Enhanced Sexual Performance: The Role of Yoga Practice
In the digital age, everywhere you look, wellness blogs tout yoga's supposed magical powers over your sex life. Personal accounts of heightened sexual experiences by the truckload back up these claims. But holding up against the scrutiny of science, does yoga really make for a better roll in the hay? Let's delve into it.
The world of yoga has only recently started to unwrap the myriad health advantages of this ancient discipline, tackling everything from depression to anxiety. It even helps with metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid problems. Furthermore, research has begun to shed light on the intricacies behind these benefits.
Turns out, yoga decreases the body's inflammatory response, counters stress-inducing genetic expressions, lowers cortisol, and bolsters a protein that keeps the brain young and healthy. And there's even more; it just feels phenomenal. Some enthusiasts claim that certain yogic practices can result in what's been dubbed as a "coregasm" – something felt deeply, erotically, and some might even say, orgasmically.
Connecting with our bodies can offer a sense of rejuvenation, restoration, and physical pleasure. But does yoga's yummy poses elevate our sex lives? Let's investigate.
Enthusiastic Endorsements From Yogis
One frequently referenced study that graced the pages of The Journal of Sexual Medicine suggests that, yes, yoga can indeed improve sexual function - particularly in women over 45. Over a 12-week period, 40 women self-reported on their sexual function before and after practicing a variety of 22 poses, or yogasanas, known to boost core strength, improve digestion, strengthen the pelvic floor, and boost mood. After this timeframe, over 75 percent of women glowed about a noticeable improvement in their sex life post-yoga training.
Guys aren't left out in this yoga-induced carnal jamboree. The same 12-week yoga program led Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist in New Delhi, India, to discover notable improvements in the sexual satisfaction of men. In the end, the participants reported that their sexual function had vastly improved, as evaluated by the standard Male Sexual Quotient.
But hey, yoga is not just offering up little blue pills in the form of planks and cobras. A comparative study conducted by the same research team unveiled that yoga is a viable, drug-free alternative to Prozac for treating premature ejaculation. The study included a range of 15 poses, from the relatively simple Kapalbhati to the more challenging dhanurasana.
Yoga's Sex-Enhancing Mechanisms
So, just how does yoga nurture our nether regions, exactly? Researchers at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, provide some answers.
Leading the way is Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC. Dr. Brotto and her colleagues explain that yoga regulates attention and breathing, alleviates stress and anxiety, and activates the part of the nervous system that induces relaxation. As it turns out, all these effects are associated with improvements in sexual response, thus lending credence to the notion that yoga could potentially bolster our sexual health.
There are psychological mechanisms at play as well. Female yoga practitioners tend to be less likely to objectify their own bodies and more attuned to their physical selves, traits that could foster increased sexual responsibility and assertiveness, and perhaps stimulate burgeoning sexual desires.
The Allure of Moola Bandha
Some yogic concepts might pique the skeptic's curiosity. Moola bandha is one such example. This perineal contraction allegedly activates the sensory-motor and autonomic nervous systems in the pelvic region, thereby promoting parasympathetic activity in the body. Specifically, it's thought to influence both the gonads and the perineal body/cervix.
While celestial bursts of sexual energy coursing through the root chakra producing ejaculation-free male orgasms remain firmly shrouded in mysticism and devoid of scientific backing, other yogic concepts can speak to even the most hardened of cynics.
The Pelvic Floor's Best Friend
From easing period pain to curbing the involuntary contraction of vaginal muscles that interferes with penetrative sex, the moola bandha has a long list of associated benefits. Furthermore, many sex therapy centers endorse this practice to help women cultivate a greater awareness of their sensations of arousal, thus improving desire and sexual experience.
One more yoga pose that embodies the pelvic floor's champion, the "frog pose" (bhekasana), is the arch nemesis of symptoms of vestibulodynia - pain in the vestibule of the vagina – and vaginismus, the involuntary contraction of vaginal muscles preventing women from enjoying penetrative sex.
The State of the Art's Evidence
Excitement runs rampant at the notion of a yoga-fueled sexual revolution. However, it's crucial to bear in mind the vast chasm between the amount of so-called empirical, or experimental, evidence and anecdotal evidence flooding the internet. Undeniably, more scientific studies are needed to establish a concrete understanding of yoga's impact on our sexual health.
Some recently conducted studies focusing on women with conditions like metabolic syndrome or multiple sclerosis have yielded more substantial evidence. For example, a randomized controlled trial examining women with metabolic syndrome showed "significant improvement" in arousal and lubrication for the yoga group, while no such improvements were observed in the non-yoga group.
Another randomized trial investigating the sexual benefits of yoga for women living with multiple sclerosis concluded that "yoga techniques may improve physical activities and sexual satisfaction function of women with MS."
In the end, while we await further research to solidify the connection between yoga and enhanced sexual function, the evidence seems compelling enough to encourage curious parties to give it a shot. After all, our pelvic muscles can only reap the rewards.
- The study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine suggests that yoga can improve sexual function, particularly in women over 45, with over 75% of participants reporting a noticeable improvement in their sex life after practicing specific yogic poses.
- Interestingly, yoga has shown promising results for men as well, with a 12-week program leading to significant improvements in sexual satisfaction, as evaluated by the Male Sexual Quotient.
- Yoga might not be offering little blue pills, but a comparative study found that it is a viable, drug-free alternative to Prozac for treating premature ejaculation.
- Researchers at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, propose that yoga's benefits to sexual health are due to its ability to regulate attention and breathing, alleviate stress and anxiety, and activate the part of the nervous system that induces relaxation, all of which are associated with improvements in sexual response.
