Enhanced Sexual Performance through Yoga: Insights into its Impact
Yoga's Ancient Health Benefits May Extend to Sexual Well-being
Multitudes of wellness blogs enthusiastically advocate the practice of yoga for a more satisfying sexual life. While personal testimonies endorse this claim, is there empirical evidence to back it up? Let's explore the research.
In contemporary times, researchers have been investigating the myriad health advantages associated with the ancient practice of yoga. Reported benefits extend to conditions such as depression, stress, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid disorders. Dive into recent studies that dissect the intricate mechanisms behind these advantages.
Research has revealed that yoga expedites the body's inflammatory response, inhibits genetic expression that props up stress, reduces cortisol levels, and boosts a vital protein enhancing the brain's growth and long-term health. Beyond these advantages, the activity simply feels indulgent and soothing. While the famed "coregasm" phenomenon during yoga may be a subject of debate, the symphony of sensations during practice is undoubtedly enticing.
Connecting with one's physicality can spark feelings of replenishment, revitalization, and bodily pleasure. However, does this holistic practice truly empower the quest for a fulfilling sexual life? We delve deeper into the research.
Yoga Enhances Sexual Function in Women
A widely-cited study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine reports that yoga can indeed promote sexual functionality, particularly in women over the age of 45. This research tracked the effects of 12 weeks of yoga on 40 women who self-reported their sexual function before and after the weekly sessions.
After the three-month period, significant improvements were detected in their sexual function across all areas of the Female Sexual Function Index (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain). As many as 75 percent of the women involved reported an improvement in their sex lives following yoga training.
Throughout the study, all participants underwent training on 22 poses, believed to bolster core abdominal muscles, enhance digestion, fortify the pelvic floor, and promote mood improvement. Some of these poses include trikonasana (the triangle pose), bhujangasana (the snake), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist). You can access the full list of asanas [here].
Yoga Bolsters Sexual Function in Men
Men aren't the only beneficiaries of yoga's healing touch. A comparable study overseen by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, assessed the impact of a 12-week yoga program on the sexual satisfaction of men.
At the study's conclusion, the participants reported substantial improvements in their sexual function as measured by the standard Male Sexual Quotient. Researchers found enhancements in all aspects of male sexual satisfaction: desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
Moreover, a comparative trial orchestrated by the same team of researchers suggests that yoga is a viable and medication-free alternative to Prozac for treating premature ejaculation. This study featured 15 yoga poses, including easier ones like Kapalbhati and more complex ones like dhanurasana (the "bow pose").
Yogic Mechanisms for Better Sex
But what, precisely, makes yoga such a potent catalyst for sexual improvement? A review of existing literature led by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) offers insight into some of the sex-enhancing mechanisms at play.
Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC, helms the review, alongside her colleagues who elucidate that yoga fine-tunes attention, breathing, minimizes anxiety and stress, and governs the nervous system, instigating the body to rest, relax, digest, and trigger additional relaxation-inducing processes.
These effects, the reviewers explain, are associated with enhancements in sexual response. Furthermore, psychological mechanisms are at play. Female yoga practitioners are less likely to objectify their bodies and are more aware of their physical selves, potentially fostering increased sexual responsibility and assertiveness, as well as sexual desires.
The Power of the Moola Bandha
While stories of liberating blocked energy in root chakras or harnessing Kundalini energy may lack scientific rigor, other yogic concepts may resonate with skeptics. Moola Bandha—a perineal contraction that activates the sensory-motor and autonomic nervous system in the pelvic region—could be one such concept.
Dr. Brotto and her colleagues posit that practicing Moola Bandha, akin to modern, medically recommended pelvic floor exercises, helps prevent urinary incontinence and enables individuals to enjoy sex for longer durations. In fact, many sex therapy centers recommend this yoga practice to nurture women's heightened awareness of their genital arousal sensations, thus fostering desire and sexual enjoyment.
Another yoga pose, Bhekasana, or the "frog pose," fortifies the pelvic floor muscles and may alleviate symptoms of vestibulodynia (vaginal vestibule pain) and vaginismus (involuntary vaginal muscle contraction), preventing women from enjoying intercourse.
The Limits and Potential of the Evidence
While the tantalizing possibilities of enhanced sexual performance through yoga are captivating, it is wise to acknowledge the disparity between empirical—experimental—evidence and anecdotal evidence abundant online. The scientific community is still building a solid foundation of clinical trials examining the benefits of yoga for sexual function in both men and women.
However, studies conducted among participants with sexual dysfunction coexisting with conditions like metabolic syndrome have yielded stronger evidence. For these women, a 12-week yoga program led to significant improvements in arousal and lubrication; improvements that were not observed in women who did not practice yoga.
In a randomized controlled trial, yoga also demonstrated sexual benefits for women with multiple sclerosis, with participants in the yoga group showing improved physical ability and sexual function. "Yoga techniques may improve physical activities and sexual satisfaction function of women with MS," the study paper concluded.
So, while the evidence base is still growing, the evidence at hand suggests that yoga offers promising benefits for our sexual well-being. Until future research can firmly determine whether "yogasms" are attainable or not, we believe there is ample reason to incorporate yoga into our daily lives. After all, our pelvic muscles might just thank us for it.
- Beyond the claims of personal testimonies, scientific research is being conducted to validate the connection between yoga and sexual well-being.
- In a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, yoga was found to promote sexual functionality in women over 45, showing significant improvements across various areas of the Female Sexual Function Index.
- Men also benefit from yoga's impact on sexual satisfaction, as a study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav revealed improvements in male sexual satisfaction across all aspects of the Male Sexual Quotient.
- Researchers at the University of British Columbia suggest that yoga improves attention, minimizes anxiety and stress, and tunes the nervous system, all of which could contribute to enhancements in sexual response.
- The practice of Moola Bandha, a perineal contraction activating the sensory-motor and autonomic nervous system in the pelvic region, is believed to prevent urinary incontinence and enable individuals to enjoy sex for longer durations.
- Bhekasana, or the "frog pose," is another yoga pose that fortifies the pelvic floor muscles, potentially alleviating symptoms of vestibulodynia and vaginismus in women.
- Although the evidence base is growing, current studies suggest that yoga offers promising benefits for sexual well-being, with stronger evidence emerging for women with coexisting sexual dysfunction and conditions like metabolic syndrome.
