Implicit in Kama Sutra is an invitation to all lovers to join in the cosmic dance. Whether we’re aware or not, the joining of loving bodies in physical demonstrations of desire is a sacred act. Regardless of the nature of the act, to love physically is to participate in the divine dance. In making love with one another, we weave ourselves into the universe and come part of its integral whole. We help to hold it together.

If that sounds like a big responsibility, it’s because you’ve never approached your sexuality from this standpoint before. When you actually undertake to do so, the whole thing becomes a lot less daunting. It just feels right. That’s because it is.

Your sexuality and living it out in a wholesome, joyful way is part of the divine plan and an important component of cosmic harmony. When the energy that passes between two people is intense and incarnated through acts of physical intimacy, you draw closer to the divine without even understanding that’s the case. The many moments of our life we spend in sexual congress, or in physical intimacy, are moments in which we lift the veil that conceals from us, in our everyday lives, the true nature of the godhead.

We are part of it, and in our sexuality, we are living out our most extravagantly divine natures. This is an awesome thought I’d like readers to take special note of. In fact, there’s an exercise I would encourage you all to try. Take off your clothes. Now, go look at yourself in a full-length mirror. Take the time to really look at yourself, to move your arms and legs, to smile at yourself and to examine the wonder of your beautiful, human body.

There may be some bumps, lumps, zig-zags, and ripples we look at and would prefer not to see. Every one of those presumed imperfections, though, is a wonderful and unique story about the incredibly individual nature of our bodies. We all have these unpredictable, ripply, lumpy, bumpy bodies. They share some common features. But our bodies are also specifically us. The human body is a tale of life and all it entails — the good, the bad, the challenging, and the terrifying. Our bodies are like passports, stamped by our days and years with the experiences we’ve had, the adventures we’ve survived and the imprints of thousands of those who have come before us, making us who we are. We are incredibly complex beings and this is reflected in the wondrous human body.

Looking at your physical self and seeing yourself for what you are is a doorway to seeing others in the same, expansive and wonderstruck way. Your body isn’t a crackerjack box. It’s you. It’s what people see and say, “There’s thingamabob!” It’s your calling card and your way of involving yourself in the day to day life of the world around you. Without it, you’d be a disembodied, amorphous Casper the Friendly Ghost, drifting about unnoticed (or perhaps scaring the living crap out of people). What I’m saying is simple — your body is what makes you human. All of it. Even the parts you don’t particularly care for. Your body is your story.

The first and most important part of loving another person as they are, is loving yourself. When you can behold yourself nude and vulnerable, you’ll be able to see your partner more compassionately, less judgmentally and more appreciatively. Now get ready to put that renewed vision of love to good use as we explore the Kama Sutra’s gifts to sexuality.

Your flesh is what the divine works with. God has no hands but ours. You are an instrument of the divine in the cosmos, working to hold together and uplift the harmonious interplay and balance of the universe. When the two become one, all is whole. When you love, the music of the spheres is heard, as the stuff of Creation is knit together again and sustained. Love is divine and making love as a co-creation of the universe, through every touch, every sigh, and every movement of our bodies together, makes of us god’s partners. Through our sexual natures, we come as close to the divine order in the cosmos as we may, as mere human beings, we become divine.

Life is a broad combination of factors that add up to a whole. All these factors don’t exist in a vacuum. The universe, being a dynamic engine consisting of apparently opposite tensions and almost limitless variety, is the model of life itself. This can serve as the model of your lives together. Life’s variety can’t be segmented off and boxed into categories that isolate one of its features from all the others. The bits and pieces of our lives are not bits and pieces at all – they’re dynamically interconnected, just as the universe itself is and as we all are with one another. Your romantic relationship, therefore, is designed to be the exemplar of a greater reality; a microcosm of reality itself.

