outside of a clinical or certification context.
Open Access: Registration open to all, including international students. No AASECT CE credits

OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCE

Rao, N. (2025, July 22). Decolonizing Tantra: Reclaiming the Indigenous Knowledge. N. Rao Publications. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19385439
Resource type: Lesson
Publisher: N. Rao Publications
Hosting institution: Institute for Intersectional Relational Studies
Copyright: Copyright © 2025 N. Rao Publications

Rao, N. (2025). Tantra Reference Library Collection. N. Rao Publications. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19386353
Resource type: Annotation Collection
Publisher: N. Rao Publications
Hosting institution: Institute for Intersectional Relational Studies
Copyright: Copyright © 2025 N. Rao Publications
Library Link: https://www.zotero.org/groups/6353947/tantra

Rao, N. (2025). Fact Sheet (Is Your Tantra Colonized?). N. Rao Publications. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19385793
Resource type: Other
Publisher: N. Rao Publications
Hosting institution: Institute for Intersectional Relational Studies
Copyright: Copyright © 2025 N. Rao Publications

EDUCATOR BIO