What is Tantra?

About Tantra - abridged from LivingTantra.com

Tantra is a systematic, comprehensive approach to worldly and spiritual fulfillment. It incorporates the practices of hatha yoga, pranayama, mantra, yantra, mandala, kundalini yoga, mudra, ritual, alchemy, ayurveda, and astrology and uses them to awaken and channel our full potential. 

"Tantra" is a compound of two words: "tan" and "tra." "Tan" means to expand, to grow, to become bigger, better, more beautiful, more powerful. "Tan" also means "to weave." So "Tantra" means to expand by the process of continuously weaving, reweaving, and expanding so that the tapestry of life becomes bigger, better, more powerful, more productive, more joyful, and more fulfilling. However, this expansion is to be accomplished in a manner follows the principle of "tra." "Tra" mean to protect, to keep from harm, to safeguard. 

Tantra is the art and science of growing, expanding developing, and prospering without harming yourself and without harming others. It is a joy-driven path, a path of active participation in life. It is the art of merging the mundane with the divine, the intellectual with experiential, and worldly achievement with spiritual fulfillment. Tantra embodies a series of teachings and techniques through which you gain a comprehensive understanding of yourself and the world around you. 

Through centuries of investigation and practice, tantric masters have discovered countless principles, resources, and techniques for using all of our internal resources to make the world more beautiful and prosperous and all of the resources in the external world to create a healthy, joyful and spiritually illuminating inner world.