Tantra Retreat: What to Expect When You Go

A Tantra Retreat is a unique opportunity for both personal and spiritual transformation. And contrary to some modern misinterpretations, Tantra Retreats are not just about sex! Tantra is a spiritual tradition that studies how human energy works — including multiple different branches.

One of those branches is dedicated to the study of sexuality and how to use it for personal evolution. Some Tantra Retreats will focus exclusively on this aspect of Tantra, but tantric retreats can also explore different branches of Tantra, such as yoga, meditation, or Tantra Massage.

All Tantra Retreats are designed to serve as valuable pathways into self-discovery. They offer a wide variety of tools to explore the intricate relationship between your mind, body, and energy.

Depending on which type of retreat you attend, you will be guided through practices that enhance sexual empowerment, emotional release, and overall health and well-being. With various options from short weekend getaways to extended immersions, Tantra Retreats have something for everyone.

This article explores what you can expect when you attend a Tantra Retreat, with insights into their purpose, benefits, and near-miraculous potential to transform your life.

The Spiritual Significance of Going on a Retreat

By definition, the word retreat means “to withdraw.” Thus, a retreat is a time to withdraw from your daily life and routines and focus inwardly, rather than outwardly.

Why would you do this?

Primarily, because it’s a beautiful way to take time for yourself and your spirituality, and to deepen your awareness of your connection to the universe. It’s easy to lose sight of the spiritual aspect of your life when you’re caught up in managing all the external details. So going on a retreat can help bring your inner world back into focus.

Also, many Indian spiritual traditions speak of how our external world is fundamentally an illusion — often called Maya. Everything in existence is made up of one universal energy or force, and it is only due to human ignorance of this fact that we perceive the external world as somehow separate from ourselves.

This misperception is said to cause all the suffering you experience because you have essentially forgotten who you are. When, in fact, you are the Divine.

The purpose of a spiritual retreat is to remember or reconnect with your true nature or higher self. And that requires taking time to step away from the world and focus within.

Cultures throughout history have recognized the importance of spiritual retreats. In Tibetan Buddhism, lamas are required to complete a 3-year, 3-month, 3-week, and 3-day silent retreat in isolation before they can be considered a true lama.

In many Indigenous cultures, young men go on what’s known as a vision quest, where they go into isolation in the wilderness as a rite of passage into manhood. This time was spent in silent contemplation to connect with the Creator, nature, and their ancestors.

Pilgrimage is another common form of retreat, where spiritual practitioners purposefully travel to respected holy sites for worship and meditation.

However, you don’t need to travel or go into isolation in order to participate in a spirituality retreat. While this can be helpful, you can also attend a retreat online or with a group and still receive profound benefits from it.

What’s most important is that a retreat is taken with the clear intent to deepen your relationship with yourself and the Divine. Even though a retreat may only be a few days, it can be absolutely life-changing as long as you approach it with a clear purpose and commitment.

By removing yourself from your usual routines and surroundings, you open yourself to new insights, new discoveries, and new ways to move forward in your life.

All Tantra Retreats are designed to serve as valuable pathways into self-discovery. They offer a wide variety of tools to explore the intricate relationship between your mind, body, and energy.

What Is a Tantra Retreat?

A Tantra retreat is a spiritual retreat where tantric practices or tantric study, or both, are being done. As Tantra is a vast spiritual system, a Tantra Retreat typically focuses on one area of Tantra.

Tantric retreats can be held online or in person, and they can last anywhere from two days up to many weeks or months in duration. They can include a range of different teachings, practices, and activities, depending on the type of retreat.

At Somananda Tantra School, we offer Tantra retreats in six different areas. Let’s take a closer look at each of these and what you could expect to experience if you come to one of our retreats.

1. Tantra Yoga Retreats

A Tantra Yoga Retreat focuses on studying the authentic teachings of Tantra yoga. In our school, this consists of 24 different levels of Tantra Yoga — starting at Level 1 and progressing to Level 24 for our most dedicated students.

