Improved Sexual Function through Yoga Practice
Yo, let's dive into the world of yoga and its impact on our sexual lives, shall we? This ancient practice is known for its numerous health benefits, ranging from stress relief to improving metabolic conditions. But does it really enhance our bedroom antics? Let's find out.
Now, when it comes to yoga, we're not just talking stretching and poses. Modern research reveals that it lowers inflammatory responses, counters stress-related genes, decreases cortisol levels, and boosts proteins that help the brain stay young and healthy. It also simply feels frickin' fabulous! Some even venture that it results in coregasms - talk about first-class pleasure!
So, can these yummy yoga poses boost our sex lives? Let's look at the research.
Yoga for the Ladies
One study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that some yogic practice can indeed increase women's sexual function, particularly those over 45. After 12 weeks of yoga sessions, women's sexual function improved across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. staggering 75% of the women reported an improvement in their sex lives post-yoga training.
In this study, the women were trained on 22 poses believed to improve core abdominal muscles, digestion, pelvic floor strength, and mood. Poses such as the triangle pose, the snake, and half spinal twist were incorporated. You can check 'em out here.
Yoga for the Fellas
Yoga ain't just for the ladies. A study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist from India, found that a 12-week yoga program improved men's sexual satisfaction as evaluated by the Male Sexual Quotient. Improvements were seen across all aspects of male sexual satisfaction, including desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm. In addition, this same study found that yoga is a viable alternative to Prozac for treating premature ejaculation.
Yogic Mechanisms for Better Sex
But how does yoga boost our sex lives, exactly? Researchers at the University of British Columbia elucidated some of its mechanisms. Yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers anxiety and stress, and activates the nervous system to induce relaxation. All these effects are linked to improvements in sexual response. Yoga also impacts our brains psychologically; females who practice yoga are less likely to objectify their bodies, are more aware of their physical selves, and tend to be more sexually assertive.
Another concept worth mentioning is the moola bandha. It's a perineal contraction that stimulates the nervous system in the pelvic region, promoting relaxation and potentially enhancing sexual function. Moola bandha has been suggested to relieve period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, as well as treat premature ejaculation and control testosterone secretion in men.
The Power of the Pelvic Floor
While tales of releasing blocked energy in root chakras and producing ejaculation-free male orgasms remain anecdotal, other yogic concepts might convince the skeptics. Moola bandha is one such concept. It directly innervates the gonads and pelvic region, potentially improving sexual function.
But How Reliable is the Evidence?
Though the potential sexual benefits of yoga can get you hot and bothered, it's essential to consider the limited empirical evidence compared to the plethora of anecdotal evidence online. Most studies involving improvement in sexual satisfaction and function for both men and women have small sample sizes and lack control groups.
However, more recent studies focusing on women with sexual dysfunction in addition to other conditions have yielded stronger evidence. For example, a study examining the effects of yoga in women with metabolic syndrome found significant improvements in arousal and lubrication, as improvements were not seen in the non-yoga group.
So, while more scientific evidence is necessary to fully support yoga's sexual benefits, the seeds are definitely there. Giving it a go could prove unbelievably pleasurable - yeah, your pelvic muscles will thank you for it!
- The study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine indicates that yoga can increase sexual function in women, particularly those over 45, as they reported improved sexual function across various sections after 12 weeks of yoga sessions.
- A study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav found that a 12-week yoga program improved men's sexual satisfaction, showing improvements in all aspects of male sexual satisfaction, such as desire, intercourse satisfaction, and orgasm.
- Researchers at the University of British Columbia have explained that yoga enhances sexual function by regulating attention and breathing, lowering anxiety and stress, and activating the nervous system to induce relaxation, which in turn improves sexual response.
