sanskrit
Tantra Yoga
Definition
Tantra Yoga is a modern umbrella term for yogic systems that draw substantively from tantric philosophy — specifically the view that the body, senses, and energetic experience are the field of practice rather than obstacles to transcend. It is distinct from Hatha Yoga (though Hatha has deep tantric roots), from Kundalini Yoga as popularised by Yogi Bhajan, and from Neo-Tantra, which typically refers to the Western synthesis focused on sexuality.
As a category label, "Tantra Yoga" is useful but imprecise. It can refer to anything from rigorous classical Shaiva practice to modern yoga-studio sequences that emphasise breath and intention. Context matters significantly when the term is used by a teacher or school.
Where the word comes from
A compound of tantra (see separate entry) and yoga (from Sanskrit yuj, to yoke or unite — the disciplined joining of body, breath, and awareness). The compound is largely a modern usage, not a classical title for a specific tradition; it signals a yogic approach that incorporates explicitly tantric principles. Neither word is new, but their combination as a named category is primarily a 20th-century Western development.
In Tantra Clinic practice
At Tantra Clinic, "Tantra Yoga" functions as a category label, not a specific style we teach. We draw from several streams — Hatha, Kashmir Shaiva philosophy, Vajrayana breath practices, Daoist inner alchemy — and name the source when we use specific techniques. We do not teach under the "Tantra Yoga" banner as a unified system, because doing so would imply a coherence the mixed sources don't actually have.