Yoga's Impact on Sexual Performance: Exploring Its Advantages
The internet is overflowing with wellness blogs that promote yoga as the key to a better sex life, backed by personal accounts of its transformative effects. But are these claims medically backed? Let's explore.
In the modern world, yoga is increasingly recognized for its plethora of health benefits, ranging from improving mental health to treating physical ailments such as diabetes and thyroid problems.
Recent studies have revealed that yoga works by decreasing inflammation, controlling stress-related genetic expression, reducing cortisol levels, and enhancing brain growth-promoting proteins to keep the brain young and healthy. Plus, it just plain feels fantastic, with some even claiming to experience orgasm-like sensations, known as coregasms, during certain poses.
But can this ancient practice improve our sexual lives? We take a closer look at the evidence.
Yoga improves sexual function in women
Research has shown that yoga can indeed boost sexual function, particularly in women over 45 years old. A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine examined the impact of 12 weeks of yoga on 40 women, who self-reported on their sexual function both before and after sessions.
The study found that, after the 12 weeks, the women's sexual function had significantly improved across all aspects of the Female Sexual Function Index, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain, with as many as 75% of participants reporting improvements in their sex life. The women were taught 22 yoga poses believed to strengthen the pelvic floor, boost core abdominal muscles, and improve mood.
Yoga benefits men too
Believe it or not, yoga isn't just for the ladies. An analogous study conducted by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, examined the impact of a 12-week yoga program on male sexual satisfaction. By the end of the program, participants reported significant improvements in every aspect of their male sexual satisfaction, as measured by the standard Male Sexual Quotient.
Additionally, a comparative trial by the same team of researchers found that yoga was a viable and nonpharmacological alternative to fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation. The study included 15 yoga poses, from the easy Kapalbhati pose to the more complex dhanurasana (the "bow pose").
The science behind stronger sex
So, how does yoga improve our bedroom lives? A review of existing literature by researchers at the University of British Columbia sheds light on the subject. Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC, leads the review. She and her colleagues explain that yoga reduces anxiety and stress, regulates breathing, and activates the part of the nervous system responsible for relaxation, thus enhancing sexual response.
Psychological mechanisms are also at play. Female yoga practitioners are less likely to objectify their bodies, attaining increased awareness of physical selves, which, in turn, may boost sexual responsibility, assertiveness, and desires.
When ancient wisdom meets modern science
One powerful yogic concept that intrigues skeptics is the moola bandha. "Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the sensory-motor and the autonomic nervous system in the pelvic region, thereby enforcing parasympathetic activity in the body," write Dr. Brotto and her colleagues. "Specifically, moola bandha is thought to directly innervate the gonads and perineal body/cervix." Studies suggest that practicing moola bandha may relieve period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, in addition to controlling testosterone secretion in men.
Empirical evidence vs. anecdotal claims
While the potential sexual benefits of yoga are tempting, it's essential to acknowledge the discrepancy between the amount of empirical evidence and anecdotal evidence available. The internet is brimming with anecdotes, but studies exploring the benefits of yoga for sexual function remain relatively scarce. Most studies have limited sample sizes and lack a control group.
However, recent studies focusing on women with sexual dysfunctions alongside other conditions show more substantial evidence for the positive effects of yoga. For example, a randomized controlled trial for women with metabolic syndrome saw "significant improvement" in arousal and lubrication in the yoga group compared to non-practicing women. Similarly, a 3-month study on women with multiple sclerosis discovered that yoga participants showed improvements in physical ability and sexual function, while the control group suffered worsened symptoms.
So, while more scientific evidence is needed to fully support yoga's benefits for sexual function, the foundation is undeniably here. As we wait for further research, incorporating yoga into our daily lives could be an exciting, enriching experience—and our pelvic muscles will surely appreciate it!
- Yoga, having shown to improve health in various aspects, including mental and physical ailments, has also been found to boost sexual function, especially in women over 45. Researchers discovered this after a study of 40 women revealed significant improvements in all aspects of sexual function, such as desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain, after 12 weeks of yoga sessions.
- The benefits of yoga are not exclusive to women as men too have experienced improvements in their sexual lives. A study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav showed that after a 12-week yoga program, male participants reported significant improvements in every aspect of their sexual satisfaction.
- Research at the University of British Columbia provides scientific insight into yoga's sexual benefits, explaining that yoga reduces anxiety and stress, regulates breathing, and activates the relaxation nervous system, enhancing sexual response. Additionally, women who practice yoga are less likely to objectify their bodies, which may boost sexual responsibility, assertiveness, and desires.
