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This chapter examines the use of the terms kuṇdalinī and śakti within the field of contemporary lineage-based yoga and tantra. It focuses on the teachings of Sally Kempton, formerly Swami Durgananda, a disciple of Swami Muktananda. Kempton gained increasing influence as a missionary of the Goddess over the last decade, seemingly carrying on the tradition of śaktipāta for which her guru was so famous. But Kempton’s method of transmission was performed in a non-authoritarian way, often over the internet and through conversation and meditation (rather than by being whipped on the head by perfumed peacock feathers). Nevertheless, students experienced what they described as ‘kuṇḍalinī rising’ or the ‘presence of śakti,’ causing their bodies to sway in meditation, waking them up with energetic rushes in the nights, and leaving her mark of liberating grace on their daily lives. A discourse analysis of Kempton’s books and online teachings shows how for her, as well as for many contemporary practitioners of yoga and tantra, kuṇdalinī is just as likely to highlight unwanted personality traits as deliver liberation. Although this might be thought of as a contemporary, psychologized development, the chapter shows that while Kempton put aside her monistic identity in 2002, her teachings continued to draw heavily on the ideas she received through Siddha Yoga and that her understanding of kuṇdalinī and śakti are comparable to Muktananda’s, while her emphasis on what she called ‘the divine feminine’ suggests that she struggled to consolidate her early dedication to radical feminism with a lifelong spiritual commitment.

This article will present a pilot study on the Romanian school of yoga and tantra, MISA. MISA, or the Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute, has gained reputation as a controversial organization through the last decades as its leader, Gregorian Bivolaru, has been accused of sexual misconduct and human trafficking on several occasions and is currently wanted by Interpol. Yet his influence is spreading through European yoga studios as people enter MISA (often unknowingly of the organization’s problematic past), expecting esoteric and authentic teachings on yoga and tantra. This article will use a textual analysis of the material handed out during two year-long MISA yoga and tantra-courses, to examine the foundational teachings of a transnational yoga school in constant expansion, and how they relate to a broader religious-historical context of modern yoga and tantra, taking into special consideration the use of secrecy, claims of authenticity and the construction of gender. The article shows that, on the surface, MISA resembles many other contemporary schools of yoga and tantra, while a closer look reveals an emphasis on sexual continence that stands out, assuring the continuous reputation of the organization as both provocative and tantalizing.

Belgian philosopher, psychoanalyst and linguist Luce Irigaray has received both praise and critique over the years: she has been called one of the most important voices in the quest for female subjectivity, as well as a gender essentialist. In this article, Tova Olsson explores the profound influence of Yoga and Tantra on her writing, particularly in her interpretation of masculinity, femininity, and polarity, showcasing how these embodied practices have distinctly shaped her work.

The stories about how old yoga is as a practice, where it originated from and who it belongs to are as many as they are conflicting. Yoga practitioners often have to navigate through a jungle of information in order to seek answers to their questions. What exactly is the goal of yoga? Is it relevant for contemporary yoga practitioners to study the Yoga Sutra?

What do the various Indian gods and goddesses really symbolise? And what do yogic and tantric traditions have in common? This book offers its readers a clear overview of the origin and historical development of yoga and tantra, and an in-depth understanding of the various philosophical systems and concepts used under the name "yoga philosophy". The book also provides insight into how the classical literature often referenced in yoga can be understood contextually, i.e., how it relates to and reflects the time and place it originated in. As well as how yogic mythology and its many deities can be used to put words on an inner experience or shed light on aspects of ourselves. The book is a must-read for yoga teachers, curious practitioners, as well as knowledge seekers.

In recent years, contemporary tantra,sometimes referred to as ”neo-tantra” has spread substantially throughout Sweden. Emphasizing intimacy and polarity as means to healing and liberation, the movement tends to highlight ideals of ”masculine males” and ”feminine females”, while identifying women with Shakti (creativity/immanence) and men with Shiva (consciousness/transcendence). This text examines the use of polarity and more precisely notions of femininity within Swedish contemporary tantra, using qualitative interviews. The purpose is to analyse the relationship between tantric femininity/femininities and the agency and subjectivity of female practitioners. The material is construed from a critical feminist theoretical framework, taking its point of departure in the concept of plural and positional femininities as well as Luce Irigaray’s ”sexual difference” (Irigaray 1994) and Rosi Braidotti’s ”nondual materialism” (Braidotti 2011). The study suggests that Swedish contemporary tantra in many ways fortifies gender-stereotypical views on femininity while the question of the effects on women’s agency and subjectivity is discussed and left open for further research.