Tantra Massage Therapist Training: The Complete FAQ Guide

At the Somananda Tantra School, we offer a Tantra Massage Therapist Training course that teaches the fundamental knowledge and skills needed to become a professional Tantra Massage therapist.

It’s a very unique offering that uses ancient tantric principles to help address many modern-day challenges people are facing. Hundreds of our students have taken this program and experienced profound, life-changing results both during and after the course.

However, we also receive many common questions about the program from both women and men. This is perfectly understandable as the course deals with intimate topics that might be outside of a person’s usual comfort zone.

Tantra Massage Therapist Training

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In this FAQ-format article, we answer questions like, is Tantra Massage safe? What does the training program include, exactly? And what might you experience during the course?

Read on to get answers to all these questions and find out if our Tantra Massage Therapist Training might be for you:

• Who would benefit from Tantra Massage Therapist Training?
• Does the Tantra Massage training include women and men?
• How is personal safety maintained during the training?
• What are the benefits of learning tantric massage in a group setting?
• How do trainees practice together during Tantra Massage training?
• Which body parts are included in a tantric massage?
• Is Tantra Massage a sexual practice?
• What kind of people typically attend the Tantra Massage Therapist Training?
• Will the Tantra Massage training be a spiritual experience, or is it only about massage techniques? 

Who Would Benefit from Tantra Massage Therapist Training?

In our humble opinion, any woman or man would benefit from the Tantra Massage Therapist Training because the course is so rich and provides so many opportunities for personal growth, healing, and spiritual awakening.

Our students have reported numerous benefits, such as:

• Deeper understanding and connection with themselves and other people.
• Greater knowledge and felt experience of the subtle energy systems that power our physical bodies, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
• The realization that there are reasons behind why they struggle in certain areas of their lives, and there are tantric tools they can use to help resolve the issues they’re facing.
• An enhanced sense of freedom and choice, knowing they can move beyond whatever is holding them back and build the life they want.

All of us struggle with something in our lives, whether it’s our relationships, physical or mental health, career, or another situation. No matter what you’re dealing with right now, there’s a good chance it will be addressed during the Tantra Massage training.

The primary reason behind these personal breakthroughs is the fact that Tantra Massage focuses on awakening energy — both in the person giving the massage and the person receiving it. Before performing a massage on another person, you need to be able to feel energy and awaken it within yourself first.

Is the Tantra Massage Training Only for Professional Therapists?

No, anyone can take the training — regardless of whether or not they are, or want to become, professional therapists. In fact, about 75% of students who have taken the program took it purely for personal reasons and had no intention of becoming therapists.

However, many students have also started their own massage practices and have created thriving careers as professional therapists. For example, Tantra Massage training was Radhika’s first course with Somananda Tantra School, and it sparked a profound spiritual awakening for her. She also chose to start practicing Tantra Massage professionally.

The course is built in such a way that anyone from any background can learn the skills of Tantra Massage and benefit from the overall experience of the program. The program covers all aspects of Tantra Massage, from the hands-on techniques to how to deal with clients if you choose to practice professionally.

The only requirements of the course are:

1. The ability to travel because the training is only offered in-person.
2. An adequate level of physical fitness, so you can comfortably sit to perform massages on the floor for up to three hours.

Otherwise, the training is open to people of any age, gender, or background. 

Does the Tantra Massage Training Include Women and Men?

Yes, each time we run the program, we purposefully select an equal number of women and men to attend. This is for a very specific reason.

Tantra recognizes that women and men both have very different and unique energetic systems or makeups. In tantric tradition, women are said to embody the feminine energy present in the universe, which is also called Shakti or yin energy. Whereas, men embody the universal masculine energy, known as Shiva or yang energy.

These two energies naturally complement each other. They’re both considered opposite energetic charges — Shakti is negative and Shiva is positive. So, when they come together, they can cause sparks to fly!

As Tantra looks at everything from an energetic standpoint, Tantra Massage focuses on the energetic forces that are happening during a massage. The interaction between the energies of the people giving and receiving the massage is a vital part of the experience.

When a woman and a man practice Tantra Massage together, it amplifies both of their natural polarities more effectively than between two people of the same gender. This isn’t to say that massage between the same gender can’t bring good results. It can still be very beneficial.

However, massage between women and men will greatly increase the energetic potential of the massage to bring even deeper results.

We recognize that practicing with the opposite gender may cause some concern, particularly for women who may not feel comfortable practicing with men. However, we make every effort possible to create a safe space for all participants of the course. This is done in a variety of ways, which we’ll detail next. 

