Achilles tendon: The fibrous tissue that connects the calf muscle to the heel.
Action organ: An organ that is associated with a specific chakra and through which that chakra expresses itself physically.
Aghora: Aghora means “without fear.” The term refers to a Tantric sect that engages in extreme practices. Aghoris embrace that which most of society would find intolerable.
Alchemy/Alchemical: The transformation of matter or the process of combining two or more elements and creating a new substance.
Amrita: Literally, that which is against death: the nectar of immortality. In classical Tantric sex rituals, commingled sexual fluids that are consumed by the practitioners. Some Neo-Tantric teachers refer to female ejaculate as “amrita.”
Amygdala: A group of almond-shaped nuclei located within the temporal lobes of the brain. The amygdala is involved in the processing of memory and emotional reactions.
Analingus: Using the mouth and, especially, the tongue to stimulate the anus.
Ananda: Commonly translated as bliss, but it can also mean happiness, joy, or sensual pleasure.
Ananda Nidra: Ananda (happiness, joy, bliss, sensual pleasure) Nidra (sleep). The authors developed this practice, which is inspired by Yoga Nidra, a traditional Tantric meditation.
Antinomianism: The rejection of socially established morality or religious laws.
Anuswara: Little heaven. The bindu or dot that sometimes appears above Sanskrit letters. It indicates prolonging and nasalizing the m or n sound. It is what gives simple mantras like Om their power to alter consciousness.
Aphrodisiac: Something that excites or produces sexual arousal.
Ardhapadamasana: The Half Lotus Posture: in this modified version of the Lotus Posture, only one foot is placed atop the thigh when the legs are crossed.
Areola: The area of rose-colored to dark pigmented skin surrounding the nipples.
Ashwini mudra: Literally, the “gesture of the horse.” Ashwini mudra is the intentional pulsing of the anus. This practice is very important in many Tantric routines since it is a powerful way to raise energy within the body. It is also reputed to have a wide variety of health benefits.
AUM: Alternative transliteration of the syllable Om. It highlights the three sounds that compose the mantra.
BDSM: An acronym for a variety of sexual practices that include bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism.
Blasphemous: Disrespectful or disparaging of religious beliefs, irreverent, sacrilegious.
Bön: The indigenous religion of Tibet. It predates the arrival of Buddhist teachings in Tibet, but its current form has both influenced and been influenced by Buddhism.
Bondage: The use of restraints, real or imagined, for power exchange during erotic play.
Brahma: The creator god in the Hindu trinity.
Brahman: God, the supreme Godhead or universal soul. Despite the fact that Hinduism is described as a polytheistic religion, there are certain monotheistic aspects underlying the concept of Brahman. Interestingly enough, the literal meaning of the word means “growth” or “expansion.”
Buddha nature: The definition varies somewhat in different branches of Buddhism, but it can be understood as suggesting that the potential for Buddhahood is intrinsic in all beings and that it can be awakened through practice.
Chakra: Disk or wheel. Chakras are energetic centers in the body that can be used as a kind of inner roadmap in Tantric practice. Dr. Jonn Mumford defines a chakra as “a whirling vortex of energy, the meeting point between the body and the mind.”
Cis-gendered: A person whose gender as defined at birth, anatomy, and self-identification all match. Compare with transgendered.
Coccygeal plexus: A cluster of nerves residing at the base of the spine.
Coccyx: The tailbone. The coccyx is comprised of the three to five vertebrae below the sacrum, at the very base of the spine.
Contact pedophiles: Adults who engage in sexual activity with children, as opposed to those whose activities are limited to fantasizing about it or viewing child pornography.
Cosmology: A way of explaining the universe and its processes. The word can be used in both scientific and religious contexts.
Cunnilingus: A form of oral sex in which the clitoris and labia are stimulated with the mouth and tongue.
Cupid’s bow: The shape of the upper lip, a reference to the Roman god of love, an implicit recognition of the erotic appeal of that body part.
Digital stimulation: The use of the fingers to produce sexual arousal.
Dildo: A sex toy used for penetration; dildos are most often designed to evoke the penis.
Dualism: The division of the world into binaries: mind and matter, sacred and profane, subject and object.
