Dawn Cartwright Bio-Energetic Tantra fusion Innovator [INTERVIEW]

If you have ever wondered about Tantra or NeoTantra, you’re not alone. Is it intimacy? Is it sex? Exactly what is it? To get answers to the fundamental questions about Tantra I sat down with with an expert on the subject, Dawn Cartwright. She is a Tantric visionary, sacred writer and innovator in bio-energetic Tantra fusion. She opened up on the subject and did an incredible job of educating me on the subject. If you’re looking for answers, this wellness coach explains it all beautifully. We are excited to share this Luxe Beat Magazine exclusive interview…

Sherrie Wilkolaski: What is Neo-Tantra?

Dawn Cartright: Some of the earliest written evidence of Tantra appears in the RgVeda, the oldest of the Vedic Texts, dated roughly between 1100 and 500 B.C.E. The Keśin Hymn, 10.136 of the Rigveda, describes dust-clad munis who regularly cavorted with the wind, celestial nymphs, and heavenly musicians. The muni, known for their wildly unconventional way of life, engaged in practices far outside the Brahmanical norm; defining evidence of an early Tantra tradition.  

The munis, led by ecstasy, cultivated a relationship with the wind, and through that relationship, accessed places where the Gods reside. Since the beginning of time, the ecstasy we feel when we are truly alive has been a guide leading toward self-awareness; the discovery of who we truly are and what this cosmos truly is.  

Tantra is a vast and controversial subject. Scholars themselves admit the futility of distinguishing Tantra from other Hindu and Vedic paths, yet when we take the view that ecstasy calls us home to ourselves and what is meaningful, Tantra is a field of study that offers a useful vocabulary for that conversation.  

The Tantra tradition we are most familiar with today is Neo-Tantra, the “new” or “revived” version known for its embrace of sexuality. What better way to access ecstasy than sex? Yet that very focus has drawn great controversy and skepticism. The Christian repressive attitudes prevalent even in India have enforced a separation between the spiritual and physical. Many Tantra scholars are adamant that Tantra is not sex. When we take a closer look, we discover everything exists in everything – one of the great teachings of Tantra. Sex exists in everything. Meditation exists in everything. To divide anything creates duality. Tantra is a non-dual path. Ecstasy is the dissolution of barriers. 

For the Neo-Tantra practitioner, Tantra is the weaving together of sexuality and spirituality. The experience of the divine in the beloved and even life itself as the beloved. Neo-Tantra often includes aspects of the classical elements, woven together with humanistic psychology, bio-energetics and communication. 

SW: What motivated you to become an intimacy coach?

DC: I discovered the path of Neo-Tantra by accident shortly after a period of life-changing mystical experiences in lovemaking more than thirty years ago…

It was one of those effervescent May mornings where the sun seemed to find its way into every corner of the world, and the world, adoring this undivided attention, lit up like a jewel in a store front window. The bed was tousled in a way that seduced both dreams and desires as crisp white sheets, feather duvets and soft pillows filled every edge to the brim and overflowing. My lover, a particularly striking and passionate Colombian man, pulled me into his arms and I sank into his chest and belly as our bodies emerged from the deep slumber that followed an evening of ardently arduous primal lovemaking. 

My clothes lay shredded on the floor, my body was a tender map of our journey. Our loving the night before, dark and primordial, had spanned hours and lifetimes as he demanded from me the woman that I’d kept hidden from him. He entered me and then entered me again and again each time reaching a deeper and darker place within me, shattering pretense and laying me, at the last, utterly naked to him.

The morning was as bright as the night had been dark and the sunlight found its way into our bodies and every corner of the bed. The lovemaking began in that sleepy, subdued way where everything seems soft and wet and everything seems to melt into everything all at once. My lover, exotic in his beauty, arched above me and I took him in. I took him in in the mood of the morning, brilliant, strong and full. It was in this moment that I realized that everything had changed. That lovemaking, for me, would never be the same, ever again. 

