Trust and Confidentiality

We will act in accordance to the trust you place in us. We will treat all personal information about you as confidential, including the very fact that you attended a course, event or massage. If we meet you in "real life", we will not make any contact unless you do the first step. We only divulge private information to authorities when it is legally required.

Respect

We appreciate that everyone has their own worldview, ideas, beliefs, anxieties, ways of sexuality, and personal boundaries. We will respect you as a person and always mind your expressed boundaries. You are obliged to treat your teachers and fellow students with this level of respect.

Autonomy

We will protect your autonomy in never forcing our will or worldview upon you. You are always free to participate or not in an exercise. We understand that everyone has different levels of boundaries and will respect without judgement any decision you make about participation.

Professional Standards

We are committed to continuous training and research to improve our quality as teachers and as masseurs. We will not teach anything that we have not ourselves experienced and feel competent on delivering to a group or an individual. All Tantra4gaymen teachers and masseurs attend regular professional supervision. Where an issue is raised and we do not feel competent, we will tell you so and direct you to adequate support.

Well Being

We are committed to promoting your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. We will avoid any kind of exploitation either sexually, emotionally, financially or by any other form.

Diversity

We respect and aim to work with everyone's diversity provided it does not have any detriment to others in the group process or the programme.

Safety

We are 100% passionate about safe and ethical practice. In all of the exercises / practices that we offer we strongly encourage you and provide you with information and items to promote safe practice. It is your personal responsibility to ensure your own sexual safety throughout attending a course, event or massage. If we observe unsafe practice we will invite you to amend your practice safely and immediately. If not adhered to you will be asked to leave the course, event or massage session. Any concerns should be raised with your course teacher or masseur immediately. As tutors and masseurs we actively keep ourselves informed about the latest guidelines relating to safer sex practices.

You are responsible for your own mental, physical, and emotional well being and safety in your choice to participate in any part of a course, event or massage. You are responsible for your own safe practice throughout our courses, events or massage. This means that in agreeing to attend a course, event or massage session you are agreeing to safe practice whether that be of a sexual nature, mental, physical or emotional. i.e. not exposing yourself to health risks and not exposing yourself to situations where you feel you maybe damaged or hurt on an emotional, physical and mental level. Our teachers and masseurs reserve the right to withdraw any services to you at any time if they are concerned about your well being and welfare.

The latest advice from the NHS (National Health Service UK: - https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/sex-activities-and-risk/ - states that there is a risk of transmission of STI’s both in Anal or Oral sex. None of our events or workshops require you to use condoms because none of the practices offered have either Anal or Oral sex as part of them. In our events or workshops there is touch involved, and we provide anti-bacterial gel. You are advised and responsible for ensuring you use this when switching between partners. Sometimes in our more advanced workshops we use anal massage as a ritual of healing. For this we provide vinyl gloves, disposable bowls and silicone based lubricant (if you require an alternative please bring this with you). No practices in our workshops or events are mandatory, everything is of your own freewill. In our residential events there is “free time” either at the end of a evening workshop, or a Love Temple at our festivals. Our Love Temples are places for chat, cuddles, love and other forms of loving contact between men. In agreeing to attend a event or workshop you are agreeing to safe sex pracitices which, as advised by the NHS, are about using condoms as a protector for either anal or oral sex in your “free time” if you are engaging in any of these activities. You are responsible to bring your own sexual safety kit, and where we are able we do provide supplies of condoms and lube sachets for your personal use.

Summary: -

• We adhere to the latest guidelines as provided by the UK NHS (National Health Service UK).
• Nothing taught in any of our workshops or events requires the use of condoms as there is no anal penetration.
• You are advised and responsible to use anti-bacterial gel between partners in our workshops and events.
• No practices in our workshops are mandatory, everything you choose to give and receive is of your own free will.
• Any contact of a sexual nature at any time whether in a workshops, events or in your free time, by attending the event you are consenting to following these guidelines around safe sexual practice all all times whilst in the premises.

Finally, we do hope for a day where we can be free of STI’s and follow our every impulse and desire as human beings. However the reality of that is that anal and oral sexual activites carry a risk of STI transmission. Our work in Tantra is about Love, and for part of Love is ethics and safety. Being a gay man I totally understand the impulses and desires we have as sexual beings. This agreement is in no way a judgement or opinion about what you choose to do in your private life, this is not our business. What we want to do is to create a container for you to experience profound experiences of Ecstasy, Bliss and Love in a way that honours you, is safe both to you and the other participants that are attending on a pathway to Enlightenment.

Equally all Tantra4gaymen teachers and masseurs receive regular supervision about their practice, teaching, themselves, clients and course and event members. Confidentiality is within the Tantra4gaymen and the Tantric Alliance and with our supervisor(s). The aim is to ensure ethical and safe practice both physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Personal Responsibility

It is your duty to ensure your own personal safety. No liability or responsibility can be taken by Tantra4gaymen for you. You will need to ensure you are mentally, physically and emotionally able to engage in the course programme. If you have any concerns you are responsible for your own duty of care to yourself and as such should seek appropriate advice before undertaking any course. If you have any specific questions please contact us to explore this further.

Fairness

We will treat all course attendees fairly, honestly and openly in all communication whether that be via e-mail, or face to face on a course. We aim to be balanced in our views and judgements and take into account both the needs of the individual and of the group. Our aim will always be to discuss any issues in an open and supportive forum. Any issues you experience during a Tantra4gaymen training/event should be raised with the course teacher.