Enhanced Sexual Function Through Yoga Practice: Insights into its Impact and Advantages
Rewritten Article:
Are wellness blogs right when they claim that yoga improves sexual experiences? Let's dive in and find out.
Yoga is a centuries-old practice that's gaining popularity for its numerous health benefits - including combat against stress, depression, and anxiety, as well as diabetes, thyroid issues, and metabolic syndrome. Recent research uncovers the mechanisms behind these benefits:
- Yoga lowers the body's inflammatory response
- It alters the expression of genes predisposing people to stress
- It decreases cortisol levels
- It boosts the protein that keeps the brain young and healthy
Yoga offers numerous perks for your overall well-being - and sometimes, as the rumors suggest, it can even feel really, really good. Building a connection with your body can leave you feeling rejuvenated, restorative, and physically satisfied. But can it enhance your sex life too? Let's investigate.
Yoga Enhances Sexual Function in Women
One study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine sheds light on this topic. Researchers tested the effects of 12 weeks of yoga on 40 women, reporting improvements in their sexual function across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. A whopping 75% of the women reported an improvement in their sex life after completing the yoga training!
The women were trained on 22 poses (yogasanas) believed to improve core abdominal muscles, promote healthy digestion, fortify the pelvic floor, and uplift mood. Some poses included the triangle pose, the snake, and the half spinal twist. To learn more about these yogasanas, check out this link.
Yoga Benefits Men Too
It's not just women who can reap the benefits! A study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, examined the effects of a 12-week yoga program on male sexual satisfaction. At the conclusion of the study period, the participants reported a significant improvement in their sexual function as evaluated by the Male Sexual Quotient.
Improvements were observed in all aspects of male sexual satisfaction: desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
Researchers also conducted a comparative trial, finding that yoga serves as a viable, non-pharmacological alternative to fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation. To combat PE, the trial included 15 yoga poses ranging from easier ones like Kapalbhati to more complex ones such as the bow pose.
Yoga's Mechanisms for Better Sex
How exactly does yoga shape our sex lives? A literature review by researchers at the University of British Columbia helps explain some of its sex-enhancing mechanisms.
Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor from the University of British Columbia's Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, is the first author of the review. Dr. Brotto and colleagues elucidate that yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers anxiety and stress, and activates the part of the nervous system that encourages relaxation. This relaxation response is associated with improved sexual function.
Furthermore, psychological factors come into play as well. Women who practice yoga are less likely to objectify their bodies and have a more acute awareness of themselves. This heightened self-awareness can lead to increased sexual responsibility, assertiveness, and desires.
The Power of the Moola Bandha
Stories about unlocking blocked energy and moving "kundalini energy" may lack substantial scientific evidence, but the concept of moola bandha could resonate with the skeptics among us.
Moola bandha is a contraction of the perineal muscles that stimulates the nervous system in the pelvic region, promoting parasympathetic activity in the body. This exercise may directly affect the gonads and the pelvic body/cervix.
Some studies suggest that practicing moola bandha can relieve period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, as well as help control testosterone secretion in men. Moola bandha is similar to the medically recommended Kegel exercises, thought to prevent urinary incontinence and aid both men and women in enjoying sex longer. In fact, many sex therapy centers recommend moola bandha to help women become more aware of their genital arousal sensations, improving desire and sexual satisfaction.
Another yoga pose that strengthens pelvic floor muscles is bhekasana, or the frog pose. This pose may alleviate symptoms of vestibulodynia (vaginal pain) and vaginismus (involuntary contraction of vaginal muscles), making sex more pleasurable for women.
The Reliability of the Evidence
While the potential sexual benefits of yoga are enticing, it's essential to consider the significant difference between empirical, or experimental, evidence and anecdotal evidence. The internet is flooded with anecdotal accounts, but the studies that have empirically tested the effects of yoga on sexual function are limited. Most of the studies mentioned earlier have relatively small sample sizes and lack a control group.
However, more recent studies, which focused on women with sexual dysfunction in addition to other conditions, have yielded stronger evidence. For example, a randomized controlled trial examined the effects of yoga in women with metabolic syndrome, an increased risk of sexual dysfunction. After a 12-week yoga program, improvements were observed in arousal and lubrication for the women practicing yoga, while no such improvements were seen in the women who did not participate.
Another randomized controlled trial looked at the sexual benefits of yoga for women living with multiple sclerosis (MS). The participants completed 3 months of yoga training, consisting of eight weekly sessions. The researchers found that women in the yoga group demonstrated improvements in physical ability and sexual function, while the women in the control group experienced worsening symptoms.
In conclusion, while scientific evidence supporting the sexual benefits of yoga is not yet comprehensive, there's enough reason to believe that yoga could enhance our sex lives. Until further research confirms whether "yogasms" are a realistic experience, incorporating yoga into our daily routines seems like a worthwhile journey - one that our pelvic muscles will undoubtedly appreciate!
- The scientific literature suggests that yoga can improve sexual function in both men and women, with studies reporting improvements in sexual satisfaction, desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and partner synchronization.
- A literature review by researchers at the University of British Columbia explains that yoga's sex-enhancing mechanisms may include regulation of attention and breathing, reduction of anxiety and stress, and activation of the relaxation response, all of which are associated with improved sexual function.
- Moola bandha, a contraction of the perineal muscles, is often mentioned as a yoga exercise that can influence sexual function by stimulating the nervous system in the pelvic region and potentially improving sexual dysfunction in women and testosterone secretion in men.