One area that the Kama Sutra goes very in-depth, is how to go about finding a spouse for yourself. There are a number of different sections that discuss this matter, and each provides practical tips to assist you. Some of the advice given may not be as applicable in today’s world, as the invention of the internet has changed the dating landscape significantly. Also, many of us date for pleasure and not always with the goal of marriage, so this may not apply to everyone who is reading it. However, marriage was an important aspect of life back when the Kama Sutra was written, so it should come as no surprise that much of the book is written with married couples in mind.

In the Kama Sutra, discussion about marriage begins with finding someone within the same caste as you, and nowadays this is not nearly as relevant. In modern times we avoid breaking people down into different caste systems, but there is some truth with regards to finding someone of a similar background. You want to ensure that you and your partner have similar beliefs and morals, as individuals who are too strongly opposed to the others’ ideas may not work out in the long-term. This is especially important when it comes to key points, such as:

• Do you and your partner both want children?
• How do you plan on raising those children?
• Are you devout in your religious beliefs?
• What are the ideas of gender roles within a marriage?
• Are your political beliefs similar?
• How do you feel about alcohol and drugs?
• Are your sex drives similar?
• Do you both want to get married?
• How do you approach financial matters?
• What do you expect from a partner?
• Where do you see yourself living?
• What are your main goals in life?

While a difference in opinion can be healthy and is even encouraged, if you differ on vital points, then you are doomed to fail. If one of you dreams of being a parent, but the other is absolutely against having children, there will eventually be resentment between you as one partner will feel that a core desire is not being met.

With regards to the Kama Sutra, the majority of the text on marriage discusses how a man should go about finding a wife and what he should look for in the woman that he marries. There is also a lot of discussion regarding marriages in which the man has multiple wives, and the role each wife should take in the relationship. This information is not as applicable today, so we have opted to leave it out of this chapter. But in order to properly cover everything that exists within the Kama Sutra, it is still worth mentioning that it exists.

How one seeks out a wife is not the only thing that is discussed, and its fact, the Kama Sutra goes into great detail regarding how a man should then pursue a woman and win her over. The Kama Sutra mentions the following in terms of what a man should avoid when looking for a wife:

• A man should not marry a woman who is asleep or crying
• He should not try and marry a woman who is already married
• He should avoid someone with a bad sounding name or whose name ends in the letter R or L
• A man should not marry a woman who is disfigured, has crooked thighs, or is bald
• He should seek to marry a virgin who has reached puberty
• A man should not marry his friend or his sister

We can take away from the above list because times certainly have changed, and many of what is listed seem both childish and absurd by today’s standards. However, some points, such as not marrying someone who is asleep or who is crying, are still very much valid and should be respected and adhered to! So, what should an ideal bride be?

• She should be beautiful to look upon She should come from a good family
• Her age should be three years or younger than the man
• She should be wealthy
• Her body should be in good health and have lucky marks on it
• She should not have been married previously
• Most importantly, she should be the one that the man loves

Now, that last point may seem contradictory to the others, for what if the man falls in love with a woman that is bald? Or a woman that is not three years younger than himself? Well, it is said in the Kama Sutra that above all else, the only that thing that will bring true happiness and prosperity is marrying someone that you are attached to and to whom you feel love. Without love, there is no reason to marry, and this is something we can attest to even today.

There are different types of marriages discussed within the Kama Sutra, but the main type is what is called Gandharva marriage. This is the type of marriage when two people are equally attracted to one another, and without any interference from others consent to be married. There are no rituals or family involved, and instead is private between the two who are to be wed. While this was seen as not socially correct, it is the type of marriage that is brought about due solely to love, and this is one of the highest forms of marriage attainable.

What we can take from the Kama Sutra in terms of marriage is that love should be the basis for a successful marriage. Regardless of what your spouse looks like or what family they are born into, if you love the person, you should seek them out and create that relationship with them. Looks will eventually fade, and social status can change, but what should be everlasting is the love you have for one another. As long as you have that, the marriage is starting out on the right foot.

