Yoga's Impact on Sexual Health: Enhancing Intimacy and Vitality
The digital world is jam-packed with wellness blogs extolling the benefits of yoga for a more satisfying sex life, and personal testimonies of transformed bedroom experiences, (you'd be jealous). But do these claims hold up under scientific scrutiny? Let's delve in.
Yoga's popularity surges as we unravel the multitude of health benefits hidden within this ancient practice. Conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid imbalances, seem to have significant relief with yoga.
But what about improved sexual function and mind-blowing orgasms, you ask? Let's check it out.
A boost for ladies in the bedroom
A renowned study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine investigated the impact of yoga on sexual function, focusing on women over 45. Over a 12-week period, 40 participants reported on their sexual lives pre and post yoga sessions. The results? A significant improvement in sexual function across the board, including desire, arousal, lubrication, satisfaction, and pain, with an impressive 75% claiming a life-changing improve-menckey.
The ladies were guided through 22 poses, or yogasanas, believed to strengthen the pelvic floor, boost core muscles, aid digestion and improve mood. Postures such as trikonasana (triangle pose), bhujangasana (snake pose), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist) were involved. Interested? Check out the list of asanas here.
Fellas, don't feel left out
Yoga's benefits don't stop at women. A 12-week study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, examined the sexual satisfaction reported by men following yoga training. At the study's end, male participants lauded improvements in desire, intercourse satisfaction, orgasm, and erectile control. Additionally, a study comparing yoga and fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation found the practice to be a successful, non-pharmacological alternative.
The practice included 15 poses, ranging from simpler ones like Kapalbhati (beneficial for urinary incontinence) to the more complex dhanurasana (bow pose). More info here.
How it works, right down to the good stuff
So, how does yoga better our sex lives? Researchers at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, provided some insights. Yoga regulates attention, reduces stress and anxiety, and governs physical responses, initiating relaxation, lowering the heart rate, and inducing overall tranquility. Given these effects, it seems yoga may also enhance sexual health. Plus, females practicing yoga tend to be less likely to objectify their bodies and more aware of their physical selves, which may lead to increased sexual responsibility and assertiveness.
The power of moola bandha
While tales of releasing trapped energy and ejaculation-free male orgasms through root chakra manipulation remain unfounded, the moola bandha technique makes more sense to skeptics. This perineal muscle contraction stimulates the pelvic region's sensory-motor and autonomic nervous system, promoting relaxation and improving sexual health. Benefits include relieving menstrual pain, improving sexual function in women, and treating premature ejaculation and testosterone secretion in men.
The proof is in the pudding
Though the yogasex hype can be hard to resist, it's worth considering the vast discrepancy between our empirical (experimental) evidence versus anecdotal evidence on the web. The lack of comprehensive studies means the jury is still out on achieving yogasmic transformations. However, studies with small samples have demonstrated improvements in sexual satisfaction and function for both men and women.
Recent trials focusing on women with metabolic syndrome or multiple sclerosis, for instance, have shown significant improvements in arousal, lubrication, sexual satisfaction, and physical capability, due to yoga practice. So, though definitive proof lies in the future, there's enough reason to give yoga a try and let our pelvic muscles sing praises.
- The digital health and wellness landscape is filled with blogs advocating for yoga's role in sexual health, with alleged life-changing bedroom experiences.
- A study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, focusing on women over 45, demonstrated that yoga significantly improved sexual function, including desire, arousal, lubrication, satisfaction, and pain.
- In this study, participants were guided through 22 yoga poses, aiming to boost pelvic floor strength, core muscles, digestion, and mood.
- Men, too, can reap the sexual health benefits of yoga, as shown by a study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, reporting improvements in desire, intercourse satisfaction, orgasm, and erectile control.
- Researchers at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, suggest that yoga's ability to regulate attention, reduce stress, and promote relaxation contributes to enhancements in sexual health.
- The moola bandha technique, stimulating the pelvic region's nervous system, has been shown to offer benefits such as relieving menstrual pain, improving sexual function in women, and treating premature ejaculation and testosterone secretion in men.
- While more comprehensive studies are needed, existing trials have provided promising evidence of improved sexual satisfaction and function for both men and women, making a compelling case for integrating yoga into mental, sexual, men's, and women's health routines.
