#tantric-traditions

#tantric-traditions

If you are exhausted and yearn to rest, like nearly everyone I know, you may be interested in what's arguably the most radical wellness trend of 2026 - an ancient practice called "dark retreat." This powerful experience, touted by celebrities as the latest way to achieve self-realisation and peace, involves no drugs (unlike, say, ayahuasca), no intense physical work, and no strict diet - just staying in absolute darkness in a comfortable room for 24 hours a day, for several days.

High above the Naggar valley in Himachal Pradesh, Eila reveals itself slowly. It is not the kind of resort that announces its presence with grand façades or rigid terraces. Instead, it feels as if the architecture has quietly grown out of the mountainside. Soft, organic forms follow the contours of the land, echoing the rhythms of the terrain rather than resisting them.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. It was bracing language for an 8-year-old. Not only was I unclean, but even my best attempt at goodness was filthy.

A true wellness gathering is something far more ancient and far more urgent: it's any intentional space where humans are invited to arrive whole, body, mind, spirit, and leave more alive than when they walked in. That's it. That's the whole definition.

Kohli's work is inspired by the generative forces of nature-its cycles of growth, dissolution, and renewal. Central to the artist's visual language is Shakti, the transformative power of the divine feminine. Kohli uses the womb as a potent symbol of creation and possibility, exploring transformation within the eternal cycles of birth and death.

They look nervously at the cameras. The prize, they are told, is beyond description, but "it is what everyone wants!" The first question is asked: "Who are you?" The fastest contestant with the buzzer rings in - "Michelle!" they cry out confidently. BUZZ - the sound for the wrong answer rings out loudly. Another contestant seizes the moment and squeezes their buzzer. "A Man!" he states with utmost confidence. BUZZ - wrong again.

He wrote Waking Up back in 2014, and the app is based on the insights from that book. What's interesting about Sam is that people mostly knew him as one of the Four Horsemen of New Atheism, but what they didn't know is that he spent much of his twenties going back and forth between Nepal and India studying primarily with Tibetan Buddhist teachers, also Advaita traditions.

To her followers and yogic practitioners, Kali Maa is not a scary goddess. She is the ultimate Mother. She represents the slayer of illusion and the symbol of truth that brings freedom. She is the symbol of the cycle of time, transformation, the loss of self and awakening to the spiritual realm. In yoga, Kali Maa is linked to inner cleansing. She helps awaken the kundalini and gives courage. This courage helps us face our darkest sides.

Popular definitions of yoga often include terms such as balance, harmony, health, and peace. While these qualities are certainly desirable, and must be created before one can enter the state of fixity, or yoga, they are not included in the definition Patanjali offers us in his Yoga Sutras, the classic second-century B.C. exposition generally accepted as the bible of yoga.

I had no idea what to practice, when to practice, or for how long. As a result, my practice lacked structure, variety, and inspiration. Then, I discovered an online yoga & meditation platform rooted in Himalayan wisdom. It wasn't just about movement; it was about building a relationship with myself. I started with 15 minutes a day. That was it. Sometimes, just breathwork. Other times, meditation. And occasionally, a full-body kriya that left me buzzing with energy.

At the heart of yoga philosophy is the belief that stillness is not simply the absence of movement, but a profound engagement with our inner landscape. Practices such as asana (postures), pranayama (breath control), and meditation serve as gateways to this stillness, allowing us to cultivate awareness amidst chaos. Through these disciplines, we learn to quiet the mind's incessant chatter and tune into our true essence.

Whenever we talk about practicing yoga for the heart chakra, our focus is releasing tension around the heart, including the chest as well as the upper back and shoulders. More than that, the anahata, or heart chakra, has to do with our ability to give and receive love as well as our ability to feel compassion and empathy toward ourselves and others in the world.

Like many people, I always wanted to do yoga daily. I'd roll out my mat a few times a week, follow a YouTube video, and feel great... for a while. But between work, life, and mental exhaustion, my practice was inconsistent at best and forgotten at worst. That changed when I discovered the right approach - one that felt more like a cup of calm than a chore on my to-do list.