The meaning ofthe word , derived fromSanskrit, is ?to weave?. In the tantric lifestyle, we weave together allaspects of our lives into one harmonious whole. Work becomes a meditation,making love becomes our spiritual practice, the lover and the beloved melt intoone.

Shaktirepresents the female principle of pure energy and dynamic potential, whereasShiva who embodies the male principle, emanates creation and power. Together,Shiva and Shakti are the divine couple. Their erotic interplay, their cosmicdance, is how the world was created, according to the Tantric belief.

You mayhave seen Indian art depicting a man (often a Buddha-like figure) sitting withhis legs crossed on a lotus flower and across his lap sits a woman, oftendepicted nude. This is the classic tantric position also known as Yab Yum, andthose pictures are known as Yab Yum Deities.

In Tibetan,yab yum stands for ?mother father?, and it describes the divine union ?energetic and sexual - of mother and father, the female and male principles,Shiva and Shakti. In Tantric practice, the woman is honored as Shakti, and theman as Shiva. There are many tantric rituals in which these essences arevisualized and embodied. There is one tantric practice in which the womanstraddles the man and together they visualize the divine powers of a Yab YumDeity above their heads, and eventually allowing these powers to enter theirenergy system at the 7th Chakra, the crown of our head.

Thissounds very interesting indeed, however, how does this apply to our everydaylife? acknowledges thatevery man has some feminine aspects and every woman has some male aspects. Andto live most harmoniously, all aspects are consciously woven into a fabric ofbalance and understanding.

Let's look atit from the perspective of the Chinese Yin and Yang philosophy. Yin is thefemale principle ? receptive, soft, flowing - and Yang is the male principle ?outgoing, full of initiative, strong. We all carry Yin and Yang inside of usand our actions throughout the day reflect the Yin and Yang aspects. A simpleand fun tantric practice is to become aware of our Yin and Yang aspects. Notonly is the practice itself entertaining but it can dramatically change the waywe relate to our beloved, the world around us and our attitudes at large. Yinand Yang is represented in us in many ways, just as the male and femaleprinciples have many colors. For example we consider that the act of giving isa yang action, while receiving is considered to be yin.

Onceyou have mastered the delicate art of observing yin and yang in your lovelife,you can apply the same attitude towards other actions in your life. You canconsciously switch roles for the day. Let's say your partner tends to be verydirective (nothing wrong with that) and you are the one who always does thingsthe way he wants (nothing wrong with that either). But just for the experiment,decide one day that you are going to be the directive one and your partner willsurrender to the way you want things done. It will give both of you anunderstanding about the other person, and deepen the intimacy, clarity andharmony of your relationship.

The YinYang symbol (see above) describes a harmonious circle divided into two areas ?the black (Yang) and the white (Yin), with a circle of white in the black partand a circle of black in the white part. In , this symbol representscomplete balance of male and female principles.