CAMP Safe  

Men, tired of those one-night stands? Spending hours of your time trying to find a trick for an orgasm that lasts an average of 10 seconds? Worried about catching something from someone who may not be honest with you about their sexual past? Well, have I got something to teach all of you. Sit at the feet of "Safer Sex Sage, Sal" for a lesson on how you can spice up your life with Tantra; the other safe sex.

There is common misconception that I need to clear up before I continue. Tantra is not just for straight people. In fact, Tantra is a spiritual path that could provide many gay men in the 21st century a lifetime of good. According to Bruce Anderson, author of Tantra for Gay Men, the "Tantric experience in many ways parallels the gay experience...because gay men by their very nature, are outsiders with a different perspective on life and how to live it. Our outsider status gives us a great opportunity for unique insight".

According to the Institute for Tantra Studies, "Tantra is a spiritual journey that follows the path of joy and teaches us to embrace our sexual experiences, deepen our relationships and to embrace physical pleasure as an aspect and expression of one’s spiritual self." It is a spiritual philosophy that was born about 5,000 BC. For something that old, how can it be wrong?

Many men complain that "trick" sex leaves them feeling alone and unconnected. Incorporating Tantra into our lives allows us to experience deeper states of love and passion and allows you to extend sensual and sexual pleasure. Tantra is about using sex to increase, improve, expand, explore and enjoy one’s spirituality. It is about appreciation of us and our lover. You know, the whole thing about acknowledging the divine in the person you are with.

So, how can it be safer? Well, for one, it doesn’t have to involve either anal or oral sex. Tantra energy can be shared by massage, meditation, breath work, soul-gazing and some other exercises you can do. Imagine taking the time to sit across from your partner, both of you looking into each others eyes, breathing together, feeling the energy you are sending to one another, experiencing the heat of the passion that you are sharing just by being in each others presence.

The energy that you build up between yourself and your partner is hotter than a 10 second orgasm. By learning Tantra, men can focus sexual energy away from the genitals; build it up throughout the body, which can result in a full body orgasm that can last for an extended period of time.

Here is a quick exercise you can do with a partner that is sure to get the passions flaring. This exercise is called devotion. The act of devotion is a process that opens up the deep feelings of love inside of us to be one with our partner. Basically, you are worshiping at the altar of your lover. First, sit close to your partner, facing each other, knee to knee. Hold hands and look into each others eyes. Sit in silence for at least 15 minutes and be aware of your thoughts, feelings and desires about yourself and your partner. This will strengthen the bond between you and bring out devotion to each other in your lovemaking.

Okay, so I barely cracked open the ancient teaching of Tantra. There is a lot of material out there to read and study. I hope that this was a teaser to get you interested in doing some research on your own. In case you want more information, here are the sources I quoted from:

• Tantra for Gay Men by Bruce Anderson
• The Institute for Tantra Studies (look up on yahoo or google).

The CAMPsafe program is looking for a few good men to help with our outreach programs on the weekend. Volunteer and paid positions—flexible hours mostly at night and weekends— are available. Contact Sal at 227-5620 for more information.