Improved Sexual Function Through Yoga Practice: Unveiling the Benefits
Dive into the world of wellness blogs, where yoga is often touted as a secret to a better sex life. But do the claims hold up to real research? Let's investigate!
Yoga, an ancient practice that's been gaining popularity, offers a variety of health benefits such as combating stress, anxiety, and depression. It also helps manage metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid issues. But can it seriously boost your bedroom game? Let's find out!
Yoga boosts sexual function in women
One study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that yoga improved sexual function in women, particularly those over 45. For this study, 40 women were trained on 22 yogic poses (yogasanas) believed to enhance core abdominal muscles, improve digestion, strengthen the pelvic floor, and elevate mood.
After 12 weeks, these ladies reported significant improvements in desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. A whopping 75 percent of the women experienced an improvement in their sex lives following yoga training!
Yoga also powers up men's performances
Surprise, surprise! Yoga isn't just beneficial for women. A study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist from India, found that a 12-week yoga program considerably improved male sexual satisfaction as well.
At the end of the study period, the participants showed significant improvements in desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
Let's dive into the hows and whys
But how does yoga translates into better sex? According to a review of existing literature by researchers from the University of British Columbia, yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers anxiety and stress, and influences the nervous system in a way that promotes relaxation—all essential for strong sexual responses.
Yogic practices may also help cultivate emotional self-awareness contributing to increased sexual assertiveness and desire.
Moola bandha: the secret power-up
While tales of unblocking energy in root chakras may lack scientific evidence, Moola bandha, a yogic concept, might resonate with skeptics. This pelvic contraction is thought to stimulate the nervous system and directly activate the gonads and perineal body/cervix, potentially alleviating period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, and controlling testosterone secretion in men.
The state of play on scientific evidence
While the tantalizing prospects of "yogasms" may excite us, it is essential to remember that the empirical evidence supporting yoga's benefits for sexual function is relatively scarce compared to the wealth of anecdotal stories found online. Many studies have small sample sizes and lack control groups.
Nevertheless, some studies with larger samples, such as those involving women with metabolic syndrome, have shown more promising results, with improved arousal, lubrication, and blood pressure after 12 weeks of yoga practice. Similarly, a study on women with multiple sclerosis found improved physical activity and sexual function after 3 months of yoga training.
Though more conclusive scientific evidence is needed, it's safe to say that the foundation for a strong link between yoga and sexual function is there. Until further research clarifies the extent of yoga's impact on our love lives, why not give it a whirl? You—and your pelvic muscles—may very well thank you for it!
- The Journal of Sexual Medicine published a study that found yoga improves sexual function in women, particularly those over 45, after 12 weeks of training in 22 yogic poses.
- A 12-week yoga program led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav significantly improved male sexual satisfaction, as demonstrated by the participants' outcomes in desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
- According to a review of existing literature by researchers from the University of British Columbia, yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers anxiety and stress, and influences the nervous system in a way that promotes relaxation—all essential for strong sexual responses.
- Moola bandha, a yogic concept, might resonate with skeptics due to its potential to stimulate the nervous system and alleviate period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, and control testosterone secretion in men.
- While the empirical evidence supporting yoga's benefits for sexual function is relatively scarce compared to anecdotal stories found online, some larger-scale studies, such as those involving women with metabolic syndrome, have shown more promising results with improved arousal, lubrication, and blood pressure after 12 weeks of yoga practice.
- In the realm of health-and-wellness and sexual-health blogs, yoga's assertiveness in boosting sexual function in both men and women can be supported by available scientific research, with potential improvements in gynaecology, mental-health, and overall health yielded from regular practice.