Although, you certainly don’t need to take all 24 levels to start seeing the benefits of Tantra Yoga. Our Tantra Yoga Level 1 retreat will give you a strong foundation in how yoga works on an energetic level and how to use it for physical healing, as well as personal and spiritual growth.

Each day at a Tantra Yoga retreat includes multiple yoga practice sessions, as well as teachings on the different branches of yoga, specific yoga postures, the chakra system, yogic practices for physical and mental purification, and many other topics.

You’ll come away from a Tantra Yoga retreat knowing how to use tantric yoga to create deep and lasting change in all areas of your life.

Tantra Yoga Level 1

Part of Tantra Yoga Module

Learn more

1

2. Tantra Sexuality Retreats

Tantra Sexuality Retreats focus on the well-known branch of Tantra that explores sexual energy, and how men and women can master their own sexual energy and use it to fuel their personal and spiritual development. These retreats are geared toward learning sexuality the right way — from a perspective of energy, not quick gratification.

Taking a tantric sex retreat has been a major turning point in many of our students’ lives. It helps you realize the incredible potential of sexual energy to transform your health, personal relationships, mental capabilities, and spiritual awareness.

Learning how to control your own sexual energy is an essential skill for all facets of your life. Yet, it is hardly spoken of in most mainstream spiritual teachings.

A Tantra Sexuality Retreat will give you these often hard-to-find teachings, and provide the techniques necessary to harness your own sexual energy and elevate your entire life and consciousness.

Spiritual Tantra Sexuality

Part of Tantra Sexuality Module

Learn more

3. Tantra Massage Retreats

At our school, a Tantra Massage Retreat involves learning how to both give and receive authentic tantric massage. It will include instruction on the foundations of Tantra Massage Therapy, as well as many hours of practicing massage on other students and allowing others to practice on you.

Tantra Massage Therapy is a form of energy-based bodywork that involves a combination of deep breathing, mindful touch, and energy-focused techniques that activate the body’s chakras and energy centers.

As it works on an energetic level, Tantra Massage can have far-reaching healing effects that may seem completely miraculous. It is most acclaimed for its ability to eliminate blockages of all kinds — physical, sexual, energetic, emotional, and mental — while restoring vitality, stamina, longevity, youthfulness, and vigor.

Keep in mind that a true Tantra Massage is not erotic. It is a spiritual practice that recognizes all parts of your body are sacred and need to be treated as a whole, even those parts typically considered “private” or forbidden by social norms.

Attending a Tantra Massage Retreat can be a deeply transformative experience. It is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to give this sacred form of massage to their partners or clients.

4. Tantra Meditation Retreats

A Tantra Meditation Retreat is not what you might think of as a typical mediation retreat. Participants do not sit silently for long periods in uncomfortable positions. Far from it!

Tantric meditation involves many different practices, such as using mantras, sacred geometry and spiritual art, movement and body postures, as well as sounds and music. Tantric meditations often have a lot going on, so don’t expect a boring retreat!

For example, our Consciousness of Fire meditation retreat explores the nature of the mind and how it differs from consciousness. Each participant is guided through a process to identify their current state of consciousness, and taught how to create a customized spiritual practice to cultivate the Consciousness of Fire within themselves. This can accelerate your spiritual and evolutionary path beyond anything you thought was possible.

Regardless of which tantric meditation retreat you decide to participate in, an important consideration is whether or not the teachers come from an authentic lineage. A lot of modern meditation methods have either been watered down or strayed from the authentic practices that have been passed from teacher to student for thousands of years. So make sure you’re always dealing with a school that’s part of an established spiritual tradition.

5. Silent Tantra Retreats

Silent Tantra Retreats are an amazing way to truly release yourself from the need to interact with the outside world and deeply explore your inner spiritual landscape.

Remaining silent for a period of time may seem strange at first, but there are many reasons why this is a well-respected form of retreat. Silent retreats create a space for deep reflection that is completely impossible when you’re engaged in your regular life. This introspection often leads to greater self-awareness and spiritual openings.