Although love requires much more than a simple physical attraction, the way a person looks is often the first thing that draws us to them. When you are looking to meet someone, and you know nothing about them as a person, you are going solely off of how they look to you. If someone is physically unattractive in your eyes, there is very little chance that you will want to pursue something intimate with them, and thus the road to love is cut short.

The Kama Sutra acknowledges this and spends a lot of time discussing how to make yourself more physically desirable so that you can ultimately find love. We are in no way suggesting that your appearance is the only thing about you that matters, but we are saying that you should pamper and care for yourself in order to be the best version of yourself that you can be. From good hygiene practices to wearing your favorite sexy dress, making yourself look good will also make you feel good, and that creates an energy that will draw someone to you.

The Kama Sutra discusses love in-depth and focuses heavily on marriages as the best type of union. With that said, however, it does acknowledge that not all sexual relations happen within the confines of marriage, and it does discuss the varying types of relationships that can occur.
One part of the Kama Sutra that is important to take note of, is the fact that the author makes sure to point out that love alone is not enough to sustain a relationship, nor is it enough to make a person happy within their life. While love is an important part of pleasure and being satisfied, it cannot be the only thing that you rely on in order to make you happy. If you pin all of your hopes and expectations onto one person, you are going to find yourself let down and dissatisfied, as one person cannot possibly meet all of your needs and desires. Instead, you should look at love as one piece of the puzzle that is fitted with other aspects in order to create a beautiful image.
From a historical perspective, the concept of monogamy was not as enforced as it is in today’s society, and instead, there were many courtesans, or prostitutes, that were utilized without judgment. The Kama Sutra makes many notes towards courtesans, as their role in providing the ultimate sexual pleasure was very important even though it may not have involved love. Since this isn’t as applicable in today’s world, however, we can adapt these teachings as more of a personal guide on how to behave. The reason why courtesans were so desirable is because they were generous lovers who focused on their partner’s pleasure and had qualities about that that made them engaging and entertaining. While you should never be something you are, not just to please someone else, the idea of working on your own personality and qualities to enhance them and make yourself more interesting is certainly not a negative. We should all work towards building up who we are, being confident in ourselves, and feeling free enough to express our innermost desires.

when it comes to love, there is much that can be said on how to obtain it, maintain it, and nourish it. While sex and love do not always go hand in hand, the Kama Sutra does emphasize

the importance of love and goes to great lengths in order to detail exactly how a person can find love and then how they should go about ensuring that it lasts for a lifetime. Love begins with oneself, and only then can it be extended beyond that and onto someone else. That is why the Kama Sutra makes sure to include ways to enhance your own inner love and desire but focusing on self-care and self-adornment. The more you love yourself, the more you can love others, and the more they can love you in return. If you are down on yourself, lack self-worth, or generally feel unlovable, then you will project that onto everyone that you come in contact with. You need to be able to present the best version of yourself possible, and always remember, there is nothing sexier in life than confidence!

Love is an extremely complex concept, and while we all may feel we understand what love is, if you ask 100 individuals to define love, you will end up with 100 different responses. Love is defined as the feeling of attraction and desire that one feels towards another, but if you have ever been in love, you will know that it extends far beyond that shallow explanation. Love and lust can often be confused with one another since both play on attraction and desire, but the simplest way to break the two apart is to see love as something that is long-term, whereas lust often will fade or develop into love. When it comes to love, there are many factors

that go into both falling in love, as well as staying in love with someone. Love is not easy, nor is it free from work, and in order to maintain a healthy, loving relationship, you must be willing to sacrifice, compromise, and put in effort daily. Love is something that can grow and deepen with time like a tree grows its roots down into the earth. What begins as only a small sapling can eventually turn into a mighty oak that even the worst of storms cannot damage. But how does one grow that tree of love? And how does one nurture it so that it is not cut down with time?

