Enhanced Sexual Performance Through Yoga: Insights into the Effects of Yoga Practice on Sexual Functioning
Din't want to be a killjoy, but the wonderlands of yoga and libido ain't just based on lore, mate. It seems our ancestors might have been onto something!
Nowadays, science has finally caught up, and backed up their wild claims with some legit research. Turns out, the practice of yoga offers more than just inner peace and physical flexibility.
Not only does it aid in sorting out conditions like depression, stress, and anxiety, as well as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid issues, but yoga reportedly shapes up your sex life too. Fancy that, eh?
Researchers have found that yoga exercises can lower your body's inflammatory response, tamp down the genetic expression that predicts stress, reduce stress hormones (cortisol), and boost proteins that help your brain stay young and healthy. Lovely stuff, no doubt about it.
But, like, did you know that yoga's yummy poses might just be the secret ingredient for a better bang? A study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine dug into the matter, particularly focusing on women aged 45 and older.
Over a 12-week period, the ladies were trained to do 22 specific poses, or yogasanas, which are known to strengthen the pelvic floor, improve digestion, or boost your mood. After the training, an impressive 75% of the ladies reported an improvement in their sex lives!
Yoga ain't solely a game-changer for the fairer sex. A different study led by neurologist Dr. Vikas Dhikav found improvements in the male sexual satisfaction following a 12-week yoga program.
The study included various aspects of male sexual satisfaction, like desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
Results showed that yoga poses can enhance sexual function in men, just like it delivers for the ladies. Researchers also discovered that yoga is a viable nonpharmacologicalalternative to fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation.
But how, exactly, does yoga tickle our fancy bits? Well, researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, explain that yoga modulates attention and breathing, reduces anxiety and stress, and regulates the nervous system to induce relaxation.
And, funnily enough, yoga poses like the triangle, snake, and half spinal twist have been found to promote sexual wellbeing by stimulating the nervous system. Who knew that twisting your body into pretzel shapes could be so satisfying?
If you're still not convinced, then yield to the power of the moola bandha. This concept involves contracting the pelvic muscles and is linked with parasympathetic activity in the body to boost circulation in the pelvic area.
Studies have shown that moola bandha can improve sexual health in both men and women, from relieving period pain to treating premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. Do the deed, and thank your pelvic muscles later.
Moreover, the frog pose, or bhekasana, can ease symptoms of vaginismus, the involuntary contraction of vaginal muscles, and vestibulodynia, a type of pelvic pain.
With all this in mind, there's still a lot to learn about harnessing yoga's full sexual potential. The world wide web hosts a ton of anecdotal evidence, but studies focusing on yoga's impact on sexual health are relatively rare.
Most available studies have small sample sizes, and many lack a control group. More research is needed to support yoga's sexual advantages across a broader range of individuals and conditions.
But hey, why wait for science to catch up? Pop on a yoga mat and test out these tasty poses for yourself – your sexual partners, and pelvic muscles, will thank you for it!
- It's fascinating to see how the practice of yoga, previously thought to offer only inner peace and physical flexibility, also significantly improves sexual health.
- Research has shown that specific yoga poses, like the triangle, snake, and half spinal twist, stimulate the nervous system, promoting sexual wellbeing.
- The moola bandha, a concept in yoga that involves contracting the pelvic muscles, has been found to boost circulation in the pelvic area, improving sexual health in both men and women.