For example, our Kashmiri Shaivism retreat gives you the opportunity to study and practice these revered teachings. The first five days of the retreat cover the core principles, followed by a week of silent retreat to practice what you’ve learned. This period of silent meditation allows you to feel the powerful effect of these teachings on your mind and consciousness.

A silent retreat can also provide a supportive, structured environment that helps you commit to meditation or other practices during the retreat. With daily schedules, guided sessions, and communal silence, you can sink more deeply into the experience without needing to tend to the usual mundane details of life.

6. Tantra Teacher Training Retreats

Our school offers four different types of Tantra Teacher Training Retreats. These are meant for students who are dedicated to becoming teachers of authentic Tantra, including tantric yoga, massage, and meditation.

It’s a great gift and a blessing to become a spiritual teacher. And becoming a Tantra Teacher is not just about attending a retreat, but about genuine self-transformation and refinement of your ego and personality. It involves embodying the core principles of Tantra until they are integrated into every fiber of your being.

Our tantric teacher training retreats are meant to raise your personal practice to its highest level so you can then share authentic tantric teachings from your own personal experience.

The purpose of a spiritual retreat is to remember or reconnect with your true nature or higher self. And that requires taking time to step away from the world and focus within.

Who Are Tantric Retreats For?

Tantra Retreats are perfect for anyone looking for practical ways to create authentic change in their life. Whatever you might be dealing with right now, there is almost certainly a tantric retreat that can help.

Perhaps you’ve been struggling with some kind of personal issue, such as difficulties in your sex life, mental fatigue, or emotional imbalances. Or maybe you’ve been dealing with health disruptions you’ve never been able to find a solution for.

Or you might simply know something is missing from your life, but you’re not sure what.

Many of our past participants have told us how they were searching for something before they came to a retreat — whether it was the answer to a problem, or simply greater meaning and spiritual fulfilment — but they found what they were looking for in Tantra.

Tantra Retreats are excellent for those who want clarity and real answers about what’s happening to them. Why are you experiencing what you are?

In fact, most of our issues in life are rooted in our energetic structure. And as Tantra is the science and study of energy, it can provide you with the answers you’ve been seeking for perhaps your entire life, or many lifetimes.

Regardless of your purpose for attending a Tantra Retreat, it is a cherished time to deepen your self-awareness and connection with the universe. You can attend most retreats as either a single person or as a couple. And different retreats are designed for beginners, advanced practitioners, and everyone in between.

With such a diverse range of retreats available, you’ll be able to find the perfect match to suit your individual needs and life situation.

What Exactly Happens at a Tantra Retreat?

Depending on the retreat you go to, the daily schedule at a Tantra Retreat can look very different, as well as the specific activities you’ll be engaging in.

However, this is what a typical day on a Tantra Retreat often looks like:

• Morning session that may include lectures, yoga practice, meditation, or another activity relevant to that retreat.
• Break for breakfast or free time.
• Late morning session with continued practice or teachings.
• Break for lunch — this may be an extended break to include some personal time for the participants.
• Afternoon session for further practice, discussion, or Satsang with the teachers.
• Evening is typically free time to integrate your experiences during the day.

Most tantric retreats will have some kind of activities scheduled for 5 to 8 hours per day. Although, some tantric retreats can involve fairly long days that are scheduled for up to 12 hours per day.

But regardless of how long the days are, generous breaks are usually provided. Retreat teachers know that rest and downtime are important parts of going on a retreat, so they ensure adequate time is given for self-reflection and personal space.

What Exactly Happens at a Tantric Massage Retreat?

We sometimes get this question from our students because Tantra Massage Retreats are unique. They are very hands-on, with many hours spent practicing both giving and receiving tantric massage. The intimate nature of these retreats can prompt a variety of concerns.

In modern society, certain parts of our bodies are considered “untouchable” or “private,” such as our genitals, breasts, or face. However, Tantra views the whole human body as sacred, so tantric massage includes all parts of the body — including areas many recipients and therapists may not have experienced as part of a massage before.

