Karla Newbey is attending the mixed and women’s Shakti Tantra programmes; shaktitantra.co.uk. The mixed programme has five levels, which run as consecutive workshops, spread out over a year. For details on Karla’s journey, visit yabyum.co.uk and follow her on Twitter @karla_newbey
ILLUSTRATION: JESSICA DURRANT/GETTY IMAGES. *NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED
We’re a circle of 14, sitting on cushions on the floor, half women, half men. All the women have tears rolling down their cheeks. We’re listening to the men.
In the Shakti Tantra women’s programme, there are many opportunities to share the stories of our lives in a receptive setting: the history of our sex lives, our relationships with parents, partners and kids, the impact society has had on our beliefs about ourselves and our sexuality… The tragedies the women have shared range from abuse to the deaths of children, partners and parents. We’ve all broadened our understanding of how dicult life can be, but also how strong we are in overcoming and facing these challenges. Now, we’re listening to the men on the mixed tantra programme and it’s deeply moving.