Our Journey & Evolution
After a medical career and 20 years of intensive study with Swami Rama, Swami Ravi Rudra Bharati (formerly Rudy Ballentine, MD), began to devote his life to teaching and writing about tantra. In 2003, as he was beginning to make the transition back to the Southeast where he grew up, he and a student launched a series of 4 day intensive tantra workshops, where participants took part in the food preparation, cleaning, setting up spaces. They were all delighted to discover that within the container provided by the principles of tantra almost instantly a loving, sex-positive, intimate, and transformative community emerged. After several iterations of the experience, men began to ask, “Why do we have to leave? Why can’t we live like this all the time?”
​
We were functioning as a living organism. Why not live this way?? From that inspiration arose the intention to create such a community. There was already a growing network of folks who were supportive. At that point, Swami Ravi had the opportunity to establish a small neighborhood within an eco-village near his natal home. A number of those whose lives he had touched pitched in. Some came to live and help for a period, others to organize and help with the programs.
Now Dancing Shiva Tantra Monastery & Healing Center is a small, but well-established and functioning homestead, monastery, retreat and healing center.