Keep in mind that a Tantra Massage is always done with the recipient’s full consent. If they are not comfortable including specific areas of the body in a massage, these areas can easily be left out. As a tantric massage is a holistic experience, the recipient will still receive a great deal of benefit from the massage either way.

Also, a person receiving Tantra Massage will typically be fully naked, or as close to it as possible staying within their comfort level. This is simply to allow the therapist access to the areas included in the massage. Different parts of their body may be covered with a sheet or blanket at times during the massage for comfort as well.

If you attend a Tantra Massage Retreat as a couple, you will also likely be expected to practice on other participants at times in addition to your partner. This is meant to broaden your experience so you can gain a deeper level of competence and skill. And if you decide to start practicing Tantra Massage professionally, you will need to become comfortable working with a variety of people.

Tantra Massage Therapist Training

Part of Tantra Sexuality Module

Learn more

Are Tantra Retreats Held in India?

This is another question we sometimes hear from students. India is the birthplace of Tantra, and, therefore, is a popular location for Tantra Retreats. These are not necessarily superior to any other retreats, but they do offer a very rich experience that is not possible anywhere else.

India has long been considered a spiritual hub, where seekers from all over the world come to explore yoga, meditation, and other ancient tantric practices. Most tantric retreats in India are held in peaceful, natural environments that are a perfect counterbalance to the intensity of the inner work Tantra often entails. Places like Rishikesh, Kerala, or Goa are popular not only for their beauty, but also for their remarkable spiritual energy.

Attending a spiritual retreat in India is much more than just learning techniques or taking a break from daily life. It is a pilgrimage into the origins of a practice that has shaped spiritual thought for centuries. By immersing yourself in India’s culture, history, and natural spaces, you gain a thorough understanding of Tantra and a lived experience of its principles.

Somananda Tantra School also periodically offers tantric retreats in India, such as the Trika Meditation Retreat as well as others. If you’re interested in attending a Tantra retreat in India, check out our upcoming courses and retreats to see if there’s one that calls to you.

Tantra Retreats are perfect for anyone looking for practical ways to create authentic change in their life. Whatever you might be dealing with right now, there is almost certainly a tantric retreat that can help.

Why Would You Attend a Tantra Retreat?

Tantra Retreats provide an amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in the ancient wisdom of Tantra in all its many forms. And regardless of which retreat you attend, you can experience a host of benefits and revelations during and after the retreat.

These are some of the gains our students have reported after participating in one or more of our retreats.

1. Personal Growth

This is one of the main reasons many people attend a Tantra Retreat. They often feel stuck in some part of their life and want to be able to grow as a person and overcome their current limitations. And Tantra Retreats are a great way to do this.

Tantric practices, such as yoga and meditation, will help break down mental and emotional barriers that have been holding you back. Retreat participants often report increased mental clarity, improved emotional balance, and a better connection with their desires and priorities following a retreat.

As individuals immerse themselves in the retreat’s teachings, they learn to tap into their inner energies and cultivate a more authentic relationship with themselves and others. Ultimately, this holistic approach nurtures profound personal evolution and self-empowerment.

2. Spiritual Awakening

Tantra Retreats emphasize spiritual practices and teachings that support a greater understanding of one’s purpose and interconnection with the universe. The guided meditations, yoga sequences, or other practices on a retreat help participants go into heightened states of consciousness that are not typically experienced in daily life.

Also, the group energy on a retreat enhances this effect. Spiritual practices have more energetic power when done in a group simply because more people will create a larger energetic field within the retreat space — whether that’s a virtual or physical space. In addition, the presence of master teachers who can easily reach higher levels of consciousness themselves will increase the intensity of the field even more.

This creates a type of “avalanche effect” that can significantly accelerate the spiritual progress of retreat participants. As participants explore these higher energetic states, many report revelations and deep personal transformations. They feel more aligned with their true self and the cosmic energy that surrounds all life forms, which can permanently alter how they behave in their lives moving forward.

3. Enhanced Relationships

A tantric retreat can be instrumental in improving your personal relationships. During a retreat such as our Tantra of Relationships, teachers will share how a platonic or intimate relationship has the potential to become a sacred spiritual union that accelerates the evolution of both partners.

