The Tantra Institute Helps Singles Become Better Lovers Through Mindful Events 

The Short Version: Some people find themselves wanting to love and be loved but don’t know how to do so. With its unique love philosophy, the Tantra Institute offers an array of exercises and events to help single people understand how to become better lovers. Singles and couples looking to turn up the romance in their lives can find tantra dates rewarding. By focusing on inspiring more love around the world, the Tantra Institute helps create a safe environment for singles to share their vulnerable sides and find authentic connections. 

Most people romanticize the idea of dating and being in love. It’s a wonderful experience, I’ll tell you that — but what some people don’t realize is that love isn’t always that simple. Sometimes it’s a challenge to date because you find yourself struggling to receive and give love to your special someone. You begin to question your ability to be a lover, wondering if finding true love is in your favor.   

This is a common problem many people face, but there’s hope. Tantra experts Guy Shahar and Lauren Harkness co-founded the Tantra Institute in hopes of inspiring more love around the world. The Tantra Institute revolves around the principles of tantra. Tantra is an ancient Hindu or Buddhist scriptures that deal with meditative techniques and rituals. The goal of tantra is to help people achieve optimal spiritual growth through sensual experiences. 

Based in New York, the Tantra Institute was founded in 2017 to connect couples through Tantra Speed Date® and other community events. The event facilitators are on a mission to support people on their journeys to become better lovers. 

When Guy and Lauren decided to create the Tantra Institute, their main objective was to give people the necessary tools to love and be loved by others. This extends not just to a significant other, but also family members, friends, and even strangers. They say that every relationship in a person’s life is a learning opportunity. 

“We see every relationship as an opportunity to learn, to grow, to add value to each other, and to add value to ourselves. So that we can become better at relationships and be ready for the amazing relationship that everybody says that they want,” Guy said. 

Guy and Lauren hosted their first Tantra Speed Date® event because a mentor suggested it. They saw the growth and connections that first event inspired and decided to continue on that path. Now the Tantra Institute has 20 facilitators working across the U.S. to spread love. People are more comfortable being vulnerable and connecting with someone new through these events. The tantra exercises can reduce the anxiety of one-on-one meetings because singles have something to do and talk about as they get to know each other.

The Tantra Institute offers an array of in-person and virtual events that singles can choose from. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tantra Institute transitioned some of its events online. The virtual events served the same function as in-person events in terms of educating and helping singles feel empowered. Guy and Lauren host some events regularly such as Intro to Sexual Ecstasy: Online Tantra Workshop for Singles & Couples and What is Tantra – Introductory Workshop.

These events teach singles techniques on how to connect with other people and get a better understanding of themselves along the way. Whether you’re new to tantra or a vet, the Tantra Institutes events are designed for everyone. All participants have to do is register for the event of their choosing. Luckily, no one has to do too much preparation when attending these events because the Tantra Institutes team already has everything set up and ready to go for you. 

“We give people a framework for how to connect,” Guy told us. “It is important to note that it’s not about gender. It’s about roles that either one of us can occupy, but it’s that polarity that creates that juicy attraction.”

According to Guy, the Tantra Institutes facilitators pay close attention to what people are feeling, so they can help facilitate welcoming events that singles enjoy. One particular fan-favorite event is the Tantra Speed Date®. The Tantra Speed Date® event is a new take on speed dating. It’s a combination of a relationship skills class and a Puja-style “speed date.” 

Through this event, singles get the opportunity to learn about tantra while meeting new people. Participants learn how to step into helpful relationship roles and have fun participating in connection exercises.  

Guy said that about 95% of participants at the Tantra Speed Dating® events match with at least one person, and it’s not uncommon to see groups of people hanging out afterward. While most speed dating events focus on the end result, the Tantra Institute emphasizes the beauty of the experience and the opportunity to find value by trying something new. “You should really go into it with an open mind and no expectations,” Guy said.

Female empowerment is at the heart of the Tantra Institute. The team told us that tantra helps women get a better understanding of their importance and value to the world. Through meaningful tantra practices, women join together at events to receive healing and clarity on their femininity. 

The Tantra Institute has a variety of events to help women utilize tantra techniques to unmask their sexuality. One popular event known as The Intimacy Hour helps singles participate in an interactive talk and Q&A discussion on intimate topics of love, sex, and intimacy. The Intimacy Hour is held every Sunday with new topics in every segment. 

The Intimacy Hour: The Heart, hosted by Lauren, is one segment of the series which sheds light on ways women can regain control over their hearts. They get into touchy topics like surrogacy and adoption, that help women feel comfortable sharing their experiences and their desires out of motherhood. 

Guy and Lauren help women realize the beauty of their journey to become better lovers through these deep conversations. Most women who attend the Tantra Institute’s events find themselves anxious. Guy told us that he’s encountered women who set unrealistic expectations that deprived them of great opportunities to connect with genuine people.

Guy and Lauren encourage women to appreciate the little steps in between their goals — to not rush the process of finding love or to be a great lover.

“It’s about the journey, not the destination. Because if you’re interested in the destination, I got bad news for you. We are all headed towards the same destination and I’m not in a hurry to get there. I want to enjoy the journey,” Guy said. 

The Intimacy Hour is just one of the many events offered by the Tantra Institute to help empower women. Another area that the Tantra Institute wants to empower women in is their sexuality. Studies have shown that women experience less orgasm than men — yep, it’s a sad fact. But Guy and Lauren took it upon themselves to educate people on how to use tantra for their advantage to help increase women’s orgasms. 

In the event Extended Tantric Orgasm, Guy and Lauren demonstrate live techniques to arouse a woman’s body which can lead to a full-body tantric orgasm. Throughout the event, men and women get to learn about the anatomy of the women’s body and participate in a brief Q&A on how they too can practice what was demonstrated. 

As a distinct institute whose practice revolves around the philosophy of tantra, many people (including myself) have found the Tantra Institute to be eye-catching. You can’t help but be engaged with all the informative techniques demonstrated and workshops the Tantra Institute offers. 

According to Guy, the Tantra Institute attracts people of all ages and backgrounds — with singles in their 30s to 40s being the biggest group. Singles don’t have to have a cultural background in tantra to practice it. The Tantra Institute has plenty of success stories that prove that anyone can benefit from the practice of tantra to help them become better lovers and to find love. 

“I met the love of my life through TSD and have been opened to the wonderful healing powers of Tantra. I was hesitant to go that night but I’m so glad I did,” Catherine said in a review. 

We can expect more events and even more programs in the future from the Tantra Institute. Guy told us that there’s an eight-week men’s program, Masculine Mastery, and an eight-week women’s program, Erotic Sovereignty, where people can get involved in depth discussions on masculinity and femininity. Through these programs, the team hopes to bring women and men together. 

But it doesn’t stop there – another upgrade that we can look forward to is the tantra loft. The tantra loft is an event space where people will come together and learn how to coexist in a more mindful and loving way. This is something completely new and different from the events currently held by the institute.

“There are co-working spaces and co-living spaces, and I call this a co-loving space because we’re going to live together, but as one,” Guy proudly told us. 

The Tantra Institute began with speed dating, and it has blossomed into a thriving community focused on love.

“We want to love as much as we can. We want to love our family. We want to love our friends. We want to love our lovers. We want to love strangers that we meet,” Guy said. “The Tantra Institute is about how we can make this experience of living a more loving experience for everyone.”