Enhanced Sexual Performance through Yoga Practices: Exploring the Physiological and Psychological Advantages
Rewritten Article:
Head to the yoga mat, peak libido is within reach! Internet is bursting with life affirming stories of improved sexual experiences, amongst a myriad of other benefits, thanks to regular yoga practice. But does the science stack up, or is it just a bunch of bendy enthusiasm? Let's dive in.
Yoga's ancient roots hold a powerful trove of healing, balancing and spiritual enlightenment. Modern science is only now beginning to crack open the secrets hidden within.
With a multitude of health perks on offer, from alleviating stress and anxiety, to managing metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid issues, it's no wonder people are turning to yoga to flip the finish switch on their sexual lives.
Recent findings reveal that yoga gets busy taming the body's inflammatory response, silencing the genes that chant stress, squeezing down cortisol, and jacking the brain-boosting protein into high gear.
Yoga just feels like a slice of heaven on earth, and when mixing things up with a little coregasm action (it's a thing, don't ask), it's the sweet, physical pleasure that keeps yogis hooked.
Embracing our bodies, tapping into their inner energy, and moving through those mind-blowing poses could be just the ticket to better bedroom antics. Let's delve into the research.
Yoga revs up the engines for ladies
A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine has shed light on yoga's super-charging effects on women over the age of 45.
Researchers put 40 women through their poses for 12 weeks, before quizzing them on their sexual experiences before and after.
Their results? Drumroll... The ladies reported a huge improvement in all areas of their sexual function, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.
Almost 75% of the women came away from their yoga retreat raving about improved sex lives.
To kick-start the process, all participants learned 22 specified poses (yogasanas), including the snake, triangle, and half spinal twist, believed to bolster core strength, digestion, pelvic floor, and mood.
Curious? Get the full list of divine poses here.
Yogi tips keep the male passion burning
The ladies aren't the only ones who can reap the rewards. An alternate study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a leading neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, found that a 12-week yoga program boosted male sexual satisfaction.
By the study's end, the guys reported significant improvements in all aspects of male sexual health, from desire and ejaculatory control, to intercourse satisfaction and performance.
Bonus points - a comparative study from the same team of researchers found that yoga is an effective, non-pharmacological treatment for premature ejaculation.
The secret sauce behind yoga's bedroom prowess
So how does yoga turn up the heat on intimacy? A team of researchers from the University of British Columbia have been digging into the mind-body connections behind yoga's sexual bliss.
Their findings? Yoga decreases anxiety, lowers stress, masters our responses, and cultivates awareness of our physical selves. Sex you say? Well, yeah, science suggests these aspects are linked to improvements in sexual responses too.
Plus, stories about awakening the 'kundalini energy' and slithering snakes up and down the spine might lack solid scientific backing, but other yogic concepts are more grounded, making skeptics sing a different tune.
A well-loved concept, the Moola Bandha, fits squarely among those. Moola Bandha is the friendly, cuddling of the perineal muscles that riles the nervous system in the pelvic region, promoting relaxation and boosting circulation.
Some studies have shown it relieves period pain, childbirth struggles, and sexual dilemmas for women, while aiding men in controlling testosterone secretion and conquering premature ejaculation.
You'll find a how-to on Moola Bandha in the following video.
Many sex therapy centres push Moola Bandha, encouraging women to explore sensations of arousal, nurturing desire, and improving overall sexual experiences.
Another yoga pose, the Bhekasana or 'frog pose', bolsters pelvic floor muscles, potentially relieving symptoms of vestibulodynia and vaginismus. Beyond intimate wonders, Bhekasana improves flexibility, boosts mobility, and enhances back health.
How reliable is the evidence?
While the potential for yoga-induced orgasms might pique our curiosity, it's important to remember the steep gulf that exists between the tidal wave of non-empirical evidence (online stories and anecdotes) and the mere drops of real, scientific studies on yoga and sexual function.
That said, recent studies in women suffering from other conditions have yielded promising findings; for instance, a 12-week yoga program for women with metabolic syndrome significantly improved arousal and lubrication in participants, with no such improvements found in the control group[3].
Similarly, a study exploring yoga benefits for women living with multiple sclerosis (MS) showed improved physical ability and sexual function for yoga practitioners, while the control group showed worsening symptoms[6].
While the evidence is not yet ironclad, the promising findings suggest a promising future for yoga in the bedroom. Until further research sheds more light on the matter, it won't hurt to roll out the mat and give yoga a spin.
Your body (and your bedroom schedule) just might thank you.
- Yoga's benefits extend to sexual health, particularly for women over 45, as indicated by a study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
- The study on women found significant improvements in sexual function, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.
- The study involved Participants learning 22 specific yoga poses, believed to enhance core strength, digestion, pelvic floor, and mood.
- Men can also benefit from yoga, as a 12-week program led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav found improvements in male sexual satisfaction, including desire, ejaculatory control, intercourse satisfaction, and performance.
- Yoga's impact on sexual health may be partially explained by its ability to reduce anxiety, lower stress, and improve physical self-awareness, all factors linked to improvements in sexual responses.
- Moola Bandha, a yoga technique that involves engaging the perineal muscles, is particularly beneficial for women, relieving period pain, childbirth struggles, and sexual dilemmas.
- Beyond sexual health enhancements, yoga poses like Bhekasana (frog pose) can improve pelvic floor muscles, potentially relieving symptoms of vestibulodynia and vaginismus.