Attending such a retreat has helped many of our students build lasting, supportive relationships that are based on unconditional love, with deep appreciation for the fundamental aspects of the Divine Masculine and Feminine — Shiva and Shakti.

However, you can use the interpersonal skills you learn on retreat with all people in your life. By getting more in touch with yourself and your emotions, you will be far better able to express yourself clearly and openly, as well as connect with others on a deeper level.

4. Improved Self-awareness

Retreat participants often gain a deeper awareness of their emotions, thoughts, and energy patterns through their tantric practice. By stepping away from daily distractions, you can observe and understand your mental and emotional makeup much more clearly.

As a result, participants often return to their everyday lives with a renewed perspective on their lives and a sense of enhanced well-being. This clarity can be life-changing — empowering them to make more informed, intentional decisions that align with what they really want in life.

5. Strengthened Physical and Mental Health

Tantric yoga and energy healing practices taught and experienced on Tantra Retreats are vital for enhancing physical health and balancing energy flow within the body. Through specific postures, breathwork, and the focus on proper energy movement, these practices facilitate the release of energetic blockages and promote harmony throughout the body.

Tantric energy healing also aids in the purification of subtle energy channels, allowing for a free flow of life force, or prana, which revitalizes the body and supports self-healing. These practices encourage emotional release and help alleviate stress, sexual dysfunction, and many other physical and psychosomatic conditions.

6. Sexual Empowerment

Tantra Sexuality Retreats help participants understand the deeper, energetic aspects of their sexuality. These retreats provide a safe and nurturing space to explore and release societal inhibitions and conditioning that often limit one’s expression of sexual energy.

By engaging in structured practices and teachings, you learn to cultivate a healthier relationship with your sexual self. This can lead to profound personal growth, improved self-esteem, and greater fulfillment and balance in all areas of life, from personal relationships to career success.

7. Community and Support

Connecting with fellow attendees at a Tantra Retreat fosters a network of support and friendships that often extend beyond the retreat. Participants share transformative experiences and bond over common goals and challenges while engaging in intimate and sacred practices.

The sense of community and belonging established during a retreat offers encouragement and motivation for continued personal growth, both during and after the retreat. Whether through online groups, meet-ups, or personal communication, these connections can provide a safe space for sharing progress, insights, and guidance long after the retreat ends.

Retreat participants often gain a deeper awareness of their emotions, thoughts, and energy patterns through their tantric practice. By stepping away from daily distractions, you can observe and understand your mental and emotional makeup much more clearly.

FAQ Regarding Tantra Retreats

1. How Long Is a Tantra Retreat?

Most Tantra Retreats are a minimum of four or five days to allow enough time to fully immerse yourself in the experience. Beyond that, they can last for one or more weeks, to months, or even years for more dedicated practitioners.

Somananda Tantra School offers a variety of retreats, ranging from one- or two-week retreats, such as our Tantric Rituals and Trika Meditation retreats, to longer, more intensive experiences, such as our 5-week Tantra Teacher and Tantra Yoga Teacher training programs.

2. Where Are Tantra Retreats Located?

If you’re going to an in-person Tantra Retreat, it can be located anywhere in the world. However, many organizations also offer online retreats you can do in your own home with the support of their teachers and the group.

Both are excellent options and can provide their own unique benefits. Traditionally, all retreats used to be held in-person, and this will provide the most immersive experience possible. If you physically go to a retreat center, you’ll be able to fully focus on the studies and practices without any outside distractions. It’s a rare and precious opportunity in modern life to devote a period of uninterrupted time to your personal and spiritual development.

However, if you are unable to leave your home to attend a retreat, online retreats can also offer many benefits. They are more accessible and affordable as you don’t need to travel. But they are still an excellent opportunity to receive valuable tantric teachings and practice individual techniques in the comfort of your own home.

Whether you attend in-person or online, you’ll also gain from the group energy created during a retreat, which can amplify its effects.