Looking at ancient Hindu texts, we know that the four virtues were commonly discussed and written at length about. Many of the texts focused on the two important virtues of Dharma (morality), and Athra (prosperity), while few really delved into the importance of Kama (pleasure). Vatsyayana meditated upon this reality and came to the conclusion that Kama was just as important as all of the other virtues, and so it was only proper to have a guide written solely about how to obtain Kama.

The four virtues can be looked at more like goals that each person much work towards within their lifetime in order to lead a complete and fulfilled life. Within the Kama Sutra, there are many references to the other virtues as they are all tied together and must be achieved in order to succeed. One cannot simply focus on the physical pleasures and ignore the need for morality or prosperity, so you may notice throughout that sex and morality are often combined, as well as sex and finding a partner that brings about monetary prosperity.

To understand the philosophy behind the Kama Sutra, it is vital that you understand what it was intended to be. The sex acts that are described throughout are little more than theatrics, with an emphasis on outrageous and yoga-inspired poses. The goal was unlikely to be used as a literal manual, but instead to be used as a way to understand both society and the individual. A vast majority of the book is taken up by discussing how men and women interact within society, both as a whole and simply with each other. It can be seen as almost a screenplay, taking us on a journey of love within ancient Indian times. There is talk of love, intimacy, and mundane tasks such as bathing and grooming. The Kama Sutra is a manual on all aspects of pleasure, both in the sexual sense and in the day to day realm.

Kama is so often seen as something that is less important than other aspects of human pursuit. We are told to work hard, earn money, find a spouse, have children, and live a moral and righteous life. But rarely are advised on how to let loose and enjoy ourselves, or how important of a role sex plays in the human experience. The Kama Sutra is the bridge over that gap, intended to lift the importance of pleasure and sex, and place it in as high of regard as all the other aspects we are expected to work towards.

Some have questioned whether or not the Kama Sutra really is a female positive as it may appear, but if you approach it from the idea of the times, then it can actually be seen as more of a feminist work of art than the surface would suggest.

There is an obvious sexual freedom that is discussed within, one which even our current societal viewpoint doesn’t always acknowledge. Try bringing up the topic of female masturbation and see the sudden puritanical viewpoint that many people rush to. Movies are quick to showcase men in a sexual manner, but female sexuality is much more often subdued or removed completely from the narrative. To have a book that explores the different facets of a woman’s sexuality is unique, both historically as well as in the current climate. Given that the Kama Sutra talks almost nothing of procreation, it truly highlights the idea that this is a guide for pleasure and nothing more. So, by its own very nature, it is also a book dedicated to a woman’s pleasure, both by herself and that which is given to her by her partner. Beyond just sex, the Kama Sutra also discusses how to treat a woman properly so that she is nurtured and cared for in all aspects of life. It discusses showering her with affection and gifts and giving her absolute power when it comes to the home’s finances.

From a philosophical standpoint, the Kama Sutra opens our minds to the needs of both men and women, and it does a good job of including women in the discussion, especially for the times. Not only does it take a more liberal and open-minded approach to women, but that same approach is extended to homosexuality and bisexuality as well. There are many references and discussions about men sleeping with men and women pleasuring other women, as well as advice on having threesomes and even orgies. Whatever the sexual desire is of the individual is both encouraged and celebrated, and there is no judgment cast upon those who may differ from what is considered the norm.

The Kama Sutra makes us think by challenging our conceptions and internalized beliefs when it comes to sex. Whether it is something we partake in or not, it opens our eyes to the different forms of relationships that can exist both romantically and sexually and offers up advice on how to succeed in achieving absolute pleasure. It removes the idea that sex should be for procreating and instead emphasizes the pleasure that can be found within a sexual encounter. On a deeper level, it challenges the notion that physical pleasure should take a backseat to otherworldly pursuits and that pleasure is just as important in life as everything else. For a life without pleasure, it isn’t truly a life worth living at all.

