At Destination Namaste we were lucky enough to have a conversation with the radiant Blaire Lindsay, whose work we have been following for a while now. Here are a few words from this real life grounded goddess and the incredible work she does for women and couples.
Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?
I’m Blaire Lindsay and I grew up in the Canadian Rockies. I am a sex and embodiment coach helping women to heal, own and enjoy their sexuality as a force to transform their lives. I work in the Tantric and embodied arts and am also a yoga teacher (RYT – 500) training to be a trauma-informed Somatic Experiencing therapist. My days are made up of working with women through my online courses. One is a 6 month Tantra & Embodiment course; the other is a 3 month course called Radiant Relationships.
There are still so many taboos surrounding the word Tantra. Can you tell us a bit more about your vision of Tantra, as people still often seem to be rather closed to talk about it or to learn more?
Yes, ‘Tantra’ is a very charged word these days and there are many interpretations!
‘Tantra’ is similar to the word ‘yoga’ in that it’s very difficult to define in a pretty, neat little package. To use yoga as an example: there are different styles of yoga like Kundalini, Hatha, Vinyassa, etc. (and this is just one small part of yoga called asana!) and different ways to approach the path of yoga (see Patanjali’s 8 limbs).
Tantra is similar because there are many ‘avenues’ of Tantra. Some Tantric paths include sexual energy (which is what most people think of when they hear the word) and others do not (the Dalai Lama practices Tantra and is celibate, for example).
To me, Tantra means 2 things: to integrate the parts of ourselves that we have abandoned (including our sexual energy) and to be liberated; freer, operating less and less from unconscious patterns as a result.
This phrase“Guilt is a denial of your intrinsic innocence” by David Hawkins that you quoted in one of your recent posts about pleasure really struck a cord with many of your followers, would you say this is a big part of your work?
Working through obstacles to pleasure or integrated sexuality is certainly at the core of what I do. As I help clients to orient to genuine pleasure and sexual empowerment, the work almost always includes identifying and letting go of obstacles. I turn to David Hawkin’s work on emotion/letting go and utilise his teachings often for this.
Guilt is a huge obstacle to pleasure and sexual fulfilment for women, especially women who have family’s to take care of. It takes the form of an inner nagging that can sound like “I’m doing something bad or wrong right now”, or “there are more important things to take care of right now other than my pleasure”. And yes, a denial of the intrinsic purity of pleasure and sexuality.
How can we bring tantra into our daily lives?
Practice self–observation: meta-cognition (watching your thoughts) and noticing the sensations in your body without judgement.
What does yoga mean to you and how does practicing regularly affect your daily life?
I love the definition of yoga as ‘union’. In this sense, yoga is similar to my description of Tantra. In a physical sense though, yoga is a tremendous practice. Daily asana practice makes me feel like I can show up more fully, more present and better resourced in my daily life.
Interview by Lara Boshoff @ destination.namaste@gmail.com
Excellent! keep sharing smiles, stay motivated…