How Is Personal Safety Maintained During the Training?

Our commitment to building a safe space for every Tantra Massage Therapist Training starts even before the course does.

Our head teachers personally interview everyone who applies to the course before they are allowed to attend. They discuss the person’s background, their mindset, and their reasons for taking the training. If someone does not seem suitable or has questionable intentions, they are simply not allowed into the course.

Once the course begins, we take the following measures to ensure everyone has a positive and safe experience:

• Establish clear behavior and practice guidelines on the first day of the course, so everyone knows what is expected of them and what is allowed, or not allowed, during the training.
• Require any student who is performing a massage to remain clothed at all times to maintain professionalism and respect for the receiver and the group as a whole. They should wear comfortable clothing that allows for movement during the massage, but they cannot remove their clothes.
• Ensure two to three teachers are present in the teaching room during all sessions for support. They will quickly address any concerns a student, or students, may have about either giving or receiving a massage, and personally work with them to resolve any issues that may come up.
• Limit the number of students in the course to 40 people in total. This creates a more intimate experience, where all the students can get to know and trust each other more deeply, as well as receive more personal instruction from the teachers.

The feedback from many of our past students — especially women — was that they were pleasantly surprised by how safe they felt during the training.

Some felt a bit nervous about the course before they arrived. But as soon as they understood the clear code of conduct and professional behavior that was expected, they were able to relax and trust the teachers and other students in the program. This allowed them to fully immerse themselves in the experience without fear. 

What Are the Benefits of Learning Tantric Massage in a Group Setting?

Students will be working in pairs as they practice the massage techniques. However, the entire course will be done in one room as a group.

Lectures and demonstrations will be done as a group. Also, during massage practice times, all pairs of students will be practicing together on the floor in the same room.

Conventional massage therapy is typically done on a one-to-one basis, and not in a group setting. However, our training is done as a group for a few different reasons.

The first reason is simply for everyone’s comfort and safety. When everyone is together, each participant can see what’s going on, and nothing is hidden. This helps build trust and respect between the students and the teachers. It also ensures professionalism is being maintained and all behavior guidelines are being followed.

It also creates a harmonious group energy. This is important for any tantric gathering, and the teachers take care to support the group energy as a whole. It affects all the participants, so maintaining a positive group environment will support everyone’s learning and practice.

In addition, students will exchange partners and work with different people throughout the training. As everyone goes through the training as a group and gets to know each other, this also makes working with different students easier and more comfortable because of the friendly and supportive atmosphere. 

How Do Trainees Practice Together During Tantra Massage Training?

As we mentioned, the students will all practice their massage skills in pairs with one woman and one man. They will take turns both giving and receiving massages.

How are partners assigned during the training? This is done in a few different ways. For the first couple of days, the teachers will assign partners just to make the process clear and easy.

However, once the students have gotten to know each other after a few days, we start to have more fun with the process. The teachers will lead some games and other fun ways of selecting partners.

Keep in mind that choosing the partnerships will never involve any kind of pressure. If anyone feels uncomfortable with a partnership, they can always speak to one of the teachers to resolve the issue. You would never be forced to work with someone you don’t want to work with.

The only requirement during the training is that everyone has a new partner to work with each day. Working with a range of different people is necessary to become a skilled Tantra Massage therapist. You need to increase your sensitivity to energy, and learn how it feels and operates in different people.

Without this experience, you simply cannot become skilled at energy work. Even if you come with a spouse or a partner, you’ll still need to work with other students to improve your abilities. Couples can work with each other once during the training, but otherwise, they also need to change partners each day.

As the course progresses, we will go through the methods of massaging all the different body regions and how to control and direct your own energy. Then, each student will be able to practice these methods multiple times with different partners, providing valuable repetition for learning the techniques.

You’ll also learn how to connect with others more authentically. Getting out of your comfort zone and sincerely trying to help another person you’ve never met before takes courage and the ability to open your own heart in a very real way. This can be a deeply liberating and life-changing experience in itself.

Another important aspect of the training is learning how to receive massage. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and your body, as well as your own energetic makeup.

Receiving massage from different students is also very useful because you’ll gain a practical understanding of how a therapist’s energy and skills affect the overall experience. You can then apply this awareness to your own massage practice.

What Should I Expect During the Training Sessions?

You now know you’ll be working with different partners in a safe space. But what does the training and each massage session actually consist of?

To start with, the first day of the training includes a lesson on all the guidelines and the code of conduct for the whole program to make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them.

