Improved Sexual Health through Yoga Practice: An Overview ofKey Advantages
The digital landscape is overflowing with wellness blogs touting yoga as the key to a better sex life. From personal narratives to claims of enviable improvements, it seems yoga could be the secret to unlocking our most intimate experiences. But does the science back these claims? Let's dive in.
Yoga, an ancient practice, is gaining attention for its numerous health benefits. These range from improving mental health conditions like stress, anxiety, and depression to managing physical ailments such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid issues. Recent studies have delved into the complex mechanisms behind these benefits.
For instance, yoga is known to lower the body's inflammatory response, counteract stress-inducing genetic expressions, lower cortisol levels, and boost a protein that helps the brain stay healthy. Plus, it just feels fantastic. With tales of the mythical coregasm during yoga circulating, it's safe to say this practice can cause quite the stir.
But what about our sexual lives? Can yoga's tantalizing poses lead to improved sex lives? Research suggests it could very well be true.
Improved sexual function in women
In one study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 40 women over the age of 45 underwent 12 weeks of yoga. They self-reported on their sexual function before and after the sessions – and the results were impressive.
The women's sexual function improved significantly across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. A whopping 75 percent of the women reported improvements in their sex life after the yoga training.
The women were trained on 22 poses, including the triangle pose, the snake, and half spinal twist, which are believed to strengthen core abdominal muscles, improve digestion, boost mood, and strengthen the pelvic floor.
Improved sexual function in men
It's not just women who benefit from yoga. A study conducted by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, found that a 12-week yoga program significantly improved the sexual satisfaction of men.
The findings revealed improvements across all aspects of male sexual satisfaction, including desire, performance, confidence, orgasm, and ejaculatory control, among others.
A comparative trial carried out by the same team found that yoga was a viable and non-pharmacological alternative for treating premature ejaculation.
Mechanisms behind yoga's sexual benefits
So, how does yoga boost our sex lives? Research helps us unravel its secret. Yoga regulates attention, breathing, and lowers anxiety and stress, all associated with sexual response improvement [1]. And there's more.
Female yoga practitioners are less likely to objectify their bodies and are more aware of their physical selves, potentially enhancing sexual responsibility and assertiveness [1].
A notable yogic concept is moola bandha. Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the sensory-motor and autonomic nervous system in the pelvic region, promoting relaxation, activating the gonads, and strengthening the pelvic floor muscles [1].
Many sex therapy centers recommend this yoga practice to help women become more aware of their sensations of arousal in the genital area and enjoy a better sexual experience.
Don't rush to dismiss myths like blocked energy in root chakras and "kundalini energy" moving through the spine. While these concepts lack robust scientific evidence, others, like moola bandha, could make sense to skeptics [1].
While tales of releasing energy and achieving orgasm-free male orgasms may lack scientific backing, yoga offers potential benefits for sexual function appealing enough for skeptics. More rigorous studies are needed to further cement the effects of yoga on our sex lives. Yet, there's enough reason to give it a try. After all, our pelvic muscles will thank us for it.
Yoga's traditional poses and techniques might contribute to improved sexual function in both men and women. For instance, a study on women over 45 revealed significant improvements in all aspects of their sexual function after 12 weeks of yoga sessions, with more than three-quarters reporting an enhanced sex life. Similarly, a study by Dr. Vikas Dhikav found that a 12-week yoga program improved male sexual satisfaction in multiple areas, including desire, performance, and ejaculatory control. The science behind these findings suggests that yoga's focus on regulating attention, breathing, and reducing stress is beneficial for sexual response improvement and that specific practices like moola bandha may stimulate the sexual organs and pelvic floor muscles, potentially leading to a better sexual experience. While some yogic concepts may lack scientific support, the potential benefits for sexual function offered by yoga are compelling enough for skeptics to consider giving it a try.
