Exercises like Yoga can positively impact sexual health, potentially enhancing sexual function due to its stress-relieving effects, improved blood circulation, and boost in energy levels.
Improving Sexual Function through Yoga: A Closer Look at the Research
Yoga, a practice steeped in historical significance, is increasingly being recognized for its multitude of health benefits, including its potential impact on sexual function.
Research into the health advantages of yoga has expanded to encompass various conditions, such as depression, stress, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid problems. Some recent studies have delved into the intricate mechanisms responsible for these benefits.
Yoga appears to lower the body's inflammatory response, counteract the genetic expression that predisposes individuals to stress, decrease cortisol levels, and boost a protein that nurtures brain growth and healthy aging.
What role does yoga play in the bedroom? We explore the research regarding yoga's impact on sexual function.
Yoga and Women's Sexual Function
A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine investigated the effects of 12 weeks of yoga on the sexual function of 40 women aged 45 and above. The women self-reported on their sexual function prior to and following the yoga sessions.
The women's sexual function showed significant improvement across all categories of the Female Sexual Function Index, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. As many as 75% of the women reported an improvement in their sexual life after completing the yoga training.
The yoga poses, or yogasanas, that the women were trained on targeted core abdominal muscles, improved digestion, increased pelvic floor strength, and boosted mood. Trikonasana (triangle pose), bhujangasana (snake pose), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist) were some of the poses included.
Yoga and Men's Sexual Function
Men are not excluded from the benefits of yoga, as demonstrated by a 12-week study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India. The study examined the influence of yoga on the sexual satisfaction of men.
At the end of the study period, participants reported a significant improvement in their sexual function as assessed by the Male Sexual Quotient. Improvements were observed across all aspects of male sexual satisfaction, including desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
A comparative trial carried out by the same research team found that yoga is a viable, non-pharmaceutical alternative to fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation. The trial involved 15 yoga poses, ranging from simpler poses like Kapalbhati to more complex ones like dhanurasana (bow pose).
Mechanisms Behind Yoga's Sexual Health Benefits
Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada, have attempted to uncover the sexual-enhancing mechanisms of yoga. Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor at UBC's Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, led the study.
The researchers explain that yoga regulates attention and breathing, reduces anxiety and stress, and triggers relaxation responses. These effects, according to the reviewers, may be associated with improvements in sexual health. Furthermore, there are psychological mechanisms at play, as female yoga practitioners are typically less likely to objectify their bodies and more aware of their physical selves.
A unique yogic concept that could pique the interest of skeptics is Moola Bandha. This concept involves a perineal contraction that stimulates the nervous system in the pelvic region, promoting parasympathetic activity in the body. Moola Bandha is considered to directly affect the gonads and perineal body/cervix and has been linked to easing period and childbirth pain, addressing sexual difficulties in women, and controlling testosterone secretion in men.
Another yoga pose that strengthens the pelvic floor is Bhekasana, or the "frog pose." This pose may relieve symptoms of conditions like vestibulodynia (pain in the vestibule of the vagina) and vaginismus (involuntary contraction of vaginal muscles).
The Depth of the Evidence
While the potential sexual perks of yoga are fascinating, it is crucial to acknowledge the disparity between empirical, or experimental, evidence and anecdotal evidence. Although the Internet abounds with personal accounts praising yoga's impact on sexual function, peer-reviewed studies on this specific topic are sparse.
More recent studies, however, focusing on women with sexual dysfunction in conjunction with other conditions, have yielded stronger evidence. For instance, a randomized controlled trial found that a 12-week yoga program led to notable improvements in arousal and lubrication for women with metabolic syndrome. These benefits were not observed in the non-yoga participants.
While we await more conclusive scientific proof, the foundation for yoga's benefits for sexual health appears robust. Incorporating yoga into our daily routines could bring about profound enhancements, not only for our sexual lives but also for our overall well-being.
- The study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that 12 weeks of yoga significantly improved the sexual function of postmenopausal women, with improvements in all categories of the Female Sexual Function Index.
- The study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav showed that a 12-week yoga program improved the sexual satisfaction of men, with improvements across all aspects of male sexual satisfaction as assessed by the Male Sexual Quotient.
- Researchers at the University of British Columbia suggest that yoga's regulatory effects on attention, breathing, anxiety, and stress may be associated with improvements in sexual health, along with unique yogic concepts like Moola Bandha that stimulate the pelvic nervous system.