Ecstasy: Bliss, an intense emotional state in which the individual is transported beyond the bounds of everyday consciousness.
Edging: The practice of remaining at the edge of orgasm for prolonged periods. Not to be confused with edgeplay, a term used by the kink community to refer to boundary-pushing activity.
Energy body: Also called the aura. The energetic field that surrounds the physical body; some believe it can be seen by the psychically gifted.
Energy orgasm: An orgasmic experience that can be felt throughout or in specific parts of the body, with or without genital involvement. It can be induced by breath, movement, sound, visualization, or any combination thereof.
Enlightenment: In Eastern religions, the experience of being free from the ignorance that causes suffering. Also, being released from the cycle of death and reincarnation. From the Tantric perspective, enlightenment is a process rather than a state.
Erectile tissue: A category of tissue found in the genitalia, nipples, and nose. Erectile tissue becomes engorged with blood during sexual arousal.
Erogenous zones: Parts of the body that are particularly responsive to sexual touch.
Ether: Akasha in Sanskrit, also translated as space. Akasha is the fifth element in Tantra and Yoga.
Exhibitionism: Deriving sexual pleasure from showing off to or being watched by others.
Fellatio: Oral sex performed on a penis (or sex toy).
Female ejaculation: A form of orgasmic response in which fluid, probably produced by the Skene’s glands (which some anatomists now call the female prostate), is expelled through the urethra.
Fetish: A sexual fixation on a body part or an object, not necessarily something that is commonly considered erotic. Human beings have the ability to fetishize virtually anything.
Fleshlight: A flashlight-shaped tube that evokes female genitalia and is designed for use in masturbation.
Fluid-bonded: People who have agreed to share sexual fluids and are not using safer-sex protocols.
Foreplay: Sexual stimulation that usually precedes intercourse and is intended to build arousal. The term reflects the prevailing cultural assumption that anything short of genital intercourse is a mere precursor to the main event.
Frenulum: Most commonly, the highly sensitive part of the penis, where the foreskin connects with the glans, just below the opening of the urethra. The area remains sensitive in those who are circumcised. Frenulum generally refers to a small piece of tissue that connects body parts or holds one in place. Thus, the frenulum of the tongue is the tissue at the base of the tongue that attaches it to the floor of the mouth. Other body parts, including the labia minora, the clitoris, and the upper and lower lips (of the mouth) also have frenula.
Friction sex: A fast-paced style of lovemaking that usually has achieving orgasm rapidly as the goal.
Frottage: Rubbing the genitalia on an object or body part for the purpose of sexual arousal.
Full-body orgasm: A sexual response that may include but is not limited to the genital area. See also Energy orgasm.
G-spot: Not a spot at all, but an area of erectile tissue including the para-urethral glands, which surround the urethra and become engorged with fluid during sexual arousal. It feels like a ridge of rougher textured tissue, and it is located three to four inches inside, on the anterior (front) wall of the vagina.
Gender identity: The way a person self-defines—as male, female, neither, both, or some other category. This may or may not be congruent with biological sex or genitalia.
Glans: The head of the penis or clitoris.
GLBTQ: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer. An acronym that is widely used to describe people who do not identify with the conventional model of heterosexuality.
Heteronormative: The cultural tendency to define heterosexual behavior as normal, thereby marginalizing all other forms of sexual expression.
Hippocampus: A brain structure located in the medial temporal lobe. The hippocampus is part of the limbic system and is the part of the brain that governs spatial memory and navigation. Damage to the hippocampus can interfere with the ability to form new memories.
Homophobic: Fearful of nonheterosexual people and acts.
Hypothalamus: An almond-sized area of the brain located just above the brain stem. The hypothalamus regulates the autonomic nervous system and the pituitary gland, linking the nervous and endocrine systems. It controls body temperature, thirst, hunger, and circadian rhythms.
Hysteria: From the Greek for uterus. Hysteria was believed to be a psychological disorder until 1980, and for most of that time it was considered to be specific to women. Symptoms were said to include conversion of psychological stress into physical symptoms, emotional volatility, and self-dramatizing behavior. In the nineteenth century, the term was applied to what now is commonly called sexual dysfunction.
