Enhanced Sexual Health through Yoga Practice: Insights on the Advantages
Ready to dive deeper into the sensational world of yoga and its impact on your bedroom antics? Hold onto your downward-facing dog, folks, because this rejuvenating exploration could turn your sex life into an orgasmic odyssey!
Yoga, the ancient practice that's trending harder than a Kardashian family feud, has been preached by wellness gurus as a pathway to a more fulfilling sex life for what seems like forever. But does this age-old remedy live up to the hype in the modern age? Let's find out.
These days, researchers are only just starting to peel back the layers of benefits bestowed upon us by the practice of contortion and control. It's been found to alleviate maladies ranging from depression to anxiety, from diabetes to metabolic syndrome, and even from thyroid issues to stress. And as for its supposed effects on our romantic encounters? Let's take a closer look.
Pleasuring the Ladies
For a study that was published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, a group of 40 sexually-frustrated women over the age of 45 took up yoga for 12 weeks. After they stopped self-reporting on their sexual function, they saw a significant improvement across all dimensions of the Female Sexual Function Index, from desire to satisfaction and pain. A whopping 75% of participants reported improvements in their nether regions and were grinning ear to ear at their newfound sexiness!
The ladies were taught a series of 22 poses, including the triangle pose, the snake, and the half spinal twist. If you're curious to know what these asanas look like, you can find them here.
Delighting the Fellas
Guess what? The posh practice doesn't exclusively benefit the fairer of genders. An analogous study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, found that a 12-week yoga program had a substantial impact on the sexual satisfaction of men.
At the end of the study period, the participants boasted improved sexual function across all areas evaluated by the standard Male Sexual Quotient, including desire, performance, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm. Tune in here to explore some yoga poses, ranging from simple (even for couch potatoes) to complex, designed to elevate your wicked way with the wand.
The Tantalizing Fine Print
Now that we've gotten the juicy bits out of the way, let's talk about the science behind the sexy sequences. A review of existing literature led by researchers at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada, helped us clarify some of yoga's sex-enhancing mechanisms.
Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC, is the first author of the review. Dr. Brotto and colleagues explain that yoga regulates attention and breathing, reduces anxiety and stress, and activates the part of the nervous system that induces relaxation. All of these effects, in turn, are associated with "improvements in sexual response."
While stories about loosening blocked energy in root chakras and releasing "kundalini energy" up and down the spine might be slightly fantastical, other yogic concepts could make more sense to the skeptics among us. Moola bandha is one such concept. "Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the sensory-motor and the autonomic nervous system in the pelvic region," write Dr. Brotto and her colleagues in their review. "Specifically, moola bandha is thought to directly innervate the gonads and perineal body/cervix." Yoga centers often recommend moola bandha to help women become more aware of their sensations of arousal in the genital area, thus improving desire and sexual experience.
There are also psychological mechanisms at play. "Female practitioners of yoga have been found to be less likely to objectify their bodies," explain Dr. Brotto and her colleagues, "and to be more aware of their physical selves." This increased awareness may be associated with increased sexual responsibility and assertiveness, prompting some to speculate that yoga could lead to more bedroom bravado.
The Truth, Unvarnished
Although it is easy to get aroused by the potential sexual benefits of yoga, it is worth keeping in mind the significant disparity between empirical, or experimental, evidence and anecdotal evidence. The Internet hosts a vast amount of anecdotal stories, but the studies that have actually trialed the benefits of yoga for sexual function are few.
Additionally, most of the studies mentioned above, which found improvements in sexual satisfaction and function for both men and women, had small sample sizes and didn't benefit from a control group. However, more recent studies, which focused on women with other conditions in addition to sexual dysfunction, have yielded stronger evidence.
For example, a randomized controlled trial examined the effects of yoga in women with metabolic syndrome, a population with a higher risk of sexual dysfunction overall. Over a 12-week period, the women who practiced yoga experienced "significant improvement" in arousal and lubrication, whereas such improvements were not seen in the women who did not engage in this sexual sleuthing. Improvements in blood pressure were also observed, prompting researchers to conclude that "yoga may be an effective treatment for sexual dysfunction in women with metabolic syndrome."
So, while we may not have definitive proof that yoga provides a veritable "yogasm" for everyone, we're certainly not about to dismiss the practice. After all, with just a little bit of bending and flexing, the benefits to your sex life may very well be worth the effort. Namaste!
- Yoga, traditionally practiced for its purported advantages in various aspects of health, has been contemplated as a potential contender for enhancing sexual health as well.
- The practice of yoga has been found to alleviate symptoms related to mental health issues like depression and anxiety in several studies, which could indirectly contribute to improved sexual function by reducing stress levels.
- Beyond the physical benefits, yoga might also positively influence sexual health by boosting body image, self-awareness, and sexual assertiveness in women, as indicated by some research.
- However, it's crucial to note that while anecdotal evidence suggests promising results, empirical evidence supporting yoga as a definitive sexual health enhancer is still limited, and more research is required in this area to draw definitive conclusions.