Approximately 30% of the course is teaching, including lectures and live demonstrations of the techniques. The other 70% of the training is hands-on practice between the students. Each massage session takes around three hours, where one student gives a massage to another. Then the students switch places and start another three-hour session.

For each massage practice session, the person giving the massage will remain clothed, and the person receiving the massage will be naked. However, only the body region being worked on needs to be exposed.

A neutral oil will need to be applied to the skin, and the area needs to be exposed to be physically touched. Otherwise, the rest of the receiver’s body will be covered with a blanket or other cloth for comfort.

The training will progressively go through how to massage different regions of the body. For example, the first region that will be covered is the back. The students will receive a lecture on how to perform a back massage, and the teachers will demonstrate a back massage in person. Then the students will get to practice on their own in pairs under the supervision of the teachers.

The course will continue like this, adding a new body region in each lesson, followed by practice. Once all the sequences have been covered, they are brought together into one practice.

By the time the course is finished, each student has been able to practice all the sequences multiple times, so they have the practical skills to perform a complete tantric massage. 

Which Body Parts Are Included in a Tantric Massage?

We often get asked this question. The short answer is, everything!

Tantra views the entire human body as sacred. It was created by the Divine and deserves to be treated with great reverence and respect. This is why all body regions are included in a tantric massage, from head to toe. They all play a part in your overall health and well-being, and each should be addressed individually.

In conventional massage, more sensitive areas are rarely touched, particularly the genitals. But your genitals are actually an extremely important area to receive energy work because they are the center of the strongest energy that exists in your body — your sexual energy.

Sexual energy is the basis of all life, and it’s the source of your personal power. This is why Tantra Massage includes genital massage, where it focuses on unlocking and activating the natural flow of sexual energy.

Unfortunately, for many of us, sexual energy remains in a stagnant or dormant state. This is largely due to the fact that both women’s and men’s genitals often store energetic impurities that arise from emotional traumas and other stressors in daily life. These impurities build up over time, creating blockages in the flow of sexual energy.

Most of us are not aware of these blockages until they’re removed by practices such as Tantra Massage, and we start to feel what it’s like to have free-flowing sexual energy. It can transform your entire life as you start to express and discover a whole new way of being.

Other practices, such as yoga and meditation, can also help unblock sexual energy. But these are typically slower than Tantra Massage, which can produce results in a much faster time span. Many students have experienced profound transformations during the 11-day Tantra Massage training that they had not been able to achieve after months or years of regular spiritual practices.

Also, we understand that receiving yoni massage can be especially challenging for women because the yoni is naturally more hidden than a man’s lingam. The yoni can be a very sensitive and emotionally-charged area to massage on a woman’s body. We discuss this further in our article on questions about Tantra Massage for women.

This is why genital massage for both genders is approached with great care and respect during the training. No one is ever required to receive genital massage, or any other type of massage, if they don’t feel ready for it.

Also, genital massage is the last technique taught in the course, after many days of practicing on other body regions. Students have typically reached a higher level of comfort with themselves and their co-students by then, so approaching genital massage comes more naturally at that point. 

Is Tantra Massage a Sexual Practice?

No, Tantra Massage does not involve any form of sexual contact or sexual involvement between the giver and the receiver.

Tantra Massage is a therapeutic practice designed to help release energetic blockages in the body. This includes blockages in one’s sexual energy, but that does not mean it is a sexual practice.

However, a person receiving a tantric massage can experience sensations that feel sexual, such as energy moving through their genitals or other areas of the body. They may even experience an energy orgasm during a massage.

These are all natural effects of releasing blocked energy in the body. A tantric massage doesn’t have to be purely clinical — it can feel very blissful and profoundly heart-opening. In fact, this is often a good sign that it’s working.

As we mentioned previously, Tantra Massage requires developing a sincere heart-based connection between the giver and receiver, which can be extremely beautiful. It doesn’t mean there is sexual attraction or anything erotic happening. It’s simply the experience of two people authentically connecting at the level of the heart, and allowing that to unfold in a divine way.

How Are Trainees Supported During and After the Program?

I hope you’re starting to get an idea of how powerful Tantra Massage Therapist Training can be. It can create amazing openings and help release stuck or blocked energy that may have been holding you back in different areas of your life.

Although, these openings are not always easy to navigate. It can be challenging to work through some deeper emotions that might come up during the training. You may also need to face some negative thoughts or behavior patterns that have been affecting your life. Some students have also had memories from past traumas resurface.

These are all normal responses when stuck energy is cleared — it allows the emotional baggage to be released as well, which is an important part of the healing process.