What Does It Teach Us?

The Kama Sutra teaches us many things, from how to take care of ourselves to how to take care of our partner. Everything begins with you and how you groom yourself and carry yourself in this world. It is an extremely practical guide that mixes real-world advice with philosophical ideas and concepts. It is meant to make us sit back and think about why we do what we do and

how we can live a better life overall. But all of that begins with the individual person.

Even if we only look at the sexual aspect of the Kama Sutra, we can see exactly what the author is attempting to teach us about physical pleasure. None of us would exist without sex, so why do we diminish its role in our lives? The pleasure of the senses is literally necessary for life, so why not enjoy that and learn how to act upon those desires in both a free and moral way.

Beyond the sexual nature of the Kama Sutra, it also is a guide that teaches us how to live a good life in general. It goes in-depth on topics such as the arts, music, and literature, as well as how to be a good husband or wife. It discusses financial matters, matters of the home, and even how to properly select a spouse that is balanced with you. It goes into great detail about how you should bathe and groom yourself, where you can meet people, and how to enjoy your day and please your spouse.

From a philosophical viewpoint, it teaches us that both men and women should engage in sensual pleasures and that sex is not just for men to get off with. Unlike many historical texts that downplay a woman’s sexual desires, the Kama Sutra takes a deep look at what a woman’s sexual nature is and how to properly satisfy it both before sex as well as during. That isn’t to say, however, that the Kama Sutra is an extremely liberal book or that it holds men and women in the same regard. It is written during a time of caste systems and where women’s role in a marriage was not as high as that of the man. Men were still considered the head of the household, and much of what is described revolves around a man pursuing a woman. But, compared with other forms of literature, it does take a more liberal view of

women’s sexuality, as well as homosexual relationships, and the idea of having sex solely for pleasure and outside of marriage.

How to Use the Kama Sutra?

The Kama Sutra can be used in two ways, both as a practical guide as well as a philosophical work of art. Some may approach the Kama Sutra only as a guide to sex positions, and this is perfectly acceptable as a large chunk of text is dedicated to this pursuit. However, to use the Kama Sutra fully, you must look at it as a whole and take into account both the historical significance as well as the idea that it may not be as practical as one may originally think.

Many of the sex acts described within the Kama Sutra are outside a normal person’s ability and require a high degree of flexibility to perform. There are even positions within the book that are physically impossible unless the man has a very uniquely shaped lingam (penis). Later in this book, we will look at some of the positions that are possible, however, and break down how exactly you can do them and incorporate them into your personal sex life. In many ways, there are a number of similarities between the sex acts within this book and the practice of yoga. Through breathing as one with your partner, folding into different positions, and experiencing everything in unity, you can achieve a higher sense of awareness and satisfaction. So, even if you are unable to achieve the positions as described, think of it more like a workout for the mind and body and attempt a sexier form of yoga.

Since the positions are not always practical, you should use the Kama Sutra more as a general guide for how to deepen your pleasure. This book has taken many of the important concepts and ideas and broken them down into practical tips and advice so that you can elevate your sex life and truly engage in a more pleasurable and sensual experience. Beyond just the

sexual side of it all, the Kama Sutra should also be used as a guide on how to treat your partner both inside and outside of the bedroom. It can assist you in being more romantic and intimate, as well as teach you how to make sure your partner is satisfied completely within the relationship.

With a breakdown of different personalities and temperaments, the Kama Sutra also discusses how you can go about finding the right partner for you based on ancient concepts and ideas. While some of the information may seem absurd in the context of today’s world, not everything should be taken as a literal word. Instead, it is important that you read the Kama Sutra as a concept more than a script and that between the lines, you see that even the most ancient of dating tips are still applicable today.

Kama Sutra will bring you closer together

This is all about experimentation here, which is a wild and wonderful thing. It states that if both partners take a sense of humor about it and laugh it off together when a position goes wrong or needs practice, then you get closer.

