Enhanced Sexual Performance Through Yoga: Insights on Its Impact
Diving into the vast online sea of wellness blogs, you'll find countless recommendations touting yoga as the magic bullet for a mind-blowing sex life. But does science support these claims or is it all just hippie hype? Let's unravel the tangled web of yoga and sexual function.
In the modern world, we're just beginning to scratch the surface of the manifold health benefits hidden in yoga, an ancient practice with roots reaching back millennia. From addressing mental health issues like stress, anxiety, and depression, to managing physical conditions such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid problems, yoga's got a lot going for it.
But what about the marquee attraction? Does yoga deliver on the promise of improved sexual function? We're about to find out.
Yoga Rocks Women's World
A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine caught our attention. This research examined the effects of a 12-week yoga program on the sexual function of 40 women over 45 years old. The participants reported on their sexual functioning before and after the yoga sessions.
By the end of the study, the women's sexual function had significantly improved across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index, including "desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain." A staggering 75 percent of the women reported an improvement in their sex life after yoga training.
The women in the study learned 22 poses, or yogasanas, believed to improve core abdominal muscles, boost mood, and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Among the poses they mastered were trikonasana (the triangle pose), bhujangasana (the snake), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist). The full list of asanas can be found in some seriously spiritual corners of the internet.
Yoga's Magic Touch for Men
Fellas don't get left out in the cold. Research led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, examined the effects of a 12-week yoga program on the sexual satisfaction of men.
At the end of the study period, the male participants reported significant improvements in their sexual function as assessed by the Male Sexual Quotient. The researchers found improvements across all aspects of male sexual satisfaction: "desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, [and] orgasm."
In a comparative trial conducted by the same research team, yoga was found to be a viable and nonpharmacological alternative to fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation. The study included 15 yoga poses, ranging from the relatively easy kapalbhati (abdominal breathing exercises) to more complicated ones like dhanurasana (the bow pose).
The Yucca behind the Magic
But how does yoga elevate our sexual Frankensteins? A review of existing literature led by researchers at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, from the University of British Columbia (UBC), in Vancouver, Canada, sheds some light on the sexy mechanisms behind yoga.
Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC, is the first author of the review. She and her colleagues explain that yoga regulates attention, breathing, and anxiety, and stimulates the part of the nervous system associated with relaxation, which is honey to our sexual systems.
There are also psychological mechanisms at play. "Female practitioners of yoga have been found to be less likely to objectify their bodies and more aware of their physical selves," explain Dr. Brotto and her colleagues. "This tendency may be associated with increased sexual responsibility and assertiveness, and perhaps sexual desires."
Another yogic concept that catches our fancy is the moola bandha, a perineal contraction that can directly stimulate the gonads and perineal body/cervix, promoting relaxation and improved sexual function. The practice strengthens the pelvic floor muscles, balances, stimulates, and rejuvenates the area through techniques that increase awareness and circulation.
For those with a penchant for frogs, bhekasana (the frog pose) is another yoga pose that targets the pelvic floor and can help alleviate symptoms of vaginismus and vestibulodynia, conditions that plague women and disrupt the sexual experience.
The Evidence: Hype or Substance?
While it's easy to get carried away (ahem) by the yogic promise of heightened sexual function, it's worth noting the vast chasm between the mountainous amount of anecdotal evidence and the scarce empirical evidence. The internet hosts a deluge of anecdotal evidence, but the trials that have explored the benefits of yoga for sexual function remain relatively few and far between.
However, more recent studies focusing on women with sexual dysfunction in addition to other conditions have yielded stronger evidence. For example, a randomized controlled trial found significant improvements in arousal and lubrication for women with metabolic syndrome who practiced yoga for 12 weeks, whereas such improvements were not observed in women who did not participate in yoga.
Another randomized study examined the sexual benefits of yoga for women living with multiple sclerosis. The participants underwent 3 months of yoga training consisting of eight weekly sessions. Importantly, women in the yoga group "showed improvement in physical ability" and sexual function, while women in the control group "manifested exacerbated symptoms."
"Yoga techniques may improve physical activities and sexual satisfaction function of women with MS," the study concluded.
So, while we still have a lot of research to do to understand the full extent of yoga's impact on our sex lives, the signs are promising. By incorporating yoga into our daily routines, we could be taking a significant step towards enriching our pelvic muscles (and much more)!
- The study conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia found that yoga regulates physical and mental aspects that are beneficial for sexual function, such as attention, breathing, anxiety, and relaxation.
- A randomized controlled trial revealed significant improvements in arousal and lubrication for women with metabolic syndrome who practiced yoga for 12 weeks, suggesting potentially profound effects of yoga on sexual function.
- Another study focused on women living with multiple sclerosis found that incorporating 3 months of yoga training into their routine resulted in improved physical ability and sexual function for the women in the yoga group, indicating that yoga might be a viable solution for enhancing sexual health in certain populations.
