Enhanced Sexual Performance Through Yoga Practice: Exploring Its Advantages
Yoga, the ancient practice with a myriad of health benefits, doesn't stop at boosting your mind, body, and spirit - it could also rev up your sex life! Here, we debunk the hype and reveal compelling research that sheds light on the effect of yoga on bedroom satisfaction.
Women over 45 may rejoice! A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that 12 weeks of yoga improves sexual function across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index, with up to 75% of those surveyed reporting an improvement in their sex life after yoga training. They practiced a set of 22 poses such as the triangle pose, snake pose, and half spinal twist.
But don't think men are left out – research shows that yoga benefits the little men too! A 12-week yoga program led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in India, improved male sexual satisfaction, along with aspects like desire, performance, and orgasm.
Yoga's allure rests in the strengthening and relaxing benefits it has on both body and mind. By regulating attention, lowering anxiety and stress, and activating the relaxation response, yoga helps improve sexual response. Yoga also fosters improved body awareness, reducing the likelihood of objectifying one’s body and promoting sexual assertiveness.
Moola bandha, a yogic practice involving contracting the perineal muscles, holds particular promise in improving sexual function. This contraction stimulates sensory-motor and autonomic nervous systems in the pelvic region, balancing, stimulating, and rejuvenating the area. Some studies suggest that it relieves period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, as well as treating conditions like premature ejaculation and controlling testosterone secretion in men.
A randomized controlled trial examined the effects of a 12-week yoga program in women with metabolic syndrome, a population at higher risk of sexual dysfunction. The participants experienced significant improvements in arousal and lubrication, while the control group did not. Another study showed that women living with multiple sclerosis, who completed 3 months of yoga training, improved in both physical ability and sexual function, while the control group experienced worsening symptoms.
While it's exciting to envision the elusive yogasm, it's essential to keep in mind that the scientific evidence supporting yoga and sexual health is still developing – with insufficient direct evidence and a wide range of yoga practices. However, the benefits for reducing stress and enhancing body awareness provide a compelling case to incorporate yoga into our daily routines. Give it a shot – your pelvic muscles (and your love life) will thank you!
- The Female Sexual Function Index revealed that a 12-week yoga program led to improvements in sexual function for women over 45, with up to 75% reporting an improved sex life.
- A 12-week yoga program also benefited men, as it was found to improve male sexual satisfaction, along with aspects like desire, performance, and orgasm.
- Moola bandha, a yogic practice that involves contracting the perineal muscles, holds potential for improving sexual function, as it stimulates and rejuvenates the pelvic region, relieving period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, and controlling testosterone secretion in men.
