Resonance: Tantric Latihan with Live Music
Description
As the New Year opens a threshold of renewal, we gather for the fifth edition of Tantra Collective’s Tantric Latihan—Resonance: Tantric Latihan with Live Music. This immersive evening invites you to begin the year by listening deeply—through sensation, sound, breath, and movement.
Tantric Latihan is a doorway into presence, surrender, and embodied awareness. Guided by live, responsive improvisational music—attuning to the energy of the collective and the movement of the bodies within it—the sonic landscape co-creates the field, inviting the body to follow its own organic rhythms. As sound and sensation intertwine, agenda, expectation, and even identity can soften, opening into the field of love.
Whether this is your first Latihan or you are returning, each journey is entirely your own. Come as you are—solo, with a friend, or with a partner—and step into this rare living, sensory landscape where sound becomes motion, and movement becomes remembrance.
🍂 What Latihan Is
You’re invited into the mystery that is life. Latihan (meaning “spiritual exercise”) is a form of spontaneous surrender with roots in the Indonesian Subud tradition. With blindfolds on, we set aside outward distraction and turn inward. In this simple, non-technique, rather than doing, we allow the life force to move us—in breath, sound, subtle gesture, or stillness—listening deeply and receiving what arises.
At its heart, Latihan is the sacred art of slowing down—moving at the pace of truth, guided not by will but by subtle sensation. Through surrender, we connect more deeply to ourselves, to source, and to one another. It's not about performance nor effort, but about being moved.
Evolving through Osho’s Neo-Tantra lineage and teachers like Laurie Handlers and others, Latihan has taken new roots in the West. Tantra Collective is honored to have introduced this practice to Philadelphia last year; Resonance: Tantric Latihan with Live Music marks our fifth gathering.
🎁 The Gifts of Practice
Each Latihan is a mystery that unfolds uniquely for every participant. Many experience:
🌿 A softening of the heart through surrender
🔥 A release of tension and old stories no longer serving
💫 A sense of being guided by something larger than self
🌸 Renewal of sensual aliveness and embodied presence
🤲 Deep connection to the collective field of love
✨ What to Expect
6:30pm: Check-in & arrival (please be on time)
7pm: Doors close to seal our container
7-7:30pm: Opening circle & somatic connection practice
7:30-8:30pm: Blindfolded Latihan journey, guided by live music, spacious facilitation, and the intelligence moving within you
8:30-9pm: Integration meditation & closing circle
Guided by Elana Stern, founder of Tantra Collective, alongside David Rudge, internationally acclaimed orchestral conductor, electric violinist, and master improviser, this is a rare offering—where music of extraordinary depth and sensitivity meets somatic practice, unfolding moment by moment into a living field of resonance.
Many leave Latihan feeling lighter, freer, and profoundly connected—to themselves, to community, and to the living field of love.
💖 The Tantra Collective Approach
Tantra Collective’s Latihan offerings are rooted in devotion, discernment, and reverence, guided by deep respect for the sacred intelligence of the body. 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.
Lineup
Elana Stern
Elana Stern is a devoted guide in Tantra Yoga, walking the path of love and supporting individuals, couples, and groups in cultivating sacred connection, embodied presence, and lasting transformation. She was drawn to meditation as a teenager, studied Eastern Philosophy and Religion academically, trained with celebrity fitness icons in NYC, and earned Yoga Teacher certifications in both Vinyasa Yoga (Cindy Lee lineage) and Restorative Yoga. Her foundation is further enriched by training in Tibetan Buddhist, Transcendental, Vipassana, Mindfulness, and Sonic Meditation modalities, as well as Pranayama breathwork and Reiki techniques. Her journey expanded through advanced certification with Yoga Chitta—a Black-owned yoga school serving the BIPOC community-where she mentors yoga teacher trainees. After a life-altering kundalini awakening opened the portal to deeper energetic and tantric realms, she became a certified facilitator of Tao Tantra Arts (Mantak Chia and Osho lineages) and a graduate of the International School of Temple Arts (ISTA). With a vision for evolving consciousness in Philadelphia, Elana founded the Tantra Collective—producing curated offerings for embodied spiritual connection—and ONE LOVE HUB, the city's co-created community for conscious events. With decades of practice in movement, meditation, and energy healing, Elana's teaching bridges the physical and the spiritual. She invites you into a deeper relationship with your body, your breath, your heart, and each other—where love becomes the path home to your divine nature.
