Barbara Carrellas is the founder of Urban Tantra®, an approach to conscious sexuality that adapts and blends a wide variety of sacred sexuality practices from Tantra to BDSM. She is the author of Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the Twenty-first Century—the world’s first LGBTQ+-inclusive Tantric sex book, Ecstasy is Necessary: A Practical Guide to Sex, Relationships and Oh So Much More, and Luxurious Loving. Her books, workshops, and lectures are an eclectic mix of sexual and spiritual practices designed to encourage readers and participants of all genders and sexual preferences to expand their capacity for both pleasure and spiritual fulfillment. Urban Tantra® is an international community, a philosophy, and an inclusive conscious sexuality practice that supports both personal and professional goals. Barbara is also the founder of the Urban Tantra® Professional Training Program, a comprehensive training program in the practice and application of conscious sexuality. She is also the co-founder of Erotic Awakening, a pioneering series of workshops focusing on the physical, spiritual and healing powers of sex. She was named Best Tantric Sex Seminar Leader in New York City by Time Out/NY Magazine, and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sexual Freedom Awards in London. Barbara is a proud graduate of the Coney Island Sideshow School with a double major in fire eating and snake handling.