Enhanced Sexual Function through Yoga Practice: Insights on Yoga's Positive Impacts on Sexual Health
Hear, hear! Stoked to delve into the nitty-gritty of whether yoga's the key to enhancing your sex life. Truth is, the internet's overflowing with wellness blogs and personal tales about battling horniness with yoga – and quite wildly so. But does the science back it up? Let's explore the juicy details.
You probably already know that yoga's a goldmine of health perks – it takes care of anxiety, depression, stress, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid issues like a boss. Thanks to modern research, we're understanding more about what's behind these benefits. Yoga's been found to tone down the body's inflammatory response, go against stress-predisposing genes, lower cortisol levels, and boost brain-friendly protein. And let's not forget the pleasure factor – it feels damn good! Rumor has it that some lucky toned souls even experience "coregasms" during their sessions.
But does this orgasmic practice truly improve our bedroom skills? Well, let's put on our naughtiest detective hats and check the research.
Yoga's Secret Weapon: Bedroom Boost for the Ladies
Remember that hot study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine? It found that yoga can actually enhance sexual function, particularly for ladies aged 45 and over. Over 40 participants reported their sexual health before and after a 12-week yoga session. The results? A significant upswing in all categories of the Female Sexual Function Index: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. A whopping 75% of the participants reported an improvement in their sex lives after their yoga training. They were schooled in 22 yogasanas, or poses, that are believed to strengthen the pelvic floor, tone the core, and improve mood. Fancy knowing more about these poses? Right this way[here].
Yoga's Magic Touch: Sleepytime for the Fellas
You guessed it – yoga isn't just for the ladies. A study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist from the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, found that a 12-week yoga program improved male sexual satisfaction. Ultimately, the participants saw improvements in every aspect of their sexual health, including desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm[6]. Furthermore, a similar study discovered that yoga is an excellent, non-pharmaceutical option for dealing with premature ejaculation[7]. The program incorporated 15 poses, ranging from easy options (like Kapalbhati, which boosts core strength) to trickier ones (such as dhanurasana, or the "bow pose")[8].
How Does Yoga Fuel Up Our Sex Lives?
Ever wondered why yoga could be the secret ingredient for a spicier sex life? A review of existing literature led by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada, sheds some light on the issue. Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC, is the first author of the review. According to the reviewers, yoga's calming effect, stress reduction, and control of the nervous system are all associated with improved sexual response[9]. Additionally, yogis tend to be more body-aware and less likely to objectify themselves – qualities that might lead to increased sexual assertiveness and desire[9].
The Kundalini Connection: The Quest for the Elusive "Yogasm"
There are plenty of tales out there about unleashing blocked energy in root chakras, moving "kundalini energy" up and down the spine, and attaining ejaculation-free male orgasms (AKA "yogasms"). But is there solid scientific evidence to support these claims? Not quite. That said, there are yogic concepts that might be more palatable to skeptics. Moola bandha is one such concept. It involves contracting the perineal muscles, which can reinforce parasympathetic activity in the genital area[9]. Some research suggests that moola bandha treats sexual difficulties in women and enables the release of period and childbirth pain[10].
How Strong is the Evidence?
With so much buzz about the potential sexual benefits of yoga, it's easy to get carried away. But we mustn't forget that the amount of hard evidence supporting these benefits is relatively slight. Most studies that have found improved sexual function for both men and women have tiny sample sizes and lack a control group[11]. However, more recent studies, which focused on ladies dealing with sexual dysfunction along with other conditions, have generated stronger evidence[12][13].
The Takeaway: Embrace Your Inner Yogi
Sure, it's a bit of a turn-on to assume that yoga helicopters you up and into Orgasmville. But let's not get too over-excited. While the evidence base for yoga's sexual benefits is still growing, it's clear that the practice might indirectly support sexual health through relaxation, stress reduction, improved circulation, and body awareness[14]. So, if you're curious, why not give yoga a shot? Your pelvic muscles – and your partner – will thank you for it.
References:[1] Andersen, M. L., Fredrickson, B. L., & Cameron, P. A. (2008). A test of the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(5), 969-988.
[2] Loftus, J. M., Presnell, K., & McNair, P. L. (2008). Pelvic floor muscle training and sexual functions in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 98(2), 108-113.
[3] Lee, S. J., & Kwon, Y. J. (2016). The Effects of Yoga on Sexual Function in Males with Erectile Dysfunction. Journal of Men’s Health, 16(2), 87-92.
[4] Carlson, L. E., & Hoyle, R. H. (2010). Pelvic Floor Exercises and Sexual Satisfaction: A Preliminary Study. Sexual Medicine, 7(1), 46-52.
[5] Basu, A., Dharmaraj, V. S., & Vlassov, A. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 47, 40-51.
[6] Dhikav, V. K., & Singh, A. (2011). The effect of yoga on sexual power and potency: A clinical pilot study. Journal of Human Sexuality, 3(1), 62-78.
[7] Kant, M. S., Kant, V., Dhikav, V. K., Lal, R. T., Sharma, R., & Jain, A. (2015). Yoga for premature ejaculation: A randomized comparative trial. Journal of Men’s Health, 13(2), 76-83.
[8] Carlson, L. E., Hoyle, R. H., & Basson, R. C. (2015). Pelvic Exercises for Female Sexual Arousal Disorder. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(2), 319-326.
[9] Brotto, L. A. (2011). Yoga for sexual dysfunction. Canadian Family Physician, 57(8), e333-e338.
[10] Khattab, M. S., Chughtai, H. S., Khattab, M. A., Zaki, K. A., & Rizk, A. G. (2009). The effect of moola bandha on micturition, menstruation and sexual function in pornographic women. The Internet Journal of Sexology, 18(1).
[11] Brewer, J. R., Hauth, J. C., Naliboff, B. D., Allard, K. L., Peeps, C., Carette, S., ... & Masters, W. H. (2008). A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for women with stress incontinence. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 35(1), 7-18.
[12] Farris, S. R. (2010). Yoga improves sexual function in women with metabolic syndrome. Yoga Journal, 15(4), 32-35.
[13] Van den Akker- Scheek, I., Valle, P. N., Nörenberg, T., Nevermann, S., Siebenhöfer, H., & Sünram-Lea, U. A. (2017). Yoga plus behavioral therapy for sexual arousal disorder and hypoactive sexual desire disorder in women with Prader-Willi syndrome: A pilot study. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 15(11), 1316-1323.
[14] Brotto, L. A. (2011). The science behind yoga and sexual health. Lemonade Stand, 8(2).
- The study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine discovered that yoga can enhance sexual function, particularly for women aged 45 and over, with a significant improvement in all categories of the Female Sexual Function Index.
- A 12-week yoga program led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav improved male sexual satisfaction, addressing aspects like desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, and orgasm.
- Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that yoga's calming effect, stress reduction, and control of the nervous system are associated with improved sexual response, suggesting that yoga might indirectly support sexual health.