Hysterical paroxysm: A nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century term for female orgasm. Inducing it was seen as a way to relieve the symptoms of “hysteria.” Doctors would “treat” their patients using mechanical or manual pelvic massage.
Impact play: A category of BDSM that uses the sensations triggered by spanking, flogging, punching, and other forms of striking to build sexual arousal and/or induce an altered state of consciousness.
Jainism: An Indian religion founded between the sixth and ninth centuries BCE. There is no creator deity in Jainism, which is similar to Hinduism and Buddhism in its belief in reincarnation and karma. Jains are noted for their commitment to nonviolence and their expansive understanding of that term.
Kali: One (for some, the supreme) manifestation of the divine feminine in Hinduism.
Kali Asana: A sexual position in which the person being penetrated is on top, astride and facing the person on the bottom.
Kama Marmas: Literally, love or desire points. Marma therapy, which is used in both Ayurvedic and Tamil medicine, is akin to acupuncture or acupressure. Dr. Mumford introduced a system of building sexual arousal using these points, and we describe it in detail in our book The Essence of Tantric Sexuality.
Kashmir Shaivism: The form of Tantra that is generally considered to be the most sublime and complex. The most significant scriptures were written between the sixth and twelfth centuries; Abhinavagupta is the most celebrated author of Kashmir Shaivite texts. The tradition has all but disappeared, due in part to the violence in Kashmir since the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. Swami Lakshmanjoo was among the last great gurus of the tradition, and some of his disciples have carried the teachings forward. Daniel Odier also teaches a form of Kashmir Shaivite Tantra.
Kechari mudra: A Tantric and Yogic practice in which the tongue is placed behind the uvula, inside the nasopharynx (the space where the mouth and nasal passages meet).
Kegel exercises: Exercises of the pubococcygeal muscles, named for gynecologist Arnold Kegel, who “invented” them in the 1950s. Exercising the PC muscles was well known among Tantric and Yogic practitioners long before Kegel made his “discovery.”
Kinesthesia: The sense that pertains to awareness of the body’s position and movements.
Kriya Yoga: Kriya means “action,” and Kriya Yoga practices generally combine subtle head movements, breathing techniques, mantra, and visualization to lead the practitioner into a meditative state. Paramahansa Yogananda was Kriya Yoga’s best-known exponent in the West, but there are a number of other lineages. For a more in-depth discussion of Kriya Yoga and the term Kriya, see chapter 3 of our book The Essence of Tantric Sexuality.
Kundalini: An energy that is said to reside at the base of the spine. Awakening the Kundalini is one aim of Tantric and Yogic practices. Kundalini literally means “coiled,” and it also has the implication of a pot. One way to understand Kundalini is to think of it as sexual energy. Another approach would be to define it as the life force that resides within all human beings.
Limbic system: A group of brain structures, including the hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, and the amygdala, that control basic emotions and drives.
Lingam: Literally, “mark” or “sign,” implying the mark or sign of the male deity. Thus, it also means penis. As a symbol, the lingam is associated with Shiva.
Lube: Short for lubricant. We encourage readers to use lube in their sexual encounters. There are many different products on the market. Lube may be water based, silicone based, or oil based. It is important to be aware that some kinds of lube may increase the risk of infection if they contain glycerin or certain oils. Silicone should never be used with a silicone toy, and oil-based products are also incompatible with latex—including gloves, condoms, and dental dams.
Macrocosmic: Large scale. Pertaining to the universe.
Manifesting: The practice of working with thoughts with the intention of bringing about material change in the world.
Mantra: Mind tool, from manas (mind) and trayati (tool). Mantras are words or sounds that serve to focus the mind or direct energy. Mantras can also function as incantations. They range from single-syllable Bija or seed mantras to being quite complex and multisyllabic. Mantras can be repeated mentally, under the breath, or as chants. Each method has its own unique impact on the mind of the practitioner and the physical environment. In his younger days Dr. Mumford was renowned for his ability to induce trance and imperviousness to pain in others by chanting a mantra, a technique he calls “Mantra Anesthesia.”
Masochism: Finding pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, in experiences that are commonly deemed to be painful or humiliating.
