Enhanced Sexual Function Through Yoga: Insights on the Positive Impacts of Yoga Practice
The internet buzzes with wellness blogs suggesting yoga as the key to a mind-blowing sex life – and for good reason. Modern research has started unraveling the numerous health benefits hiding in the ancient practice of ** yoga**.
One of the many conditions that yoga claimed to help with includes stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid disorders. But can it improve our sex lives as well? Let's dive into it!
Recent studies have shown that yoga lowers the body's inflammatory response, counters the genetic expression that leads to stress, lowers cortisol levels, and bolsters a protein that aids brain growth and keeps it healthy. Add to that the undeniable fact that it simply feels stupendous. They say some yogis experience the legendary coregasm—I won't go into details here, but it's apparently fantastic.
Getting closer to our bodies can be a rejuvenating, restorative, and yes, physically satisfying experience. But can yoga's yummy poses take our sex lives to the next level? Let's explore the research.
Better sex for the ladies
A ** study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine analyzed the impact of a 12-week yoga regimen on the sexual function of 40 women over 45. After the sessions, the women reported a significant improvement across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index: "desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain." An astonishing 75 percent** of them reported an improvement in their sex lives!
The women were taught 22 poses, such as trikonasana (the triangle pose), bhujangasana (the snake), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist), which believe it or not, are thought to strengthen the pelvic floor, improve digestion, and boost mood. You can find the full list of asanas here.
Yoga works for the gents too
You may be wondering if yoga is just for the ladies. Well, worry not. A similar study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist from New Delhi, explored the influence of a 12-week yoga program on the sexual satisfaction of men. At the end of the study, the participants reported significant improvements in every aspect of male sexual satisfaction. Sounds exciting, right?
In another comparative trial by the same research team, they discovered that yoga is a promising nonpharmacological alternative to Prozac for treating premature ejaculation. The session included 15 yoga poses, ranging from simple Kapalbhati (a breathing exercise) to the complex dhanurasana (the "bow pose") that works those deep core muscles.
Yoga techniques for top-notch sex
So, how does yoga turn us into sex gods (or goddesses)? A review of existing literature by researchers at the University of British Columbia helps clarify its sex-enhancing mechanisms.
Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor at UBC, is the lead author of the review. Dr. Brotto and colleagues explain that yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers stress, and activates the part of the nervous system that tells your body to relax, lower the heart rate, and do other metabolic processes that induce relaxation. Sound familiar? All of these effects are linked to sexual response which means it's "reasonable that yoga might also be associated with improvements in sexual health."
But there's more than physical relaxation at play. According to Dr. Brotto and her team, women who practice yoga are less likely to objectify their bodies and are more likely to be aware of their physical selves. This heightened body awareness may lead to increased sexual responsibility, assertiveness, and even desires.
One specific technique worth mentioning is the moola bandha. "Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the sensory-motor and the autonomic nervous system in the pelvic region," write Dr. Brotto and her colleagues. It directly innervates the gonads and perineal body/cervix, which may improve sexual function in both men and women. You can find a video demonstrating the movement here.
Another pose that strengthens the pelvic floor muscles and may help women with sexual dysfunctions like vestibulodynia and vaginismus is the frog pose (bhekasana).
Word of caution
While the prospect of heightened sexual satisfaction from yoga may be intriguing, it's crucial to approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism. The amount of scientific, empirical evidence out there is dwarfed by the sea of anecdotal evidence floating around online. So take the stories about Kundalini energy and ejaculation-free male orgasms with a grain of salt.
That being said, the research is pointing in the right direction. With more studies on the horizon, it won't be long before we have concrete evidence on whether "yogasms" are a real thing. Until then, it just might be worth giving yoga a shot. Your pelvic muscles—and your lover—will thank you for it!
- Yoga, with its numerous health benefits, is being explored for its potential to enhance sexual health, claiming to help with conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid disorders.
- A study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that a 12-week yoga regimen significantly improved the sexual function of 40 women over 45, especially in the areas of desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain, with 75% of them reporting an improvement in their sex lives.
- Yoga benefits men too, according to a study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, with participants experiencing significant improvement in every aspect of male sexual satisfaction at the end of a 12-week program.
- Research suggests that yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers stress, and activates the part of the nervous system that induces relaxation, which are all linked to sexual response, making it possibly associated with improvements in sexual health.
- Specific yoga techniques like moola bandha, a perineal contraction, and the frog pose (bhekasana), which strengthens the pelvic floor muscles, may help improve sexual function in both men and women.
- While the evidence supporting yoga's ability to enhance sexual health is promising, it is essential to approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism, as empirical evidence is limited compared to anecdotal evidence found online.
