The Essence of Latihan with Live Music

A Moving Meditation into the Transpersonal

Curious to discover Latihan, or deepen your relationship with this profound practice?

Whether you’re new to Latihan or returning to its essence, this evening offers an opportunity to explore its deeper meditative nature and profound connection—with openness, curiosity, and no prior experience required.

This September 16, Tantra Collective invites you into an experiential exploration of Latihan as a practice of surrender, spontaneous movement, and deep listening that opens into the transpersonal.

We soften the impulse to direct, perform, or understand, and instead listen for what wants to move through us. There is no choreography and nothing to get right. Through breath, subtle impulse, sound, gesture, stillness, and organic movement, we release effort and allow the body to become an instrument of deeper awareness.

We’re honored to welcome Alex Nero, a renowned NYC-based multi-instrumentalist and interdisciplinary artist, who will co-create the sonic landscape in real time, responding intuitively to the movement and energy of the collective field. Rather than simply providing a soundtrack, the music becomes part of the living field—supporting deeper listening, amplifying subtle shifts, and weaving individual movement into a shared, immersive experience.

The evening is guided by Tantra Collective founder Elana Stern along with White Feather, bringing grounded presence, loving awareness, clear guidance, and certified trauma-informed facilitation to the container—supporting each participant to explore the practice at their own pace.

Here, connection begins within and ripples outward through the shared field. Rather than pursuing it through touch or external experience, we discover connection through surrender, spontaneous movement, music, and presence.

Come with curiosity. Come prepared to surrender. Allow yourself to be moved.

What is Tantric Latihan?

Latihan—meaning “spiritual exercise”—is a practice of spontaneous surrender with roots in the Indonesian Subud tradition. Tantric Latihan is a blindfolded, shared moving meditation that invites a direct relationship with the mystery of life itself. At its heart is a simple invitation: to stop directing and begin listening.

With eyes covered, we turn inward, releasing choreography, technique, and expectation. Breath, sound, gesture, emotion, stillness, and spontaneous movement may arise without conscious direction. Rather than doing the movement, we allow ourselves to be moved.

As the thinking mind quiets, we become more attuned to the body’s intelligence and subtle impulses beneath habitual patterns. This can open access to deeper intuition and a sense of connection with something beyond the familiar boundaries of the self.

The practice asks nothing of us beyond presence. There is no particular state to achieve or experience to reproduce; each journey unfolds uniquely through the individual and the shared field.

Evolving through Osho Neo-Tantra, this practice has taken root in the West as a pathway of embodied awakening. Tantra Collective is honored to have introduced Tantric Latihan to Philadelphia in 2024—this gathering marks our seventh edition.

The Gifts of Practice

Each Tantra Collective Latihan journey is a mystery that unfolds uniquely for every participant. Many experience:
🌿 Greater access to embodied presence and inner listening
🌀 A sense of surrender and freedom from habitual patterns
💫 Moments of connection with something larger than the individual self
🌸 Deeper trust in the body's innate intelligence
🎶 A renewed relationship with sound, movement, and stillness
🤲 A sense of connection, playfulness, and shared aliveness within the collective field of love

There is no particular state you need to reach. The gift is in discovering what becomes possible when you stop trying to make something happen and begin listening for what is already moving.

Who This Is for

This experience is especially welcoming to anyone curious about Latihan—whether you have never encountered the practice before, have participated occasionally, or have an established relationship with it.

No prior experience is needed.

We welcome conscious adults of all backgrounds, orientations, and genders, as well as singles, partners, and friends who feel comfortable in a shared practice space.

Come exactly as you are.

Your participation is always at your own pace, and there is no requirement to engage with anyone else. Solo practice is fully welcome.

How to Prepare

• Wear comfortable, layered clothing you can move freely in

• Bring cushions, a backjack, or pillows to sit on and help form the perimeter of the space

• Bring a blanket to lie on the ground

• Bring a water bottle, water, and anything else you need to feel at ease

• Arrive freshly showered and scent-free—no perfumes, colognes, essential oils, scented products, or body odor to support nervous system comfort for all

• Come sober, present, lightly nourished, and well-hydrated

• Bring curiosity, self-awareness, respect for boundaries, and openness to the unknown

Sacred Agreements

By honoring these agreements, we co-create a sanctuary where safety, curiosity, healing, and love can truly flourish.

• Consent always
  Touch is optional and based on clear, mutual agreement. Solo practice is available at any time. Consent is ongoing and may be withdrawn at any moment. A “no” or non-response is to be respected immediately.

• Come without agenda
  Release expectations and allow the experience to unfold naturally.

• Respect every body
  Move with awareness, care, and respect for all bodies in the shared space.

• Self-responsibility
  Honor your body, pace yourself, and take space when needed. Stay connected to your own body and inner experience first.

• Shared field awareness
  Co-create this space together. Move with sensitivity to the collective energy and the bodies around you.

• Direct communication
  Speak directly with one another, with honesty and care—rather than speaking about others or bypassing communication.

• Non-interference
  Allow others their process without guidance, correction, or interruption.

• No talking during practice
  Move away from words and story—let the body speak.

• Phones away
  Keep phones away—no cameras or recording. Honor this as a sacred, present-time space.

• Sober space
  Arrive in clarity, presence, and attunement.

• Confidentiality
  Respect the privacy and confidentiality of fellow participants by sharing only your own experience.

• Container boundaries
  This is a clothed, consent-forward space. Clothing remains on and genital touch is not permitted.

• Accountability & repair
  If a boundary is crossed in the container, a facilitated repair process is offered after the event to restore safety and trust in the community.

• Zero tolerance for harmful behavior
  Harassment, discrimination, aggression, non-consensual touch, sexual misconduct, or other harmful behavior will result in immediate removal without refund and may result in a ban from future Tantra Collective containers.

• Uphold the container
  These agreements are part of the practice itself. Anyone unable or unwilling to honor them may be asked to step out of the container or leave the event without refund.

💖 The Tantra Collective Approach

Tantra Collective’s offerings are rooted in devotion, discernment, and reverence—honoring the spiritual nature of the body and the path of embodied awakening.

We create a finely attuned ceremonial field—where presence leads, listening deepens, and movement arises as prayer. Held with exceptional care, clarity, and maturity, the container is intentionally non-performative and grounded in trauma-informed somatic safety, held through the wisdom of the Divine Feminine.

Here, the body is trusted as a direct pathway to remembrance, allowing authentic embodiment to unfold organically from within.