There is a Tantra Master who once said that if you have the ability to love one person, why not love five, and if you have the ability to love five why not love fifty. Jaiya, Jon and Ian are a polyamorous threesome who believes that there is no limit to love and they have the capacity to love many people all at the same time. Go, back, read that sentence again. Let's start with polyamory; the word is defined as "many loves", no necessarily many sexual partners (although that can be part of it), but many people with whom you share loving relationships. Every single polyamorous relationship is set up differently based upon the beliefs and values of the people involved. In this case Jaiya is the center of a "V". Ian and Jon do not interact sexually, although they all live together and share household responsibilities. Jaiya has and does interact sexually with both of the men. Some people practice what is called Polyfidelity which means that they are committed within their multiple relationships and do not seek sexual or loving partnerships outside of their current arrangement. That is not the case with this Poly Family. They are all allowed to seek outside partnerships, both romantic relationships and brief sexual encounters. Ian and Jaiya also attend occasional "play parties" where they may explore intimately with other people. But due to a recent addition to their family (the birth of their 6 month baby boy) things have slowed down quite a bit. After all; most new parents hardly have time for each other let alone multiple relationships.

How did these three get to this alternative way of relating? It started for Jaiya when she was just nineteen. She lived in small town in Ohio and recently moved out of her parent's house and in with her boyfriend. She was in a relationship with a musician who seemed very open about sexual exploration. He had a fantasy about swinging and they began exploring the possibility of meeting other couples and doing a "swap" for the evening. It mostly stayed a fantasy that fueled their sex life, but as time went on the possibility of having an open relationship became more and more of a reality. They took some Tantra workshops and found that playing in that environment was very effective for them. Tantra is a yogic path that uses sexuality and sexual energy to develop greater spiritual growth. It bridges the gap between the sexual and the sacred using a variety of techniques such as yoga, meditation, breathing, arousal and movement of pleasure throughout the entire body. Jaiya loved the Tantra community so much that she decided to become a teacher and share some of the effects that Tantric Healing and Practice that had given her. It was during her teacher training that she and Jon literally "crashed" into each other. Jon was on a search for a partner in life, someone who shared his passions for healthy eating and lifestyle, but was also open sexually. He had had a number of fun sexual encounters, but was looking for something more. Jon first saw Jaiya at an evening Tantra class and he thought to himself "that's my next girlfriend". They were partnered for an exercise where they were asked to tell the other person what they were most grateful for. They both exclaimed that they were grateful for each other, even though they had never met. It wasn't until months later that they would fall into something that neither of them could explain. Jaiya was only two weeks away from getting married when she left to attend the Tantra teacher training. Jon and Jaiya were partnered together as a teaching team, they flirted and played, but it wasn't until the last evening of the training that they experienced their "crash". They were going over a technique called Firebreath Orgasm which they were going to teach the next morning. By the end of it Jon was pulling Jaiya on top of him and offering to give her a massage. It was during this massage that they both had the experience of being struck by lightning. They stayed up all night holding each other, shaking, and wondering what in the world was happening. When Jaiya returned home she shared with her fiancé what had happened. He got incredibly jealous, even though she hadn't had sex with Jon, and they supposedly had an open relationship. Jaiya and her fiancé called off the wedding, but stayed in relationship trying to work things out. He got increasingly jealous and Jaiya decided that she really wanted to explore her relationship with Jon. It took six months of living with both of them in separate apartments before her fiancé decided that an open relationship wasn't for him whereas Jaiya was increasingly convinced that is was the lifestyle that she preferred. It was painful for her and her fiancé, but in the end it was the best choice for everyone.

Photos by Lawrence Lanoff Photography