Let's Talk About Intimacy: Margot Anand Coming To Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- An acclaimed author and public speaker on tantra is bringing her teachings to Minnesota for the first time. However, her message of love and ecstasy can be a tough sell in this part of the country.

But as WCCO found, the lessons are not R-rated, and they can go a long way in a relationship.

Thomas Stout and Sara Biewan, of Plymouth, practice tantra. They create a weekly sacred space with two simple pillows and a floor mat.

"It's a ritual that means something," Stout said.

No matter how silly it may seem, they assure the results are surprising.

"Just slowing down and taking a deep breath and just being across from another person like this puts you in a different place," Stout said.

Married for 25 years, the couple now coaches people through the often taboo topic of intimacy.

"Garrison Keillor makes the joke about the guy that said, 'Yeah, I love my wife so much I almost told her.' I mean, that exists here in Minnesota," Stout said.

But they have no trouble telling each other now, thanks to tantra.

"Tantra, at its essence, means how do you weave together all of the elements of your life into a harmonious whole," Stout said.

Margot Anand is considered the pioneer of the practice from the Far East. She became the first to bring it to the west.

Her books and workshops on love and ecstasy are well-known around the world.

"You don't have to take your clothes off," Anand said. "You don't have to go to bed. I give you the ABCs for you to have the most wonderful love life and how to be better lovers."

Lessons of a sexual awakening come as the seasons change, just as they did for Stout and Biewan.

"I think that people really want more intimacy and love in their life," Stout said. "They just don't know how to get it."

There are still spots available for Anand's weekend event at The Woman's Club of Minneapolis. For information, click here.

For more on her work, click here.