By Rebecca Drew

 

MEET THE woman who transforms relationships and sex lives through ancient tantric healing that focuses on bringing clients’ attention to their hearts rather than their ORGASMS.

 

Tantra practitioner, Chantelle Raven (41) from Perth, Australia, trained as a lawyer but gave this up when she discovered the healing Buddhist and Hindu art of tantra after she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2001.

Chantelle during body dance.
MDWfeatures / Chantelle Raven

 

Realising this was her true calling, she decided to specialise in sacred-sexuality tantra healing and has since been transforming people’s relationships by allowing them to reconnect with their heart and how to feel.

 

Through Chantelle’s work, she enables couples to connect with their conscious sexuality during sex which focusses on the meeting of minds, merging of hearts, and body dance whereas unconscious sexuality purely focusses on the physical desire for an orgasm.

Chantelle does body dance to help people engage with their conscious sexuality.
MDWfeatures / Chantelle Raven

 

Chantelle explained that sexual healing is just one part of tantra which teaches people to love every part of themselves that doesn’t just focus on the sexual element.

 

“Tantra is a way of life that is fully embodied. It does not exclude any part of the human experience and is a tradition which teaches its true seekers to love and accept all of themselves, including their sexuality,” she said.

Chantelle discovered the healing arts of tantra after she was diagnosed with cancer.
MDWfeatures / Chantelle Raven

 

“Unlike other spiritual traditions, Tantra does not exclude sexuality from its teachings, however it is not just about sex. Tantra teaches us that sexuality is beautiful and that through sexuality we can connect more deeply to ourselves and to our spirit.

 

“I transform people’s relationships by teaching them how to feel, connect with themselves, take responsibility for their own lives, communicate from the heart, live from love not from the fear of the mind and to trust the wisdom of their bodies.

Chantelle in a class.
MDWfeatures / Chantelle Raven

 

“I also help them to release trauma and de-armour blocks in the subtle body, bring more awareness to the relationship between the inner and outer masculine and awaken the deeper feminine in women’s work.

 

“Tantra is not limited to sacred sexuality healing. As I said, this is just one piece of the pie. In regard to sacred sexuality, this part of the work helps people to feel and understand that orgasmic energy and sexual energy, is a healing modality and that just like meditation, it brings us into the here and now and connects us to the spirit.

Chantelle helps couples to connect with their conscious sexuality as opposed to their unconscious sexuality that only focuses on orgasms.
MDWfeatures / Chantelle Raven

 

“It teaches people that sexuality is okay, that the primal-self is okay and that it is safe to let go of the fear, guilt and shame we have around our bodies and our pleasure. It helps people to open to more pleasure by including the whole body, not just the genitals – the heart, energy and consciousness.

 

“Over the years I’ve discovered that most people have a disconnect between their heart and their physical, sexual needs. I help to bring this connection back so that people can connect their heart with their sexual energy.

Chantelle helps couples to connect with their conscious sexuality as opposed to their unconscious sexuality that only focuses on orgasms.
MDWfeatures / Chantelle Raven

 

“Conscious sexuality has the heart at its centre. Unconscious sexuality has the goal of pleasure-organs’ orgasm at its centre. Conscious sexuality is a beautiful meeting of minds, merging of hearts and a body dance.

 

“Unconscious sexuality is a physical experience that gives us a temporary high at best and a robotic formula at worst where the only thing that matters is for both people to have an orgasm. There is no atunement to the energetic side of things or what the deep heart needs – simply a wish to fulfil a physical desire.

Chantelle helps couples to connect with their conscious sexuality as opposed to their unconscious sexuality that only focuses on orgasms.
MDWfeatures / Chantelle Raven

 

“Conscious sexuality is a sacred spiritual practice; it is a journey into the deep terrains of union, which connects us to the Spirit or God and is incredibly healing.”

 

Tantric sex is an ancient practice that means, ‘the weaving and expansion of energy’, it’s a slow form of sex that increases intimacy and creates a mind-body connection.

Chantelle helps couples to connect
MDWfeatures / Chantelle Raven

 

Chantelle runs Eliyah Tantra School which has love at its centre and is a place where people can connect with each other. The school runs retreats, courses and private sessions.

 

She went on to explain how her clients say her sessions have improved their love lives.

Chantelle.
MDWfeatures / Chantelle Raven

 

“Clients share how their communication is a lot better and that they can actually talk from their vulnerability and listen with reflection rather than deflection. That is, they learn about themselves and their partner through being present to what they are saying or hearing instead of becoming defensive, explaining or attacking. This is huge for a lot of my clients,” she said.

 

“Their sex lives improve because their lovemaking becomes longer, deeper, more intimate and more pleasurable. They often reflect on what a difference it makes to simply: create sacred space, look into each other’s eyes, slow everything down and circulate energy through the heart as well as the pleasure organs – and breathe deeper, so they are deeply embodied and present during lovemaking.

Chantelle transforms relationships by focussing on the heart.
MDWfeatures / Chantelle Raven

 

“Women are often surprised at how open a man becomes when she is more receptive, surrendered and sensual. Men are often surprised at how open a woman becomes when she is given the chance to communicate and share her feelings, fears and desires.

 

“At the moment Eliyah Tantra School is a formless temple where people have access to teachings that will transform their lives so that they are the Creator of their human experience. We are creating online courses and books so that this work becomes more and more accessible, beyond the retreats, courses and private sessions.

 

“Our plans for the future are that Eliyah’s temple takes form and we have a base that people can come to and experience a community living in harmony and joy on land. This community will have love at its centre and teach through the way we live – singing together, dancing together, eating wholesome food together, practicing together – connecting to each other and to Spirit through the ordinary in a very extraordinary way.”

 

Chantelle had some final words of advice to those who are curious about exploring tantra as a way to improve their love life.

 

“Lots of people are in awe, very curious and gob smacked at the level of love and intimacy we can experience as humans. Others completely misunderstand the work and are afraid of the so-called “darker” aspects of Tantra – sexuality, intimacy, the emotional body,” she said.

 

“There is a lot of judgement but there is also a lot of admiration. The most important thing for me is to trust my own integrity. If I can do that, the rest just works itself out and a lot of people who initially judge the work become my greatest students.

 

“I think it’s healthy to question things, as long as there is also a willingness to actually find the truth. The most common comment is, ‘oh my Goodness, I can’t believe we are never taught this in school, my life and relationships would have been totally different’.

 

“Come, come whoever you are, and learn how to love and accept yourselves and the people around you more deeply and authentically.”

 

For more information see www.instagram.com/eliyahtantraschool