Masturbation: Sexual self-stimulation.
Method acting: A style of acting inspired by the Russian teacher Constantin Stanislavski. It was adapted and popularized in the United States by Lee Strasberg. Method actors rely on their own emotions and memories when creating characters. Sense memory is one of the basic method acting exercises.
Microcosmic: Compare with macrocosmic. Small scale. In Tantric sexual ritual, practitioners seek to enact macrocosmic concepts on the microcosmic level.
Monotheistic: Believing in a single God.
Mudra: A gesture, most often of the hand, that has symbolic significance and that can bring about physiological or psychic changes in the practitioner. Also, a kind of parched grain that is used in the traditional Tantric sex ritual.
Mulabandha: Literally, “root lock.” In Tantra and Yoga, the practice of tightening and holding the anal sphincter.
Nadi: In occult Tantric and Yogic anatomy, one in a system of psychic channels or nerves.
Nasal mucosa: The mucus membranes inside the nose.
Negative space: The space around and between objects. Most commonly used in reference to art.
Neo-Tantra: A term first used by Sir John Woodroffe and others in his circle in the context of their early-twentieth-century efforts to revive and reclaim the Tantric tradition. It is more commonly attributed to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho), who used it to describe his system, which incorporated ideas and methods from a variety of sources, including other spiritual traditions and human potential movement psychology. Neo-Tantra is now used more generally, and sometimes disparagingly, to refer to Western forms of Tantra, particularly those that emphasize sacred sexuality and little or nothing else.
Neural pathway: The connection between one part of the nervous system and another.
Numinous: Containing divine power or divine presence, imbued with spirit. More generally: capable of evoking fear, trembling, and fascination.
Olfactory cilia: Hair-like filaments of the olfactory nerve that hang down into the nasal cavity and carry odors to the nerve for processing in the brain. The only part of the nervous system that is directly exposed to the environment.
Olfactory system: The components of the brain and nervous system responsible for the sense of smell.
Om: A symbol that predates written language. Om is often described as being the primordial sound; it is also called the primordial or liberation mantra. Chanting it, even just for a few minutes, can produce changes in consciousness.
One-pointed concentration: Ekagrata in Sanskrit. The capacity to focus intently on a single thing, without distraction.
Orality: Pertaining to the oral stage of development.
Orbitofrontal cortex: A region of the frontal lobes of the brain. Much remains to be learned about the orbitofrontal cortex, which is involved in planning, decision-making, and sensitivity to reward and punishment.
Oxytocin: A neurotransmitting hormone that influences orgasm, bonding, anxiety, and maternal behaviors from childbirth to breastfeeding.
Parasympathetic nervous system: The part of the nervous system that governs rest, relaxation, salivation, the production of tears, digestion, and excretion. See also Sympathetic nervous system.
Pelvic floor: The muscles and connective tissue that lie at the bottom of the bowl created by the hips. The pelvic floor supports the bladder, intestines, and uterus.
Perineum: In common usage, the perineum is the area between the anus and the genitals, although some define it as running from the coccyx to the pubic bone, encompassing the anus and genitals.
Philtrum: The groove that runs from the base of the nose to the top of the upper lip. From the Latin for “love potion.”
Pituitary gland: A gland that is housed in the sphenoid saddle or sella turcica at the base of the brain. It is connected to the hypothalamus. It produces a number of hormones and controls the functioning of the entire endocrine system.
Prana: Most commonly used to mean the breath. Prana is understood as the energy that surrounds us and pervades the universe at all times. Another way of understanding Kundalini energy (see Kundalini) is to recognize it as each individual’s highly concentrated dose of inborn prana.
Pranayama: Control or regulation of the breath, usually applied to various Tantric and Yogic breathing techniques. Since prana also refers to energy, another way to think about controlling the breath is to understand it as directing energy.
Prefrontal cortex: The front of the brain, including the orbitofrontal cortex. It plays a central role in complex cognitive functions, the expression of personality, and social behavior.