David Rudge
Dr. David Rudge is a multi-genre artist—an orchestra conductor, electric violinist, ceramicist, improviser, and photographer—who has conducted symphony orchestras and operas on five continents to critical acclaim (www.davidrudge.net). He served for 25 years as Director of Orchestras and Opera at the State University of New York, where he also taught Free Improvisation and founded The Improv Collective, a performing ensemble dedicated to free improvisation for self-expression. Based in Philadelphia, he leads workshops for conductors, and improvisation playshops for all ages and levels of experience (www.NoWrongNotes.com). Currently, he is Music Director of the Erehwon Ensemble (www.erehwon-ensemble.com), a professional chamber orchestra, and continues to guest conduct and perform as a violinist and improviser. David has been part of Music for People—founded by Grammy-winning cellist David Darling—since its inception in the 1980s. He serves on its teaching staff, and as Director of the Musicianship Program and The Improv Collective (www.musicforpeople.org). For over 30 years, he has taught free improvisation in the U.S. and internationally in diverse settings including conservatories, university schools of music, Vassar College, Groton School, Quaker and public schools, the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, the Kiental Center in Switzerland, the Tenri Cultural Center in New York City, Strings Without Boundaries, the American Fiddle Camp, the Chautauqua Institute, Charles Castleman’s Quartet Program, and the North Carolina School of the Arts. He has conducted orchestras for David Darling and Jean-Luc Ponty, and as an improvising violinist, has performed with musicians such as Paul Winter, Paul Horn, Arthur Hull, and Don Campbell. He has also collaborated extensively with acclaimed dancer and choreographer Terry Beck as composer, performer, and co-facilitator. His pottery is represented in several galleries, and he has practiced tai chi for over 40 years.
FAQs
- Do I need to have prior Latihan or Tantra experience?
This experience is open to all, and we welcome first-time as well as seasoned participants! Every Latihan experience is unique and revealing as we continue to peel back the layers and connect with different energies.
- What type of people participate?
Every adult is welcome here! Singles, couples, and friends of any sexual orientation, gender, adult age, and background come together in this supportive container as we shed identity and move into the energetic space beyond.
- Is there an age restriction?
There is a certain level of self-awareness and maturity required to create a safe container in which we can dive deep into the unknown and move freely within this space. For the comfort and safety of all, participants are required to be over 21 years old.
- Is this experience for singles or couples?
Come as you are—solo, with a friend, or bring your partner! Latihan is an invitation to journey into your own embodiment, individual sovereignty, and divine intuition. From this place, we may move into somatic connection with other energies.
- What do I bring?
- Cushion, backjack, or pillow to sit upon and help form the perimeter of the space. - Water bottle and anything you need to feel at ease.
- How should I dress?
- Wear comfortable attire or loose-fitting clothes in which you can move freely. - Prepare to be barefoot or in socks for our practice. - Please arrive showered, wearing clean clothes, and free of perfumes, colognes, essential oils, or scented products. This helps honor the sensitivity of the space and each other’s nervous systems. - Upon arrival, we ask that you wash your hands as a simple gesture of respect and care for the shared field.
- Is the start time important?
Yes. Doors open at 6:30pm, and our opening circle begins promptly at 7pm. To ensure the container is well held, safe, and respectful for all, the space will be closed once we begin, and late entry will not be possible.
- Will there be nudity or intimacy in this experience?
While Tantra practices are eclectic from White to Red Tantra, this experience is a sovereign journey in a clothed, sensual, nonsexual container. We encourage participants to stay in their own body while connecting somatically with others as they choose. Safety for all is our priority, and we will go over the upper limits for the space as part of the experience.
- Are intoxicants or altering medicines permitted?
This is a sober event, and no intoxicating substances are allowed. The invitation is to tap into your unclouded intuition and connect with divine guidance.
- Is there parking available?
There is ample unrestricted street parking in the neighborhood. Consider ride share, SEPTA, or bicycle if you're inclined.
- Where do I enter the building?
Please enter through the courtyard door on Greene Street (past the lawn under the archway). Use the door code for entry provided in the confirmation email. Then, follow the signs up the stairs and down the hall to the Parlor Room (on the right, just past the restroom and water fountain).
- Why do I need to provide my contact information when registering and purchasing tickets?
For important contact reasons and for the safety of all, we need your true name, email address, and phone number when registering and purchasing tickets whether online or at the door. We do not allow any anonymous participants, and any tickets purchased under a false name or contact information may be canceled.
- Will there be tickets available at the door?
Our events have sold out in the past. We highly recommend registering in advance. While we'd love everyone to attend who's called, our primary consideration is to ensure a safely held container and positive experience for participants. If the event reaches capacity, a waitlist will be available.
- Are sliding-scale tickets available?
Take advantage of early-bird pricing for the best deal, and be sure to purchase tickets in advance as prices increase the week of the event. If you're in financial need and the ticket price is a barrier, please reach out to us directly.
- What is the COVID protocol?
While masks are not required, we ask that you take mindful health and cleanliness precautions. Please arrive in good bodily and clothing hygiene, wash your hands upon entry, and refrain from attending if you’re feeling unwell. Your care supports the safety and comfort of our shared space.
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