The Kama Sutra teaches you the art of fellatio and cunnilingus

Most people have a way of approaching oral sex, which is what is described above in the subtitle, in the same old way. This is a common thing, and a lot of times, it’s taken as a job with skills that are not that good because face it, most of us have no one to teach us and furthermore, the only role model they have is porn which is fantasy at best.

Kama Sutra makes you so much more confident

Being a great lover and partner and seeing the look on your partner’s face will give you a very big confidence boost. When you’re more confident doing one of the most nerve-wracking things and the thing that makes you the most vulnerable because you are naked, then, you can do anything.

Kama Sutra values empowering women

Despite all what our modern-day society keeps preaching about women and sexuality, Kama Sutra has a different view on this subject matter. Kama Sutra suggests that a woman needs to study the different forms of sex before she gets married. When a woman understands the different forms of sex, she would be a better mate and would be more desirable by her man. So, the Kama Sutra encouraging women and empowering them is one of the biggest benefits you stand to gain from the book.

Kama Sutra makes a clear classification of a man’s penis

Also, the Kama Sutra made mention of the size of a man’s penis and that it matters when choosing a mate. There are three types of man penis by Kama Sutra — the bull, horse, and hare. Kama Sutra also made mention of different sizes of woman’s vagina, and that a perfect match of the vagina size and penis sizes would result in a good sexual experience.

Kama Sutra also emphasizes on living a healthy life and well-balanced one

Kama Sutra is also a book that talks about tips on how to live a healthy life. The Kama Sutra encourages that a man and a woman should embrace cleanliness which would, in turn, boost their health. A man, for instance, should shave his beard on a regular basis, and take his bath and eat healthily, and the same applies to a woman too. She should bread her hair and shave as well. Couples could also try mutual grooming.

Kama Sutra talks about enticing  and approaching women

The Kama Sutra also talks about interesting tips a man can use to entice and approaching a woman. This tip helps men to know how to touch and caress a woman in other to express their desire when they want to have sex. When a man knows these various tips and how to use them, he will find it easier to get his message over to the woman. The tips of how to entice and approach a woman further move on to touching and embracing.

Kama Sutra talks about eight different types of embrace

There are different types of embrace from the Kama Sutra. It further tells us that there are up to eight different types of embrace that can be used for

different purposes. Because of Kama Sutra’s teaching, we now know how to apply the various types of embrace. And applying the right type of embrace at the right moment would set the right mood in motion. So, rather than keeping all your emotions inside, you can now use the various teaching from Kama Sutra about embrace to seduce and lure your lover into that perfect love zone.

Kama Sutra teaches about kissing

There are different forms of kissing too. Kama Sutra also teaches that a woman should feel too shy about a kiss. We all know that a man, in most cases, is the one that initiates the kiss, but a woman should not feel shy to be the one to start the kiss first. There are also different types of kiss that partner can use to deeply connect with each other at particular points in your relationship. Like a type of kissing couples can engage in when walking on a lonely street. There are also different types of kisses that lovers can engage in when they want to make love.

Kama Sutra is divided into a set of 64 acts

Contrary to the belief that the Kama Sutra doesn’t have a list of sex positions, howbeit lovemaking that includes penetration is divided into 64 acts. These acts explain the different ways couples can have sex to enjoy the maximum pleasure from sex. To have the best sex, you have to combine it with stimulating desire and engaging in an embrace, caressing, kissing, biting, slapping, moans, oral sex, and everything in-between.

Kama Sutra recommends that your scratch your partner

There are different types of scratch you can have with your partner. With this knowledge Kama Sutra provides us, we can add a twist to lovemaking

without loved ones. Moreover, leaving scratch marks on your lover’s body can help keep the fire burning for each other even when your lover is not close to you.