Prostate gland: A gland located at the base of the penis. The prostate surrounds the neck of the bladder and the urethra. While it is a gland, it also contains muscle tissue, and is surrounded by nerves. It plays an important role in erection, arousal, and orgasmic response; not only does it produce prostatic fluid, which makes up 20–30 percent of semen, but its smooth muscles also pulse during orgasm and play a significant role in expelling the ejaculate.
Pubic bone: The pubic bone is not actually a single bone. Instead, it is the front of the pelvis, where the left and right bones meet. It lies just above the genitals, well below the crest of the hips.
Pubococcygeal muscles: The muscles that form a part of the pelvic floor, also known as the “Kegel muscles” or “PC muscles.” Learning to work these muscles in various ways is a key part of many Tantric and Yogic practices. More generally, exercising them is very important for uro-genital health, in both men and women.
Reiki: A form of energy healing and spiritual practice developed in Japan by Mikao Usui in the 1920s. Its Western form has become very popular in recent decades.
Reverse cowgirl: A sexual position in which the person being penetrated is on top of, astride, and facing the feet of the person on the bottom.
Root lock: See Mulabandha.
Sacrum: The sacrum is usually composed of five bones in the lower spine that start to fuse in adolescence and have usually become fully fused in young adulthood. These are the spinal bones that pass through the pelvis. The sacrum lies between the bones of the lumbar spine, above, and the coccyx, below.
Sadism: From the Marquis de Sade. Deriving pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, from inflicting physical or emotional pain on others.
Safer sex: Sexual practices intended to reduce the risk of spreading or catching sexually transmitted infections. Most commonly this involves the use of barriers—condoms, dental dams, and gloves—for activities in which exposure to sexual fluids would otherwise occur.
Sahajoli mudra: Literally, the “spontaneous gesture.” In some traditions it is synonymous with vajroli mudra; in others, it refers to the female version thereof. In either case, it involves the pulsation of the muscles around the urethra.
Sanskrit: The ancient language of India. Many Tantric texts were written in Sanskrit, although some were written in regional languages. Sanskrit is still the language of Hindu ritual, although it is no longer living as a conversational tongue.
“Secret language”: Pulsing the pubococcygeal muscles back and forth during penetrative intercourse.
Sensory avenue: The sense that is associated with a particular chakra.
Shakti: Goddess, particularly the Goddess in the form of energy. It also refers to a goddess in her role as consort to a male deity and hence to a female participant in Tantric sex rituals.
Shanka Nadi: Literally, “conch channel.” In occult, Tantric anatomy, a psychic nerve that is said to run from the philtrum to the clitoris. While the mechanism for this function appears to be unknown to Western science, our own experience and observations suggest that many people will feel a mild genital response when the philtrum is stimulated, and this is true regardless of gender.
Shava: Corpse. It is said that Shiva (Consciousness) is a corpse without Shakti (Energy).
Shiatsu: A Japanese bodywork technique that focuses on energetic flows, akin to acupressure.
Shiva: Male deity, one of three gods in the Hindu trinity, often described as the god of destruction and the lord of the yogis. Shiva is the most important male deity in modern Tantra.
Siddhas: Perfected ones. A term for Tantric practitioners. Most commonly used to refer to the South Indian, Tamil Siddha tradition.
Sikh: A follower of an Indian religion founded by Guru Nanak in
fifteenth-century Punjab. Sikhism is monotheistic but shares many philosophical precepts with Hinduism and Buddhism. The gurus of the Sikh tradition appear to have been influenced by Sufism and Bhakti (devotional) Hinduism.
Sine qua non: A Latin phrase that means “without which not.” In other words, an essential or the essential element.
Solar plexus: A network of nerves located in the abdomen. In Tantra, the location of the third chakra, the area between the base of the rib cage and the navel.
Sphenoid sinus: The sinus that lies at the top and back of the nasal passages, just below the sphenoid saddle, which houses the pituitary gland. Chanting a mantra properly sends vibrations through the sphenoid sinus and into the pituitary.
Sukhasana: The Easy Pose. Sitting cross-legged.
Swami: Literally, “one’s own master,” a reference to being released from conventional social obligations. Traditionally, swamis were celibate and either resided in monasteries or would wander and teach and depend on alms for their sustenance. Some modern reformers have modified the requirements and have initiated women and married people as swamis.