For, as he entered me, he entered my whole being. From the moment he touched me there was nothing in me that was not filled by him. It was as if the light around us was now streaming within us from his body into mine. I was flooded by the beauty of this man and something beyond the both of us. The cool air of morning gave sharp contrast to the heat between us and as I looked into his eyes I saw something so magnificent, so familiar, yet new. I saw the man beyond the man, the god, if you will, and, even though I had no context for this experience, I knew that I had encountered something so basic and true as to be absolute. 

The atmosphere between us crackled with electric charge and all my senses were flooded with what could only be described as otherworldly sensation. I could see our sounds, hear the trembling of our bodies and I could smell the shift in our reality as it hit my fontanel with the impact of brimstone, some cosmic smelling salts conspiring to wake me up. There was a sound, something more like a shimmering, that brought our lovemaking simultaneously into a cellular and cosmic level and it was as if nothing had ever existed but this. I felt the world born within me, within every atom of my being. 

We loved one another that morning suspended in time. And the beauty of it is just how simple that morning was to two lovers willing to see it, a morning like 10,000 other beautiful mornings. Simple and human and tender. A morning that had been waiting for us all our lives, that waits for each of us . . . to touch our hearts, give us a glimpse of freedom, of love, of This…

Life continues to gift me with spectacular “mornings” with “him” in all his glorious forms, and soon after this experience life gave me a teacher, even before I knew the word Tantra. This is where “it” began, that effervescent May morning, leading me very quickly to become a sex and intimacy coach, coaching others who recognize the same potential in their love and lovemaking. 

SW: What is the Chandra Bindu Tantra Institute?

DC: Dawn Cartwright is a Tantric visionary focusing her research and study on the ancient and modern forms of Tantra and the actualization of human potential through sexuality.   

Dawn has a degree in psychology from the University of California, Davis, and has completed extensive training in Tantra, Yoga, Sexuality, Bioenergetics, Meditation, and Expressionistic Movement & Art. She has studied many schools of Tantra including Neo-Tantra, Shaktism, Kashmirian Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Tantric Buddhism, Tantric Kriya Yoga and the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra. 

Founder of the Chandra Bindu Tantra Institute in Los Angeles, California, Dawn lives in Los Angeles, California.  

Chandra Bindu Tantra Institute offers programs to support couples and individuals in creating greater intimacy and sexual authenticity in their lives. Through the practice of NeoTantra, there can be a transformation from repressed or blocked sexuality to free flowing self-love, confidence and trust in the experience of sex.   

Individuals and couples may explore issues such as… 

• Tantric Lovemaking & Spirituality
• Tools for Initiating & Deepening Intimacy
• Dynamic Meditations… in Everyday Activities
• Sexual Empowerment for Women, Men & Adolescents
• Support in the Awakening Process

Chandra Bindu Tantra Institute also offers Fragrance of the Lotus, a year long immersion into NeoTantra practice, research, study and community. A year spent discovering the extraordinary within the ordinary, plunging into ancient texts while cultivating the seeds of devotion that live within the heart of human sexuality, a comprehensive experiential exploration of NeoTantra through study and practice.

Fragrance of the Lotus is open to…

• Individuals with a deep love and desire for deepening within the path of NeoTantra.
• Individuals and NeoTantra teachers who wish to receive certification through Dawn Cartwright.
• NeoTantra teachers who have already been certified by Dawn Cartwright and wish to receive the Associates certification & Specialist Certification. 

Fragrance of the Lotus is an invitation to a year of living in the NeoTantric field through direct experience. Attendees will explore the Shakta, Shavia and Vaishnavite Tantric lineages. They’’ll be immersed in sutras from the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra, ignited by sacred sexuality exploration, and inspired by devotional practices. 

Participants will spend over a year in deep ecstatic meditation and go beyond what they have ever imagined, yet have always “known” was possible. They’ll discover what it means to live within and contribute to our modern day society without being confined by it.  

The Fragrance of the Lotus Year-Long Immersion is a commitment to discovery. Through it, attendees are entering a relationship with the most basic aspects of life alongside the most mystical, they will be drawn into a profound relationship with themselves that will illuminate all their relationships. 

