Sexual Function Enhancement Through Yoga: Empowering Your Intimacy
The web is jam-packed with wellness blogs advocating for yoga as a path to a better sex life, backed by personal accounts of improved sexual experiences – and sometimes, mind-bending ones. But does the science stack up? We dive in.
Modern research is just scratching the surface of the countless health benefits of ancient yoga practice.
Among the health issues yoga helps with are mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and stress, as well as physical health problems like metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid disorders.
Recent studies have also dug into the intricate mechanisms behind these beneficial effects: yoga reduces the body's inflammatory response, counters the genes that predispose individuals to stress, lowers cortisol, and increases a protein that helps the brain grow and remain healthy [1].
On top of these advantages, there's the delight of feeling good. And if rumors are to be believed, sometimes it feels even better than that – a so-called "coregasm" [2].
Connecting with one's body can feel revitalizing, restoring, and physically pleasurable. But can yoga's tantalizing poses really improve our sex lives? Let's investigate.
Yoga boosts sexual function in women
One frequently referenced study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, found that yoga can indeed enhance sexual function, particularly in women over the age of 45.
The study looked at the effects of 12 weeks of yoga on 40 women who reported on their sexual function before and after yoga sessions.
Post-yoga, the women's sexual function had significantly improved across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.
Over 75 percent of the women reported improvements in their sex life after yoga training.
All the women were trained in 22 poses believed to improve core abdominal muscles, digestion, pelvic floor strength, and mood. Some poses included the triangle pose, the snake, and the half spinal twist [2].
Yoga elevates sexual function in men
Yoga isn't just for women. A study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, probed the impact of a 12-week yoga program on the sexual satisfaction of men.
At the study's end, male participants reported significant improvements in their sexual function, as measured by the standard Male Sexual Quotient.
Researchers discovered improvements across all facets of male sexual satisfaction: desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm [4].
A comparative trial conducted by the same research team found that yoga is a viable and non-pharmacological alternative to fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation.
The trial involved 15 yoga poses, ranging from simple ones to more complex ones. Some easier poses included Kapalbhati [3], while more complex ones included dhanurasana, the "bow pose" [4].
Yoga mechanisms for better sex
But how does yoga really improve one's sex life? Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada, provide some answers in a review of existing literature.
Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC, and her colleagues explain that yoga regulates attention and breathing, decreases anxiety and stress, and regulates autonomic responses [5].
All these effects are linked to improvements in sexual response [5]. There are also psychological factors at play. Female yoga practitioners are less likely to objectify their bodies and report being more aware of their physical selves [5].
This heightened self-awareness may translate into increased sexual responsibility, assertiveness, and desires.
The power of the moola bandha
While the idea of releasing blocked energy in root chakras or activating kundalini energy may lack rigorous scientific backing, other yogic concepts might find greater acceptance among skeptics. Moola bandha is one such concept.
According to Dr. Brotto and her colleagues, moola bandha is a contraction of the perineal muscles that stimulates the nervous system in the pelvic region, promoting parasympathetic activity [6].
Specifically, moola bandha affects the gonads and perineal body/cervix. The video below incorporates the movement into a practice for pelvic floor muscles [6].
Some studies suggest that practicing moola bandha alleviates period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, as well as treating premature ejaculation and controlling testosterone secretion in men [6].
Moola bandha resembles medically recommended Kegel exercises, thought to prevent urinary incontinence and aid in longer enjoyment of sex for both men and women [5].
Many sex therapy centers encourage moola bandha practice to help women become more aware of sensations of arousal in the genital area, enhancing desire and sexual experience [6].
Another yoga pose that strengthens the pelvic floor muscles is bhekasana, or the "frog pose."
Aside from enhancing sexual experiences, this pose might help ease symptoms of vestibulodynia (vaginal pain) and vaginismus (involuntary contraction of vaginal muscles) [6].
The reliability of evidence
While excitement about the potential sexual benefits of yoga is understandable, it's essential to consider the large gap between empirical, experimental evidence and anecdotal evidence.
