Improved sexual function through yoga: Exploring the potential advantages of yoga practice.
Yo, listening to those wellness gurus talk about yoga improving your bedroom action? There might be some truth behind that myth! Here's the lowdown.
Yoga, an ancient practice, has been finding its way into our modern lives for various health benefits. Conditions like stress, depression, and even metabolic syndrome are being tackled by this exercise. Moreover, it appears that the reason is more than a simple more-flexible-equals-better scenario.
Recent research suggests that yoga could be doing more than just making you bendy. By reducing your body's inflammatory response, it counters stress and enhances the growth of your brain - making you look and feel younger!
Now, let's dive into the good stuff - is yoga upping your sex game?
Yoga Gets Women in the Mood
A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine put 40 middle-aged ladies through their paces with yoga for 12 weeks. The results? A significant improvement across all areas of their sexual function, from desire to satisfaction! Over 75% reported improved sex lives after their yoga training.
The women practiced a mix of 22 poses, like trikonasana (triangle pose) and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist), which are believed to soothe core muscles, boost digestion, strengthen the pelvic floor, and brighten up your mood.
Boys No Longer Alone in the Yoga Games
Turns out, yoga doesn't just make the ladies feel frisky. Research by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist in New Delhi, showed that a 12-week yoga program could boost male sexual satisfaction, too! Men saw improvements in aspects like desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, and even orgasms!
In addition, comparative trials led by the same team found that yoga could serve as a natural alternative to medication like Prozac for treating premature ejaculation.
How Yoga Turns You Into a Love Machine
So, how does yoga get your sexy engine revved up? A review of existing literature by the University of British Columbia (UBC) sheds light on several mechanisms.
Yoga has been found to regulate breathing, lower anxiety, and alleviate stress, which all contribute to heightened sexual response. Additionally, it stimulates the part of the nervous system responsible for relaxation and pleasure, which can enhance your sexual health.
There's also a psychological perspective at play. Female practitioners of yoga are less likely to objectify their bodies and more aware of their physical selves. This increased self-awareness may lead to increased sexual desire and assertiveness.
The Magic of Moola Bandha
While tales of awakening your inner energy may have a whiff of pseudoscience, there's a yogic concept that could be intriguing to skeptics - Moola Bandha. This practice involves contracting your perineal muscles, which encourages the body to relax and boosts pelvic circulation. Studies suggest that Moola Bandha could relieve period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, as well as helping men regulate testosterone secretion.
So, Just How Rigorous is the Evidence?
While the potential for yoga to enhance your sex life is enticing, it's important to remember that the quantity of experimental evidence supporting these claims is still relatively small compared to anecdotal accounts. However, recent studies focusing on women with underlying health conditions have yielded stronger evidence for the benefits of yoga.
For instance, a trial for women with metabolic syndrome found improvements in arousal and lubrication after a 12-week yoga program, but not in the women who did not practice yoga. Similarly, a study for women with multiple sclerosis found that yoga could improve physical abilities and sexual satisfaction.
As more research is conducted, we grow closer to understanding the potential of yoga for enhancing our sex lives. And hey, if incorporating yoga into your routine doesn't dramatically improve your bedroom adventures, at least it'll make your pelvic muscles oh-so-grateful!
- The ancient practice of yoga, known for its health benefits, has been shown to enhance sexual health in both women and men, as revealed in several studies and research.
- In a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, middle-aged women who practiced yoga for 12 weeks experienced significant improvements in all aspects of their sexual function, including desire and satisfaction.
- Beyond the physical benefits, yoga has psychological impacts as well, such as increasing self-awareness and reducing stress, which can lead to increased sexual desire and assertiveness in female practitioners.
