Hour 55 Meditation – Tantra Meditations from Vigyan Bhairava Tantra (Part 2)
Tantra Meditations from Vigyan Bhairava Tantra (Part 2)
Introduction: Returning to the Sacred Text of Shiva
In Module 54, we started our exploration of the Vigyan Bhairava Tantra, a collection of 112 direct, powerful meditation practices bequeathed by Lord Shiva to Devi Parvati. These meditations are free from belief systems, rituals, and dogmas. They are inner alchemy practices based on direct awareness.
In this second half of our journey, we continue to find meditations that welcome emotion, desire, body, space, fear, joy, and ordinary experience as sacred keys to the Ultimate.
Tantra teaches us: Nothing is left out. Everything is Divine.
Let us explore more techniques — some subtle, some hot — from the sacred womb of the Vigyan Bhairava Tantra.
The Essence of Tantra Revisited
Totality is the path:
Whether it is anger, fear, or ecstasy — live it fully, consciously, without escape.
Nothing is impure:
Even the most tabooed experiences have the seed of awakening if they are approached with awareness.
The senses are not enemies:
See, hear, touch, taste — but stay rooted in the witness within.
The ordinary is extraordinary:
Awareness transforms even the mundane into miracle — a sip of tea becomes divine nectar.
Selected Vigyan Bhairava Tantra Techniques – Part 2
These techniques accommodate various temperaments — the quiet seeker, the sensual soul, the emotional heart, the brave adventurer.
1. Touch as a Doorway to the Divine
“When touching any part of your body with love and awareness, realize the Divine touch. It is not the body; it is the presence.”
Technique:
Lightly put your hand on your face, chest, or palm.
Feel deeply the sensation — the vibration, the warmth, the life.
Let the duality of touched and toucher melt into one presence.
Why It Works:
Your body is not just flesh — it is holy energy, filled with Shiva consciousness.
2. At the Moment of Fear — Enter
“When fear suddenly arises, become completely aware of it. Do not run. Stand still and enter the center of the fear.”
Method:
When fear or anxiety arises, stop.
Feel it immediately — its shape, its place, its feeling.
Ask, “Who is afraid?” and stay in that question.
Why It Works:
Fear is frozen energy. Awareness dissolves it and unleashes power.
3. Eating as Meditation
“While eating or drinking, become completely absorbed in the taste, the texture, the act. Feel the Divine feeding you.”
How:
Select a simple food — a fruit, a slice of bread, a mouthful of water.
Eat slowly, with full gratitude and presence.
Savor every nuance, feel the life coming into you.
Why It Works:
Food is transformed into divine communion — body, nature, and spirit in union.
4. Falling Asleep Mindfully
“When sleep is poised to overwhelm you, stay alert. Enter the space between waking and sleep.”
Method:
As you lie in bed, allow the breath to slow naturally.
Remain vigilant as sleepiness draws near.
Be in the in-between — neither completely here nor gone.
Why It Works:
The in-between state is where the ego melts away and the soul shines.
5. Welcome Intensity
“In moments of intense laughter, crying, orgasm, fear — become fully aware. Dive into the center of the storm.”
Method:
As fierce emotion occurs, don’t flee or judge it.
Feel it totally — step into its very core.
Let yourself be melted by the intensity.
Why It Works:
Fierce emotions shatter the shell of mind — exposing pure being.
6. Walking as Shiva
“Walk in the sense that each step is taken by Shiva. You are the witness, not the mover.”
Method:
Slow down a step or two and feel fully present with each step.
Imagine that Shiva is walking through you — not ‘you’ walking.
Allow the awareness to expand like the sky.
Why It Works:
Dissolves the illusion of the doer — opens the way to effortless ease.
Meditation Applications: When and Why
Here’s how to wisely select and use each technique, depending on your state of being:
Touch Awareness
Practice in the morning or as part of self-care rituals.
Beneficial to deepen self-love and release body shame.
Entering Fear
Use during times of anxiety or emotional contraction.
Helps reclaim courage and transform fear into power.
Eating Meditation
Best at meals or snacks.
Nurtures presence and deep gratitude.
Conscious Sleep Entry
Practice at night, just before bedtime.
Opens doors to lucid dreaming and restful awareness.
Emotional Intensity Awareness
Use during times of joy, sadness, anger, or ecstasy.
Permits conversion of emotion into awakening energy.
Walking as Shiva
Use during ordinary walks or even brief strolls.
Infuses sacredness into mundane movement.
A Note on Practicing Tantra Safely
Although the techniques are easy, the experiences they release can be intense. Approach with sacred care:
Respect your boundaries:
If a practice awakens trauma or intense emotion, stop. Don’t push.
Journal your process:
After practice, reflect and write. Track insights, patterns, resistances.
Ground yourself:
Spend time in nature. Walk barefoot. Eat nourishing food. Stay grounded.
Seek guidance when necessary:
If overwhelming experiences come up, talk to a teacher or therapist.
Tantra Is Not a Belief System — It Is a Practice
Tantra teaches:
Don’t believe in God. Experience God.
Don’t worship Light. Become Light.
Don’t escape life. Enter life fully — and dissolve the ego in that intensity.
As Lord Shiva intones in the Vigyan Bhairava Tantra — The opening is near at hand. Always present.
Reflective Questions for Inner Reflection
Of which of these meditations resonates most for you in your life today?
Do you have ever transformed an acute feeling into meditation?
What then happens if you cease struggling with your feelings — and just note them?
May you consider everyday life to be a sanctum sanctorum?
How does your connection to fear shift when you remain present with it?