Toni Prats, teacher of our Tantra course, was born in Castellón de la Plana (Spain) and grew up in Benicarló, a town on the northern Valencian coast.
He defines himself as “a child with an awakened sensitivity.” Even in childhood, he discovered that he could communicate with Mother Nature in a profound way. He says, “I was terrified that my parents would discover I saw lights and colors around people, and that sometimes I saw people and other beings that theoretically did not exist for anyone else.” This was because his family’s strict religious values dictated that to have such perceptions is to walk with the Devil. Fearing rejection by the clan, he blocked his sensitivity so as to not “see and hear” again.
At 16 he experienced a sudden awakening of all the pent-up energy from his childhood. Certain uncommon abilities began to emerge and mystical experiences (or satoris) happened almost daily. In his own words, “the best part is that I realized heaven was right here and that it was easy to pull back that thin curtain separating us from the spiritual world.” Unblocking his energy flow pushed him to leave the religious path of his parents and family, although he continued to work in the family business. He was still subjected to their strict rules, still afraid that his inner secrets would be discovered and still sought their approval, leading him to find an escape in drugs and nightlife, which he finally gave up with the help of Juan José Blasco, his guide and friend to this day.
At 24, Toni met Astiko and Ketan, true Tantra masters. He attended one of their retreats where he connected with life in such a way that to this day, they continue to be his frame of reference. Eventually, his inexperience and extreme character resulted in a painful and terrifying spiritual experience that plunged him into the deepest despair, leading him to temporarily lose his ability to connect with a higher reality.
In Madrid, Toni met Anand Rudra. Training with him in Kaula Massage, Toni was able to immerse himself in Anand’s wisdom. He was so good at it that he decided to leave his job at the time, a security guard, and dedicate himself to Tantra Massage, working for Anand in his massage center and collaborating with him on Ancient Tantra Kriya Yoga classes, Kaula Massage trainings and weekend workshops, both in Madrid and Barcelona.
Soon after, Toni was asked to found and run the Espiritu Tantra center in Madrid. For almost 3 years, he dedicated himself full time (weekends included) to managing the center, training new massage therapists, and running individual and couples workshops, Ancient Tantra Kriya Yoga classes and therapies. It was an intense time where he gained practice and yet, although the center operated as a business, he could see that the results for patients did not always have the deep and healing impact that Toni was looking for. It can be a sublime experience and an openness to pleasure. An explosion of endorphins that could undo a lot of internal blockages. However, there were few who managed to transcend desire and were able to bring that energy to the heart and consciousness, perhaps because they were afraid to really know themselves.
Many patients also developed a relationship of dependence as strong as spiritually superficial. When Toni looks back on these years, they are tinged with a feeling of frustration, and an inability to create an unbounded sexual energy flow. However, he learned something extremely valuable: if you really want to honestly practice Tantra, at a business level it must be a more selective process, first going through an exercise of emotional awareness, unblocking frustrations and emotional dependencies, and with a clear and marked “why”.
As a result of this revelation, Toni decided to leave the Tantra center and train to fill this therapeutic void. He trained in Osho’s Active Meditations, and got back in touch with Astiko to reconnect with Essential Tantra in the retreats she conducts. He also trained in Bioneuroemotion, and is currently training in Codependency and Inner-Child Healing with Ketan, who, in his opinion, is one of the greatest and most honest consciousness and Tantra masters in Spain.
For Toni, healing is serious business. Like a martial arts master, before offering a tool, a guide or therapist must provide the necessary awareness to use it effectively, in the proper context and for the general good. This is why he has made his work available on Conscious TV, with the Kaula Tantra Massage video.
With his typical humility, Toni tells us, “I am working on my potential, trying to overcome my limitations when it comes to offering the world an ancient gem such as this massage. Masters such as Anand Rudra and Astiko use their presence to transmit deep knowledge. While getting to that point, I am here to do what I know and what I can in the most essential, complete, authentic and sincere way possible”.