“A tremendous change is happening on the planet. I have a feeling we are ready, at long last, to truly love.” Dawn Cartwright 

NeoTantra, by its very nature, transforms all things into their spontaneous natural state, stripping away beliefs and conditionings that have blocked the natural authentic aliveness that exists at the core of each of us. Fragrance of the Lotus, the Immersion, and the men and women who will travel along with you, represent a tremendous step toward knowing yourself by experiencing NeoTantra deeply and intimately.

SW: Tell us about your upcoming Surrender to Bliss Retreat for Couples: White Lodge Resort – Cabo San Lucas.

DC: The Surrender to Bliss Retreat in Cabo San Lucas is an adventure of intimacy and love where dynamic couples rediscover pleasure and surrender to bliss.

During the 5-day, 4-night, weekend set in one of the most beautiful places in all of Mexico, couples are immersed in an all-inclusive experience designed to awaken the senses, ignite their bodies and deepen their love. Couples are pampered with endless ocean views, passion-igniting tools and practices, unique ancestral wellness experiences, locally sourced menus, and eco-friendly amenities, then return each evening to their own private casita, where they’ll fall asleep to the sound of the surf. 

SW: What is the biggest misconception of intimacy vs sex?

DC: Sex is so much more than we’ve ever known it could be. Every experience of intimacy, when fully felt, is a moment of sexual connection. When we limit sex to the bedroom and the genitals, we miss out on a vast number of erogenous moments that have the potential to bring us deeper and closer than ever before. Everyone knows it’s possible to experience sex with little intimacy – and great intimacy without what we normally think of as sex. NeoTantra bridges the gap, revealing the sexual potential in every intimate moment. 

SW: How do you work with clients? 

DC: I work with couples and with singles in 1:1 sessions and weekend retreats. 

In 1:1 sessions, first, I meet with the client by telephone, to understand their background and desires for the future. Together, we set goals to ignite the intimacy and sexual connection they long for, in their bodies if they are single and in their relationship if they are partnered. The work is a step-by-step journey where the client learns and experiences NeoTantra tools and practices selected specifically with them in mind. Tools and practices that awaken the body’s natural ecstatic response. Tools and practices that deepen intimacy and connection in relationship. All practices are taught with warmth and respect. There is no nudity or sexual contact in the sessions themselves. Clients are given homework assignments between sessions to amplify their progress.  

SW: What is your communication style?

DC: For more than 30 years I have supported couples in gaining clarity, magnetizing polarity, reigniting their sexual connection, implementing conscious communication, accessing shared ecstatic states, creating a balance of giving and receiving, openly communicating their desires – and reaching the highest potential in every area of their relationship. I specialize in working intensely with exceptional couples to reach breakthroughs in their intimate connection.

My communication style, centered in conscious communication, is fiercely loving and intelligently passionate.

SW: How do you integrate technology in your coaching?

DC: I do many of my 1:1 sessions via ZOOM. I find this to be a wonderful way for busy couples and singles to make time in their lives for sex and intimacy self-discovery. Sessions may be recorded for later viewing, a powerful practice tool. 

SW: What are the benefits of attending one of your retreats? 

DC: Michael and Aliyah are successful actors here in Los Angeles. They both work long hours on set. When I met them, they were barely ever having sex.

Michael said it was because of the pressure he’s under every day at work. Aliyah felt flat, she had no desire for sex at at all. They told me they had “zero sexual energy in their relationship.”

Both were working so much and under so much stress, they were living on coffee and sugar… and completely out of touch with their bodies.

They barely “felt” anything and were just going through the motions in a life that looked perfect on the outside.

Michael and Aliyah realized their habits were making them lose touch with their bodies and each other. Their high stress, polished life was zapping all their sexual energy. 

They’d lost touch with their own sexual energy and pleasure, their libido and their arousal. 

They’d lost the spark and the magnetism that used to make them want to have sex.

They felt more like robots than lovers. 

They mastered the pleasure principles and boosted their sexual sensations, they discovered their own WHAT, WHY, WHEN, WHERE and HOW . . . and began to slow down their lives enough to access and feel their arousal whenever they were together.

They spent time learning and putting into practice ways of generating a sexual spark in their bodies and their relationship.

It was magnetic, exciting… and euphoric for both of them.

Now, Michael and Aliyah are having more sex… and they’re less stressed and robotic.

I love seeing how they light up the room with their “glow.”