Kama Sutra recommends that your woman lover should reach orgasm first

When making love with our loved ones, Kama Sutra suggests that the woman should be the first to have an orgasm. This point is valid because of the extreme exhaustion a man feels after having an orgasm, whereby he wouldn’t be able to proceed with sex, at least not immediately. So, in other to have great sex, the woman should be the first to have an orgasm before the man allows himself to have an orgasm.

Kama Sutra also talks about a woman’s sex as being more than just sex penetrations

In Kama Sutra, there is more to sex than penetration for a woman. To a woman, the whole act is sensual, but to a man, it reaches orgasm at the end of the intercourse. Most men think that making a woman have an orgasm is their ultimate act, but a woman needs both sexual and physiological pleasure to be able to satisfy her urge. Thanks to Kama Sutra, many men who were getting this concept wrong have been able to make adjustments.

Kama Sutra teaches many aspects of the sexual act

There are four sections of one chapter of the Kama Sutra that deal with foreplay, after play, sexual congress, and sexual preparation.

The Kama Sutra makes you more attractive

This is the part that teaches you the most valuable you need to make your love life very successful. There is magic when you learn what the other person’s needs are; this is a real connection, which is the reason they are attracted to you.

This also tells you how to set the mood and how to groom yourself to be ready for your encounter. It also tells you how to use sensual touches and techniques that you’ll find in the Kama Sutra.

Two thousand years after it was first introduced, the Kama Sutra is not only relevant, it has manifested itself in every form of art, entertainment, and education.

During the middle ages, courtiers of the Muslim sultans that dominated India treated the “treatise on love” as nothing more than a sex manual, something to provide fantasies to their masters.

By the time the 1980s came around, the only thing that had changed was its circulation. The art books showcasing only the positions (and not the message) of the Kama Sutra reached Western culture. The Internet gave it even more popularity, but only as semi-pornographic material.

Various catalogs of the sexual positions were published, consisting of positions that weren’t even included in the Kama Sutra. Not only had the message been stricken from these books, they presented a paint-by-numbers method of how to reinvigorate a couple’s sex life. The positions were deemed pornographic, immoral and fodder for people of low standards.

Throughout the 1990s, a slow reemergence of the first publication began, and a society that longs for sexual equality, as well as sexual liberation, began to embrace the meaning and intent of the Kama Sutra’s positions.

The evolution of Kama Sutra’s reputation is most evident in today’s entertainment. The ancient Indian text has permeated into movies and television shows on both sides of the globe, such as Sex and The City (US, 2000) and Kama Sutra: Tale of Love (1996, India/UK).

The Kama Sutra has inspired a wild range of artwork. From delicate paintings to crude diagrams of the sexual positions to educate, to cartoon

style interpretations to amuse, to erotic photographs to titillate, it would seem for every one of the original positions, and there are hundreds of ways in which they’ve been depicted.

The publishing industry continues to give birth to new translations and interpretations of the Kama Sutra. There are also many novels and self-help books for couples that cater to beginners, experts and those with idle curiosity. Many of these manifestations of the Kama Sutra adhere to the book’s message of emotional and sensual connected-ness, but there are, of course, books that reduce the ancient tome as nothing more than kinky positions that can spice up any sexual encounter.

In an effort to educate the masses, seminars, workshops, magazine articles, websites, and even blogs have committed to de-mystifying the Kama Sutra. Unfortunately, in an attempt to make the material more accessible if not relatable, many of these formats focus on the thrill of trying the positions with little mention of intimacy. And when intimacy is encouraged, it’s often done in the form of suggesting candles, perfumes, and oils.

Perhaps by delving into the emotional work that the Kama Sutra entails, authors and moderators fear they may lose a large part of their audience. After all, in today’s society, becoming emotionally naked sounds more like therapy than the beginning of an exploration into one’s sexuality.

Ironically, modern culture has had only moderate success in getting the meaning of the positions to the masses, and yet it often gets confused with Tantra, which has a much stronger spiritual component than the Kama Sutra.