Enhancing Intimacy Through Yoga: Boosting Sexual Performance and Fulfillment
Dive into the world of well-ness blogs that tout yoga for a better bang, or orgasm, and you'll find personal accounts to back up the claim, often in impressive ways. But does science agree? Let's explore.
Yoga's ancient healing powers have gained modern credibility with claims that it helps fight conditions like depression, stress, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid issues. But could it be the key to improving our bedroom skills? We put it to the test.
Yoga sweetens the deal for the ladies
One of the most-cited studies, from The Journal of Sexual Medicine, found that yoga can indeed enhance sexual function - particularly for women over 45. The study analyzed the effects of 12 weeks of yoga on 40 women, who self-reported on their sexual function before and after the sessions.
After the 12-week program, the women's sexual function had significantly improved across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index: "desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain." A whopping 75 percent of the women reported an improvement in their sex life after yoga training.
The ladies were trained on a list of 22 poses, or yogasanas, that are believed to improve core abdominal muscles, improve digestion, strengthen the pelvic floor, and ease mood. Some poses included trikonasana (triangle pose), bhujangasana (snake), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist). You can find the full list of asanas right here.
It's a win-win for the gentlemen too
If yoga delivers results for women, you bet your bottom dollar it benefits men as well. A study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, explored the effects of a 12-week yoga program on the sexual satisfaction of men.
By the end of the study period, the men reported a significant improvement in their sexual function, as evaluated by the standard Male Sexual Quotient. Improvements were seen across all aspects of satisfaction: "desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm."
The researchers also conducted a comparative trial and discovered that yoga is a viable, non-pharmacological alternative to fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation.
Magic behind the mat
But how does yoga turn up the heat in the bedroom? Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor at the University of British Columbia, and colleagues explain that yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers anxiety, and relaxes the nervous system, all of which are associated with enhanced sexual response.
There are also psychological factors at play. "Female yoga practitioners are less likely to objectify their bodies," claim Dr. Brotto and her team, "and more aware of their physical selves." This increased self-awareness could lead to more assertive behavior and possibly even heightened sexual desires.
One intriguing concept is the moola bandha, a contraction of the perineal muscles that stimulates the autonomic nervous system in the pelvic region, promoting relaxation. Practicing moola bandha has been linked to relief from period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, as well as the management of testosterone secretion in men.
The evidence: Fact or Fiction?
While the potential sexual benefits of yoga are too enticing to ignore, it's essential to consider the substantial difference between empirical, or experimental, evidence and anecdotal evidence.
The Internet hosts a wealth of anecdotal evidence, yet the studies that have tested the benefits of yoga for sexual function are limited. To bolster the claims, more holistic studies are needed with larger sample sizes and control groups.
Recent research, however, focusing on women with metabolic syndrome, has provided stronger evidence. A 12-week yoga program for this at-risk population led to significant improvements in arousal and lubrication.
However, as we await more concrete evidence to confirm the existence of "yogasms," it's safe to say that there's enough persuasive evidence to make yoga a promising addition to our daily fitness routines. After all, our pelvic muscles could use a little TLC.
- Yoga's positive influence on sexual health is supported by scientific evidence, as a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine showed that a 12-week yoga program significantly improved sexual function in women over 45, enhancing desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and easing pain.
- Men have also experienced benefits from yoga, as a study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav found that a 12-week yoga program improved various aspects of male sexual satisfaction, from desire and ejaculatory control to orgasm and overall satisfaction.
- The benefits of yoga on sexual health may be due to its ability to regulate attention and breathing, lower anxiety, and relax the nervous system, all of which contribute to enhanced sexual response. Additionally, the moola bandha, a yoga technique that contracts the perineal muscles, has been linked to improvements in sexual health for both men and women.