All the teachers in the course have gone through similar experiences on their own paths, and they are skilled at helping others move through any personal issues that may arise during the program.

They will often know something is up even before a student needs to ask. But they will always make themselves available for any support you might need over the 11 days of the training.

This topic is also discussed extensively during the course. If you decide to become a professional Tantra Massage therapist, you will need to be able to help your clients work through their own healing processes. We cover how to manage your own energy when you’re experiencing an emotional upheaval, and how to support others to deal with theirs.

In addition, we feel it’s important to support students after they have completed a training program. Anyone is free to reach out to the teachers with follow-up questions or if they need help working through issues once they’ve gone home.

We also recommend continuing to study with our school, especially starting the Yoga Levels. These provide ongoing contact and support with our teachers, as well as learning further skills and techniques to help in your life and spiritual practice.

What Kind of People Typically Attend the Tantra Massage Therapist Training?

The training is open to anyone, and students typically come from a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities. Some people attend as couples, but most come as singles who may or may not have a partner back home.

The main thing everyone has in common is a sincere desire to make some kind of positive change in their lives. Some students come to experience the spiritual aspects of Tantra Massage, but not all students have a spiritual interest. Many students may simply be feeling stuck in life, or they’re facing health issues or relationship challenges they want help solving.

This diversity makes the experience more enriching for everyone involved.

What is the Difference Between a Tantra Massage Therapist and a Teacher?

A Tantra Massage therapist is someone who practices Tantra Massage professionally. They have completed a Tantra Massage Therapist Training program, and they would provide in-person, one-on-one massages to clients.

On the other hand, a Tantra Massage teacher would be qualified to teach the Tantra Massage Therapist Training. This requires additional studies and certification, such as Somananda Tantra School’s Tantra Massage Teacher Training, which is a 4-week, in-person program.

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The program starts with our full 11-day Tantra Massage Therapist Training, so everyone gains the practical skills of Tantra Massage. The remaining two and a half weeks are spent learning how to teach Tantra Massage and run your own training programs.

Will I Learn Techniques I Can Use With My Partner at Home?

Absolutely, the Tantra Massage skills you learn can be used with anyone. The majority of our students take the program purely for personal use, and tantric massage is an excellent way to build intimacy with your partner and help them heal their own energetic system.

You’ll gain practical, hands-on experience and a deep understanding of how to create a safe, sacred space for giving and receiving Tantra Massage. These techniques are not only pleasurable but also profoundly healing — they open new channels of connection, communication, and trust between partners. Whether your goal is emotional closeness, spiritual growth, or enhanced sensuality, what you learn here will enrich your relationship on all levels.

Will the Tantra Massage Training Be a Spiritual Experience, or Is It Only About Massage Techniques?

Most of our students experience the training as a deeply spiritual experience. Of course, you’ll be learning all the practical techniques of performing a Tantra Massage. But the natural results of a tantric massage are often profound energetic clearings and openings.

When your energetic system is cleaner and functioning better, it naturally elevates your entire being. You might start wanting to practice more yoga or meditation, clean up your diet, or perhaps read more spiritual books.

The Tantra Massage training is a rare opportunity to have this level of energetic clearing done, so it can have all sorts of uplifting effects on your spiritual awareness and your life in general.

Are the Beneficial Effects of Tantra Massage Permanent?

The benefits of receiving a Tantra Massage can be permanent and life-altering. However, this also depends on the person and their choices moving forward.

After receiving a massage, if they go back to a life filled with stress, poor food choices, exposure to toxins in their environment, and a lack of spiritual or purification practices, the person will slowly build up new energetic blockages in their body and potentially lose many of the benefits they gained from the massage.

Whereas, if someone starts getting regular tantric massages and adopts a cleaner and healthier lifestyle, the benefits will most likely persist and deepen over time.

What If I Decide It’s Not for Me After the First Session?

This has actually never happened. But, if you decide to leave after the first session, we can work something out that is fair and makes sense under the circumstances. However, if anyone experiences thoughts of wanting to leave, it is often due to emotional or other internal challenges that are coming up for them.

The teachers will definitely be able to work with you to help resolve these challenges so you can move forward with the training in a positive way.

Your Next Steps

If you feel ready to step into your own personal power and make a significant shift in your life, the Tantra Massage Therapist Training program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a huge step forward in your own personal and spiritual development.

If you have any further questions about the training, please feel free to email me at , and I will be happy to respond to you personally. You can also read our article on common questions from women about Tantra Massage for more details.

You can also check out our Tantra Massage Therapist Training page to see when and where the next training will be. We hope to see you there!