Whether accidentally or intentionally, many couples have distanced themselves from their sexual energy and the natural feelings of arousal that go along with it.

They are despondent because sex has become a chore, something that feels like a responsibility rather than a way of expressing love and experiencing pleasure. 

They have no idea how to ignite their sexual spark… and they’ve lost their “glow.”

Michael and Aliyah learned that it’s possible to reignite themselves… and now they’re having more sex.

They  feel fulfilled, not just sexually, but in every way because the most intimate part of their most intimate relationship “works.” 

All because they learned the pleasure principles.

A big joyful YES came bubbling up when we first met Dawn. We both felt a strong resonance and level of integrity from her. We, being intrepid adventurers, felt in alignment with her teachings. Our intention was to learn more about the whole realm of sex and intimacy. We were seeking in-depth knowledge of the practices and ways to make our relationship more intimate. What we received from Dawn was a masterful weaving of both intimacy and sexuality teachings. 

Experiencing her work overtime drew us to decide to do a year-long immersion with her including teacher training and travel to India and Ireland. We found the whole experience amazing! The subject matter and mental constructs surrounding sex and intimacy are usually charged with fear, excitement, uncertainty, and anticipation. In this vulnerable and powerful state of being, Dawn’s ability to hold a safe container while pushing one’s edges is finely tuned in heart centered awareness. Dawn has the rare ability to clearly convey the subject matter and then extend it into actual practices. She has a way of delivering her wisdom with humor and truth. We now have a treasure box full of tools we can use at will to create higher levels of pleasure and sexual intimacy. What we found throughout our training was a deepening connection with ourselves and our partnership. Our time together was invaluable. We can’t speak highly enough of Dawn and her work. –Katherine & Richard

SW: What type of support system do you have to keep your coaching practice moving forward?

DC: I’m currently working with a high-level coaching firm to assist me in creating life-changing results for my clients. This firm is incredible, high-profile, yet feels like family. They maintain total integrity, a cutting-edge strategy that works, and world-class support implementing every piece. They are assisting me with my 1:1 clients and my online coaching programs. 

SW: What advice do you have for someone interested in becoming a coach?

DC: If you love people and love bringing out the best in them, coaching is the perfect career for you. As a sex and intimacy coach, I have the privilege of working with clients in one of the most important, yet least supported areas of their lives. It’s incredibly rewarding to de-mystify sex and intimacy each and every day as I connect clients with strategies for making all their sex, love, relationship and intimacy dreams come true. 

SW: What surprises you about your work?

DC: I’m still a bit surprised how “normal” it feels! I talk about sex all-day-long and never get tired of it. I’m surprised how comfortable I feel listening to clients share their hopes and dreams for a loving, fulfilling sex life – it’s just so beautiful. I honestly love every single minute of my day and all of my clients. I feel extremely fortunate to be doing this work!

SW: Do you collaborate with other wellness coaches?

DC: I do! There are many wellness coaches that I share referrals with – an amazing team of experts. It’s extremely uplifting to be a part of this community of high-achievers! 

SW: Tell us something fun about you.

DC: I grew up among the tobacco fields of East Tennessee. As a member of the 4-H Club, I once won a blue ribbon for my homemade biscuits! I come from a long line of great southern cooks and there’s no place in the world more “zen” for me than the kitchen.

SW: Do you incorporate music into your coaching?

DC: Music is an important part of my work. The right music creates the atmosphere and the backdrop for deeper work. I’ve often invited live musicians to accompany at my events, there’s nothing like live music and the way it awakens the senses. 

SW: What book(s) are you reading?

DC: I’m currency reading City of Refuge by Starhawk, a beautiful apocalyptic novel that tells the story of deep spirituality and community rebuilding the world. 

SW: How do you define luxury?

Luxury, to me, is pure enjoyment, it’s a place where everything is taken care of. Luxury means being delighted by creative meals, beautiful bedding, lovely lounges and a sense of time standing still. 

Thank you Dawn for talking the time to share with our readers. To learn more about Dawn or to reserve your space at her upcoming Surrender to Bliss Retreat for Couples: White Lodge Resort – Cabo San Lucas, click the link.