Certain Tantra Retreats, such as a Tantra Massage or Tantric Rituals retreat, require you to attend in-person due to the physical nature of the practices. But many other retreats can be held either in-person or online.

3. Can Single People Participate in a Tantra Retreat?

Yes, single people can participate in most Tantra Retreats. Even retreats that pertain to relationships and sexuality can be attended as a single person.

Fundamental teachings and practices are provided at these retreats to help all people enhance their current and future relationships.

4. Do Couples Need to Switch Partners at a Tantra Retreat?

If you attend a Tantra Retreat as a couple, it is not required to switch partners during paired exercises at most retreats. However, it is recommended to switch partners when possible so you can gain broader experience and learning by interacting with other retreat participants.

The only type of retreat that requires participants to switch partners is a Tantra Massage Retreat. In order to become a professional Tantra Massage Therapist, you’ll need to have experience working with multiple people to help prepare for your future practice. You can only become skilled at energy work by interacting with different people’s energy.

But at Somananda Tantra School, none of our retreats involve direct sexual activity. Any partner practice is done for specific spiritual or practical purposes, with the utmost respect for everyone involved.

5. Do Tantra Retreats Include Nudity?

The majority of Tantra Retreats do not include nudity. However, certain retreats will require some degree of nudity for very specific reasons.

The first reason would be that certain practices, especially certain tantric rituals,  are traditionally performed either completely nude or with some element of nudity. This is because Tantra views the human body as holy. A naked human body is admired and worshipped because it is seen as a manifestation of the divine. Thus, certain tantric practices involve viewing the body from this elevated, spiritual standpoint.

The second reason nudity may be part of a Tantra Retreat is simply for practical reasons, primarily in a Tantra Massage Retreat. Different areas of the body are physically touched during a tantric massage, so these areas need to be exposed during the practice. However, areas that are not being actively massaged can be covered with a blanket for comfort if needed.

For all of our Tantra Retreats, we will specify whether or not the retreat involves nudity on the retreat description page. And for retreats that do involve nudity, we ensure that it is always done with great care and respect for all the retreat participants. However, if a participant is uncomfortable with nudity, they can excuse themselves from that particular exercise. We would never expect anyone to participate in an activity they’re not comfortable with.

6. How Do I Choose the Best Tantra Retreat for Me?

When evaluating Tantra Retreats, consider your personal goals and preferences. If you want a more personalized experience, a smaller retreat may offer intimate group interactions and customized guidance. Conversely, larger retreats with more participants often provide a dynamic environment with diverse perspectives.

You may also want to consider tantric retreats for couples, or specifically a Tantra Retreat for singles.

Decide whether an in-person retreat, which allows for direct energy exchange and environment immersion, or a virtual retreat, offering convenience and flexibility, aligns with your lifestyle.

Additionally, research the retreat’s curriculum, teacher credentials, and participant reviews to judge the quality and focus of the retreat. Also check if a school comes from an established and authentic tantric lineage. Always explore different schools and offerings to ensure you find a retreat best suited for you.

If you’re looking for a place to start, our Taste of Tantra online workshop provides an excellent overview of all the main branches of Tantra in an accessible 2-day weekend course. It can help you discover which Tantra Retreats you may want to explore further.

The Life-Changing Opportunity of a Tantra Retreat

A Tantra Retreat offers a profound journey into self-discovery and personal and spiritual growth.

As we’ve discussed in this article, many different types of Tantra Retreats are available, ranging from short, introductory retreats to much longer intensives.

The best retreat for you depends on your current goals and life situation. But no matter which tantric retreat you choose, it will change how you perceive yourself, the world, and the Divine.

Participants often report experiencing a transformative shift in consciousness, feeling more connected to themselves and others as a result of these retreats. Ultimately, a Tantra Retreat serves as a catalyst for profound inner change that gives a sense of unity and purpose in every aspect of life.

If you’re ready to embark on this transformative journey, consider joining our next Taste of Tantra workshop to explore the foundations of Tantra and open a new chapter in your personal evolution.