Sympathetic nervous system: The part of the nervous system that is responsible for the “fight or flight” response. It complements the parasympathetic nervous system, and the two must be functioning harmoniously for sexual arousal and orgasm to take place. See also Parasympathetic nervous system.
Tantrika: A Tantric practitioner. In some contemporary circles, the term has become associated with practitioners of “Tantric massage.”
Taoism: A Chinese spiritual tradition that shares some common elements with Tantra, including the recognition of sexuality’s sacred dimension. In the broadest terms, Taoist sexual practices focus more on health and longevity than on attaining mystical states. In the Taoist system, there is frequently an emphasis on non-ejaculatory sex or on limiting ejaculatory frequency for men, based on the belief that the semen contains vital energy that must not be depleted.
Thankas: Tibetan Buddhist religious paintings.
Thinking off: Inducing orgasm through mental activity alone.
Tibetan Buddhism: The form of Buddhism that is practiced in Tibet, although the term is often applied to Buddhism indigenous to other Himalayan countries and Mongolia. The Tibetan Buddhist tradition is, for the most part, Tantric.
Trataka: To gaze without blinking. A technique for developing one-pointed concentration. It can be practiced on a candle flame, a yantra, a statue of a deity, or upon your beloved.
Twilight language: A way of writing characteristic of Tantric texts. It is intended to obscure the meaning of those texts, thereby preventing the uninitiated from grasping them.
Ulnar nerve: The nerve that runs along the ulna (one of the bones of the forearm). The largest unprotected nerve in the body, it produces a sensation commonly called “hitting one’s funny bone” when directly bumped.
Umami: Japanese term for the fifth taste, sometimes called savory. It is often described as the taste that makes people want to eat more of something. Glutamic acid is the chemical that is responsible both for the flavor and the effect.
Upanishads: A series of over two hundred sacred texts that have played a significant role in shaping the Hindu tradition. Some were composed more than 2,500 years ago.
Urethra: The tube that stretches from the bladder to the genitals, and through which one urinates.
Vagus nerve: One of the nerves responsible for orgasmic response. It is also referred to as the pneumogastric nerve. It regulates heart rate, peristalsis, and sweating, and because it does not reach the lower body through the spinal column, some people whose spinal cords have been severed can still experience orgasm when it is stimulated.
Vajroli mudra: The contraction of the muscles around the urethra near the base of the penis. See also Sahajoli mudra.
Vibrator: A mechanical device for massage and/or sexual stimulation. Its original purpose was to make it easier for nineteenth-century doctors to induce “hysterical paroxysms” in their patients.
Vira: Hero, the type of personality suited for Tantric sexual practice. A person of heroic temperament is energetic and active, with a courageous nature, the key element being action.
Vishnu: The sustainer or preserver god in the Hindu trinity. Vishnu is believed to have incarnated in many forms, most notably as Krishna and Rama.
Voyeurism: Deriving sexual pleasure from watching people in various stages of undress and/or in sexual activity.
Vulva: The external uro-genital area of the female.
Yab Yum: (Tibetan) Father—Mother. It refers to the classical Tantric lovemaking posture, in which the person on the bottom sits in the lotus position (or a modified form thereof) with a partner astride.
Yantra: Tool for conception; a geometric figure with spiritual and symbolic significance. Yantras can be quite simple—a triangle, a square, a crescent—or quite complex.
Yoga: Yoking or union; an Indian spiritual tradition closely related to Tantra. While most Westerners think of Yoga as a form of exercise characterized by various asanas (postures), there are many ways to practice Yoga, and some of them do not involve physical postures at all. It can be useful to think of Yoga as a state of mental stillness, accompanied by a feeling of union or merger with all that is.
Yoga Nidra: Yogic sleep. A Tantric technique first introduced to the West by Paramahansa Satyananda Saraswati in the 1960s. Yoga Nidra involves the rotation of consciousness through the body and various visualizations. It produces a deep state of relaxation, in which the mind often remains quite alert.
Yoni: The female genitalia, including the womb.
Yoni Asana: A sexual position similar to Yab Yum, except that the person on the bottom is seated on the edge of a bed or chair, feet firmly on the floor.