Enhanced Sexual Performance: Yoga's Potential Contribution
Yo, let's dive into the lowdown on yoga and its purported benefits for bedroom antics! The interweb is buzzing with wellness babes pushing yoga as the secret sauce to a satisfying sex life, basing their claims on some steamy ovations to the practice. But does science back up those claims, or are we talking about another dumb trend? Let's find out.
In the world of science, yoga's still in its infancy when it comes to unraveling all its health benefits. Though it's been linked to helping out with a slew of health issues like stress, depression, and even thyroid troubles, recent research has also shed some light on more complex bodily mechanisms at play.
It turns out yoga doesn't just make you feel friggin' fantastic, but it also lowers your body's inflammatory response, counters the genetic expression that predisposes you to stress, and lowers your cortisol levels while boosting a protein that helps keep your brain young and spry. But can it elevate your sex life, too? Let's find out!
Yoga Gets Ladies Going
Recall that study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine that stirred up a storm? The 12-week yoga experiment on 40 ladies found a significant boost in sexual function across the board. They reported improvements in desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain levels. A whopping 75 percent of the gals saw improvements in their sex life after yoga training.
The ladies in the study learned 22 poses that work their core ab muscles, improve digestion, strengthen the pelvic floor, and boost mood. Poses such as trikonasana (triangle), bhujangasana (snake), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist) were part of the roster. Want to know about all the poses? Check this link right here.
Yoga's a Man's Best Friend, Too
Fellas, don't get mad at the ladies for having all the fun; yoga's got you covered, too! A 12-week yoga program led by a dude named Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist from the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, found an improvement in sexual satisfaction for the men involved. Standard Male Sexual Quotient evaluations showed improvements in desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, orgasm, and overall satisfaction.
A comparative trial by the same crew found that yoga could be a non-druggy alternative to Prozac for treating premature ejaculation. The 15-pose yoga regimen, ranging from simple to complex, included poses like Kapalbhati (breath cleansing) and dhanurasana (bow pose). Click here to learn more about the poses.
Yoga's Sexy Mechanisms
How does yoga work its magic on your sex life, you ask? Research led by the University of British Columbia sheds some light on the subject. Yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers anxiety and stress, and taps into the part of the nervous system responsible for telling your body to chill out, lower your heart rate, and triggers overall relaxation. The reviewers speculate that "it is reasonable that yoga might also be associated with improvements in sexual health."
There are also psychological factors at play. Ladies who practice yoga are less likely to objectify their bodies and more aware of them. This self-awareness might contribute to increased sexual responsibility and desire.
Moola Bandha: The Kegel of Yoga
While lurid tales of unleashing pent-up energy in root chakras and moving kundalini energy up and down the spine to trigger orgasms devoid of ejaculation aren't backed by solid scientific evidence, other yogic concepts might make more sense to the skeptics. Moola bandha is one such concept.
Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the nervous system in the pelvic region, enforcing parasympathetic activity in the body. Practicing moola bandha could ease period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties for women, and help guys control their testosterone levels and treat premature ejaculation. Some research even suggests that moola bandha could help prevent urinary incontinence and help both ladies and gents enjoy sex for longer. Many sex therapy centers recommend this yoga practice to help women become more aware of their sensations of arousal in their nether regions, leading to better desire and sexual experiences.
Another yoga pose that targets the pelvic floor is bhekasana, or the "frog pose." Apart from enhancing sex, this pose may alleviate symptoms of vestibulodynia (vagina pain) and vaginismus (involuntary vaginal muscle contractions).
- The study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine highlighted improvements in sexual function for women who practiced yoga, with significant boosts in desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain levels.
- Yoga's benefits for men were found in a 12-week program led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, showing improvements in sexual satisfaction, desire, intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction.
- Research led by the University of British Columbia suggests that yoga regulates attention, lowers anxiety and stress, and triggers relaxation, potentially improving sexual health.
- Moola bandha, a yogic concept focusing on a perineal contraction, could help ease period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties for women, and help men control testosterone levels and treat premature ejaculation.
- Bhekasana, or the "frog pose," may not only enhance sexual events but also alleviate symptoms of vagina pain and involuntary vaginal muscle contractions for women.
- Practicing yoga, with its focus on mental-health, fitness-and-exercise, and health-and-wellness, can contribute to an overall improvement in lifestyle and relationships.
