I wish to inspire and guide gay and bisexual men to find self fullfillment through sexual, emotional, physical and spiritual enlightenment.

 

The teachings we share are based on personal experience that were learned over many years of practice and which are well written about in many TANTRA books by many great writers, even though our teachings are based - as we say - purely on intuition and experience and our teachings go way beyond what any of the ancient masters and their teachings state, and you will be told concepts and ideas that are not shared anywhere else. This encourages the integration of all aspects of our life which includes sexuality as part of a spiritual journey. I believe that our fundamental nature, the core of who we are, is pure, perfect, and divine, and I endeavor to share a greater awareness of the true divine Self, to connect with the Self and to be aware in the 'now moment' exactly how divine we truly are.

 

Hamilton Hall recognizes the special needs and unique advantages of those who have developed a gay identity. Many of our gay / bisexual customers tell us that they were raised in a culture that views gay love as unnatural and immoral and these false notions about sexuality and lifestyle often get internalized, leading to feelings of shame, unworthiness and loneliness. Most traditional religions add to the spiritual isolation of gay men by promoting these notions, which these days cause many to reject traditional religions, throwing themselves into work, sex, drug and rock'n'roll - ( so to speak ) and this does not help sort the 'problem' - it just masks it in busy busy busyness. Hamilton Hall can help gay and bisexual men develop a well-integrated identity that can be a positive asset in their spiritual and every-day life. When you learn some alternative truths - some different ways of seeing things, then life can change dramatically for the better.

 

Tantra is widely misunderstood in the west and we prefer to use the expression 'Ecstatic Awareness'. Many are put off the teachings of Tantra as it comes with all sorts of Hindu and eastern philosophies that can confuse a western mind.

 

Everyone knows how to watch a television, you switch it on and flit from channel to channel. But what makes it work ? How does the remote control do its thing ? Where does the signal come from and how ? Confused ?

 

Well don't be, you see, everyone can watch TV while very few actually understand how it works... and what's more... you don't need to in order to enjoy the programmes.

 

Same goes for Ecstatic Awareness, or at least, what is commonly called Tantra.

 

You do not need to get bogged down in an eastern culture and belief system.

 

You do not need to learn a load of Sanskrit words and other complicated things foreign to you, in order to enjoy the practice of what TANTRA achieves.

 

You do not need a teacher spouting long foreign words at you and you don't need them to put themselves on a pedestal.

 

Tantra is NOT restricted to those who study Hindi or any other philosophy and anyone - from any culture - following any religious belief - or none at all, can connect with the energies we use - and which are actually universal energies - and enjoy their life giving qualities and a true connection to something - BIGGER, from within.

 

In this case, by harnessing and expanding the energies and boundaries of your conventional sexuality, one can learn to harness the Divine Energy, glimpsed only briefly by most, and use this as an avenue to the God within.

 

You see: in many ancient beliefs and faiths, sexuality was seen as the ultimate sacred act - the most holy sacrament., a time of holy worship and was often facilitated in the temple where ordinary men and women would join in an orgy ( holy celebration ) of sexual freedom in order to experience the God Within, as the sexual energies raised are the strongest and most powerful energies we have within us in order to connect and open the Third Eye and touch on the spirit of Divinity that lays within us all.

 

( take a breath...)

 

Of course we are also aware that sexuality may not be your journey, as meditation may also not be for you, and that your journey may be through some other medium altogether. Sexuality and spirituality do not always marry comfortably with some people who are - maybe - still stuck in the viewpoint that sex is dirty and wrong... and so another avenue to their God within will be searched and - hopefully - found. There are many different ways of watching the TV and many different channels available... just as there are many different journeys into the Self - and if this workshop turns out not to have been 'your thing' then at least you will be wiser about what is and what is not - for you.

 

Some Tantra Schools have claimed that what we offer at Hamilton Hall is not true Tantra - based in Hindu traditions, and I am proud to say, I agree, it is not. I have learned everything I know through experience and never - ever - through reading a book or attending a class on the subject. I do not teach what someone else has taught me and I have not followed another in awe to get to where I am today. I have been open to channel since I was a small boy of just 8 years of age and have always had that 'knowing' and while other schools teach from ancient techniques that have worked for many over the centuries and usually always from an eastern outlook filled with structures and symbols and organized rituals, I find that this simply does not work for many in the west who have doubts, questions and a refusal to get involved with yet another belief structure that - to many - as their own western belief structure has not helped, then why should another ? Especially one based in a completely alien culture. So I teach what I know and what - actually - goes way beyond the books and the other more 'traditional' workshops and this works a lot better, goes a lot deeper and is more suitable for the 21st century western mind.

 

You see, all it is, is a Universal Energy that the Hindu's and others wrote down, gave a nice little chant to, a colour and a name and this has been taught for thousands of years - and now with the dawning of a new age, it is time to let go these old ways of doing things and start with a whole new approach, a more modern and 'up to date' method, and THIS is what I teach - and believe me VERY FEW WHO TEACH TANTRA HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED WHAT THEY TEACH - while I have,- and I go way beyond what is shared in the books. Many work With an ego , while I say it is about sharing - and leaving ego alone - it just destroys.

 

Attitudes towards sexuality have changed in the last 50 years and the hippy period of the 1960's saw a HUGE change in the way people generally viewed sexuality. But there is STILL too much clap trap associated with sex... too much guilt, fear, doubts and worries, and to this, our teachings and the way I facilitate them, is aimed at lightening the load and helping to bring you into an awareness that much of what you have been told ... much of what society believes, and much of what is believed to be 'straight - gay or otherwise'- is wrong.

 

Sex is not dirty. Sex is not the original sin.

 

( The original sin was the fact that a women - Eve - defied a male God and her male partner Adam and eat the apple - despite them - the fact that God never told her personally not to eat the apple, God told Adam this before Eve even makes an appearance in the Garden of Eden - was considered for a long time to be the original sin and not sex - and that Eve was then punnished with having to go through the pain of child birth - and if you believe that - you'll believe anything.)

 

Sex is not X rated and sex is not only for procreation.and sex between men is God given and right.

 

As gay and bisexual men, we also have a great deal of religious intolerance surrounding our lifestyle and the sooner we learn what an evil deed the church perpetrates in these matters, the sooner we can get on with living our lives - freely - sexually and in peace with ourselves and whatever God we may choose, or not, to believe in.

 

Since ancient times, sexuality was always seen as a holy act. These weekends introduce you to many aspects of that, and the physical, - and the spiritual,- and the emotional- and the - well - come and find out for yourself...

 

I look forward to welcoming you to Hamilton Hall and to what may be a life changing experience.With a smile and with friendship.

 

In Peace.

 

 

John Bellamy