The internet abounds with the latter, but the studies that have actually trialed the benefits of yoga for sexual function remain limited.
Additionally, many of the studies mentioned above – which reported improvements in sexual satisfaction and function for both men and women – had small sample sizes and did not benefit from a control group [4].
However, more recent studies – focusing on women with sexual dysfunction along with other health issues – have yielded stronger evidence [7].
For instance, a randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of yoga in women with metabolic syndrome, a population with a higher risk of sexual dysfunction.
For these women, a 12-week yoga program led to "significant improvement" in arousal and lubrication, whereas such improvements were not seen in the women who did not practice yoga [7].
Improvements were also observed in blood pressure, leading researchers to conclude that yoga may be an effective treatment for sexual dysfunction in women with metabolic syndrome, as well as for metabolic risk factors [7].
Another randomized trial looked at the sexual benefits of yoga for women living with multiple sclerosis (MS). Participants undertook three months of yoga training consisting of eight weekly sessions.
Importantly, women in the yoga group "showed improvement in physical ability" and sexual function, while women in the control group manifested exacerbated symptoms [8].
"Yoga techniques may improve physical activities and sexual satisfaction in women with MS," the study paper concluded [8].
While more scientific evidence is needed to confirm yoga's benefits for our sex lives, the foundation is definitely there. Until future research can determine whether "yogasms" are attainable, we believe there's enough reason to incorporate yoga into our daily lives.
Giving it a try ourselves could prove incredibly rewarding – and our pelvic muscles will definitely appreciate it.
Enrichment Data:
Sexual Function in Women
- Reduced Anxiety and Enhanced Pleasure: Regular yoga practice has been linked to reduced sexual anxiety and enhanced pleasure in women. This is attributed to its stress-reducing properties and improved body awareness[3].
- Improved Sexual Satisfaction: Studies suggest that practices like yoga can lead to improved sexual satisfaction and function by reducing anxiety and enhancing mindfulness[3].
Sexual Function in Men
- Indirect Benefits: Yoga doesn't directly benefit male sexual function specifically, but it can create conditions that support hormone balance, which is crucial for sexual health. By reducing stress (which can lower testosterone levels) and improving circulation, yoga indirectly encourages testosterone production, aiding sexual health[5].
- Testosterone Support: While yoga doesn't directly increase testosterone, it helps maintain hormonal balance and supports conditions necessary for testosterone production, indirectly benefiting sexual health[5].
Limitations
- Lack of Direct Evidence: There is limited direct scientific evidence linking yoga specifically to improved sexual function in men. Most benefits are indirect, through improved overall health and hormonal balance.
- Variability: Individual experiences with yoga can differ widely, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for improving sexual function[1].
Modern research has identified a variety of health benefits linked to ancient yoga practices, including enhancing sexual function in both men and women.
One study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that yoga can significantly improve sexual function in women, particularly those over the age of 45, across aspects like desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.
In another study, a 12-week yoga program led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav was shown to improve male sexual satisfaction, as measured by the Male Sexual Quotient, in aspects like intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, and orgasm.
Scientists at the University of British Columbia suggest that yoga's benefits for sexual health stem from its ability to regulate attention and breathing, decrease anxiety and stress, and control autonomic responses, all linked to improved sexual response.
Psychological factors, such as increased self-awareness, may also play a role, potentially fostering greater assertiveness, responsibility, and desire.
One specific yoga concept, the moola bandha, which contracts the perineal muscles and stimulates the pelvic region's nervous system, is believed to help alleviate period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, and control testosterone secretion in men.
While there may be gaps between empirical, experimental evidence and anecdotal evidence regarding yoga's sexual benefits, recent studies focusing on women with sexual dysfunction and health issues, such as metabolic syndrome, have provided stronger evidence supporting these claims.
For example, a 12-week yoga program led to significant improvements in arousal and lubrication for women with metabolic syndrome compared to those who did not practice yoga.
While more research is needed to confirm the benefits of yoga for sexual health, current findings suggest that incorporating yoga into one's daily life could have significant rewards and benefits for pelvic health.
