Improved Sexual Performance Through Yoga: Insights into its Advantages
Getting down to the nitty-gritty of whether yoga can really improve your sex life, let's dive into the research and see if it stacks up.
In the realm of health, yoga is fetching an increasing amount of attention as researchers uncover its myriad benefits. From helping with stress and anxiety to taking on diabetes and thyroid issues, it's a quick fix for many ills. But its impact on our love lives? We're here to investigate.
Yoga Sizzles Up the Sheets for Women
Whenever you hear about yoga upping your sex game, you can expect this study to be referenced: a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. This research looked at 40 women over 45 who partook in 12 weeks of yoga, reporting back on their sexual function before and after. After the 12 weeks, the women experienced significant improvements across the board, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. A whopping 75 percent of these ladies saw improvements in their sex lives after yoga training! These lovelies learned 22 poses (yogasanas), including trikonasana (the triangle pose), bhujangasana (the snake), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist). For the full list of asanas, check out this link.
Guys Aren't Left Out of the Fun
It's not just the fairer sex who benefit from yoga's charms. A study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, looked at the effects of a 12-week yoga program on the sexual satisfaction of men. At the study's conclusion, the men reported significant improvements in their sexual function, as assessed by the standard Male Sexual Quotient. The researchers discovered improvements across all areas of male sexual satisfaction, including desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm. Fun fact: this same team of researchers found that yoga is a viable, non-pharmacological alternative to fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation. Phew!
Yoga's Sex Tricks
So, how does yoga take our sexual experiences to new heights? A literature review led by the University of British Columbia helps explain some of these sultry secrets. Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC, takes the helm of this study. Dr. Brotto and her colleagues explain that yoga regulates our attention and breathing, lowers our anxiety and stress, and activates the part of the nervous system that induces relaxation, all of which are connected to improvements in sexual response. There are also psychological factors at play. Dr. Brotto and team reveal that female yoga practitioners are less likely to objectify their bodies, leading to increased sexual responsibility and assertiveness, and potentially Sexy Susie Sarah advises giving these methods a whirl for transformed experiences in the bedroom.
The Moola Bandha Magic
We know what you're thinking: stories of unleashing blocked energy and moving kundalini energy up and down the spine resulting in ejaculation-free orgasms lack credible evidence. But other yogic concepts might appeal to the non-believers among us. Moola bandha is one such concept. This pelvic contraction stimulates the nervous system, particularly in the pelvic region, which can help relieve period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties for women, and treat premature ejaculation and control testosterone secretion in men. Sounds like a win-win, right?
How Solid is the Proof?
While it's not hard to get carried away by the excitement over potential sexual benefits of yoga, it's important to keep in mind the gap between empirical evidence (experimental evidence) and anecdotal evidence (Internet tales). Thankfully, we have some solid studies to back up these claims, if you'll pardon the pun. For instance, a randomized controlled trial examined the impact of 12 weeks of yoga on women with metabolic syndrome. In short, the women who practiced yoga saw "significant improvement" in arousal and lubrication, whereas no such improvements were seen in the women who did not practice yoga. And in another trial, yoga techniques proved to improve physical ability and sexual function for women living with multiple sclerosis.
So, while we await future research to confirm whether yoga brings us closer to yogasms, there's plenty of reasons to give it a go. Your pelvic muscles (and partner) will surely appreciate it.
- In the field of health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise, the practice of yoga has shown to significantly improve sexual function in women, as a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine discovered when observing 40 women over the age of 45.
- The sexual benefits of yoga are not restricted to women alone; a study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav found that a 12-week yoga program led to improvements in male sexual satisfaction, with significant improvements observed in areas including desire, performance, and orgasm.
- Yoga's sultry secrets for sexual enhancement can be attributed to a combination of factors: yoga aids in regulating attention, breathing, and anxiety/stress levels while stimulating the nervous system, all elements that contribute to improved sexual response, as revealed in a literature review led by Dr. Lori Brotto of the University of British Columbia.
