Glossary of Terms

• A-spot

  the Anterior Fornix Erogenous (AFE) zone, the recess on the anterior wall of the vagina formed by the protrusion of the cervix into the vagina

• C-spot

  the glans of the clitoris

• Chakra

  an energy point or node in the body. In the western adaptation of tantra, there are seven chakras: the root chakra (Muladhara) located at the perineum or base of the spine, the spleen/belly/sacral chakra (Svadisthana) located below the naval, the solar plexus chakra (Manipura) located above the naval, the heart chakra (Anahata), the throat chakra (Visuddha), the third-eye chakra (Anja) located in the middle of the forehead, and the crown chakra (Sahasrara) located at the top of the head. Each chakra is concerned with a certain set of needs and desires

• G-spot

  an area immediately beyond the rough textured protrusion from the anterior wall of the vagina, near the vaginal opening

• Kundalini

  in some western interpretations, it is equivalent to prana. In others, kundalini is a manifistation of prana that usually resides coiled around the root chakra. In such interpretations, a goal of tantra is to free the kundalini energy so that it may travel upwards through the seven chakras

• Mantra

  an esoteric word or sound. With regards to chakras, there are seven mantras, each corresponding to a specific chakra. In order from the root chakra to the crown chakra, the mantras are LOM, VOM, ROM, YOM, HOM, SHOM, and OM.

• Prana

  lifeforce/sexual energy

• Tantra

  a style of meditation and a collection of practices dating from 1000 BCE. While tantra encompasses far more than the sensual side of the human condition, here in the West, that is the popular focus

• Tantrassage

  a non-therapeutic massage using the five tantric touches

• U-spot

  a horseshoe-shaped region to the sides and above the urethral opening

• Yoni

  sacred space, tantric term for vulva. The tantric term for penis is lingam, or wand of light