Yoga's Impact on Sexual Function: Enhancing Intimacy and Pleasure
The web is filled with wellness blogs advocating yoga for better sex, boasting of personal accounts claiming the practice enhances sexual experiences - and often, quite significantly. But does science justify these claims? Let's dive in.
Modern research is just scratching the surface of the numerous health benefits of ancient yoga practices. From alleviating anxiety and depression to addressing metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid problems, yoga seems to be a supercharged wellness tool.
New studies delve deeper into the mechanisms behind these health advantages, revealing that yoga lowers inflammation, counters stress, reduces cortisol levels, and promotes a protein beneficial for brain growth and health. Not bad, right? Things get even better when you factor in the sheer pleasure of the practice.
With talk about coregasms during yoga - yes, we're talking about extremely enjoyable experiences - getting in touch with our bodies feels replenishing, restorative, and, well, downright exhilarating. And if you're wondering if yoga poses can elevate our sex lives, let's take a look at the research.
Can Yoga Improve Sexual Function in Women?
One study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine examined the effects of 12 weeks of yoga on 40 women who reported their sexual function before and after the sessions. After the 12-week period, the women's sexual function had significantly improved across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.
Amazingly, 75% of the women reported an improvement in their sex life after yoga training. The women were trained on 22 poses believed to strengthen core abdominal muscles, improve digestion, and boost mood.
Can Yoga Improve Sexual Function in Men?
The benefits of yoga don't just apply to women. A study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, observed the effects of a 12-week yoga program on the sexual satisfaction of men.
After the study period, the participants reported significant improvements in their sexual function, as evaluated by the Male Sexual Quotient. Researchers found improvements in desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
How Does Yoga Enhance Sexual Function?
So, how does yoga improve our sexual function exactly? A review of existing literature, led by researchers at the University of British Columbia, sheds some light on these sex-enhancing mechanisms.
Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC, is the first author of the review. Brotto and colleagues explain that yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers anxiety and stress, and triggers relaxation responses – all of which are associated with improved sexual response.
Yoga also affects our bodies psychologically, making us less likely to objectify ourselves and more aware of our physical selves. This increased awareness and assertiveness might, in turn, boost sexual desires.
Power of the Moola Bandha
Stories about unblocking energy in root chakras and moving "kundalini energy" up and down the spine might seem far-fetched, but other yogic concepts deserve a closer look. Take Moola Bandha, for instance.
Moola Bandha is a perineal contraction echoing parasympathetic activity in the pelvic region, which may indirectly affect the gonads and perineal body/cervix. Some studies suggest that practicing moola bandha relieves period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, as well as treating premature ejaculation and regulating testosterone secretion in men.
In short, yoga offers a promising sex life-enhancement path, but there is a need for more comprehensive and rigorous research to back up claims about yoga's direct impact on sexual function. Until more definitive evidence emerges, giving yoga a shot in our daily routines might just pay off, and our pelvic muscles will certainly thank us.
- Though some might dismiss it as a modern fad, a review of existing literature led by researchers at the University of British Columbia suggests that yoga could enhance sexual function.
- Intriguingly, a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that 75% of women reported an improvement in their sex life after 12 weeks of yoga training.
- Not just for women, a study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav observed that men who underwent a 12-week yoga program reported significant improvements in their sexual function.
- With the power to trigger relaxation responses, lower anxiety and stress, and affect our bodies psychologically, yoga might be a powerful sex life-enhancement tool, though more research is needed to confirm its direct impact on sexual function.
