Enhanced Sexual Function through Yoga Practices: Insights and Advantages
Y'know, the old interweb is rife with wellness bloggers shilling yoga as the ticket to a rocking sex life. Folks share their personal experiences and the practice sometimes living up to the hype, yet is that backed by the big, bad researches? Let's see.
With modern studies scratching the surface of yoga's myriad health benefits, experts now understand it helps with conditions like depression, stress, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid problems. Fascinating stuff, but can it heat up our love lives as well? Let's dive in.
Yoga rocks for women's bedroom romps
A popular study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine explores the connection. This research tracked 40 ladies over 45, noting their sexual function before and after a 12-week yoga program. Guess what? After the sessions, their sexual function improved across the board! Three-quarters of these ladies reported a bang-up job in the bedroom post-yoga.
They trained on 22 poses claimed to boost core muscles, improve digestion, fortify the pelvic floor, and lift mood. Poses like the triangle pose and the snake were on the menu. Reckon you fancy a shot? Hit this link for the full pose list.
Yoga rocks for men too
Dudes, don’t think you're left out. A study by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, examined 12 weeks of yoga's impact on male sexual satisfaction.
At the end of the study, the salt of the earth reported significant improvements in their nookie satisfaction. The researchers pointed to gains across all aspects of male sexual satisfaction, such as desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, and orgasm.
They even found that yoga could be an excellent, non-pharmaceutical option for treating premature ejaculation. A comparable trial conducted by the good doc's team discovered that 15 yoga poses got the job done, from the simpler, like Kapalbhati, to the more complex, like dhanurasana, the "bow pose."
How yoga gets you jiggy with it
You wondering how yoga connects to the bedroom? Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver help us understand yoga's sexy mechanisms.
Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC, and her team reveal that yoga regulates attention and breathing, calms anxiety, and lowers stress. And since that's associated with improvements in sexual response, it's reasonable to assume yoga could also enhance our sex lives!
There are psychological benefits at play, too. Female yogis have a tendency to be less body-objectifying and more in tune with their physical selves. And that could lead to increased sexual responsibility, assertiveness, and desires.
The magic of moola bandha
Moola bandha, folks. It's a yogi concept that might make the naysayers think twice. This perineal contraction stimulates the pelvic nervous system and directly affects the gonads and perineum. Some studies suggest it helps ladies with childbirth pain and sexual difficulties, and controls testosterone levels in men.
It's sorta like the recommended Kegel exercises, thought to prevent urinary incontinence and help both men and women enjoy longer sexuall sessions. Many sex therapy centers even recommend it to help women enjoy their sexual encounters more.
There’s another yogi pose that strengthens the pelvic floor, the "frog pose" (bhekasana). It may help alleviate symptoms of vestibulodynia (vaginal pain) and vaginismus (involuntary vaginal muscle contractions).
So, while we’ve got a ways to go before knowing if there's such a thing as a "yogasm," the benefits seem clear enough. Plus, our pelvic muscles definitely appreciate the effort! Give it a whirl and see how it works for you!
- A study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine revealed that after a 12-week yoga program, 75% of 40 women reported improved sexual function.
- In a study by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, men reported significant improvements in sexual satisfaction after 12 weeks of yoga.
- According to researchers at the University of British Columbia, yoga regulates attention, calms anxiety, lowers stress, which in turn can improve sexual response.
- Moola bandha, a yogi contraction technique, stimulates the pelvic nervous system, and some studies suggest it helps women with sexual difficulties and controls testosterone levels in men.
