Improved Sexual Function Through Yoga Practice: Unveiling Its Advantages
Get ready to dive into the world of yoga and its potential impact on your sex life! Although the Internet is brimming with wellness blogs that tout the benefits of yoga for better sex, let's see if science backs up these claims.
Yoga, an ancient practice, has garnered attention for its numerous health benefits, like reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as helping manage metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid problems. But what about its effects on our bedroom lives?
Yoga's Impact on Women's Sexual Function
A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine put yoga to the test. Over 40 women over 45, who self-reported on their sexual function, participated in a 12-week yoga session. To their delight, the women reported significant improvements across key sections of the Female Sexual Function Index, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. As many as 75% of the women reported an improvement in their sex life after yoga practice.
The women learned 22 poses, or yogasanas, that are thought to improve core abdominal muscles, improve digestion, strengthen the pelvic floor, and boost mood. Poses such as the triangle pose, the snake, and half spinal twist were part of their routine.
Yoga's Benefits for Men
Men aren't left out of the fun either! Research has shown that yoga can enhance male sexual satisfaction. In a study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, men reported a significant improvement in their sexual function after a 12-week yoga program. The improvements were observed across all aspects of male sexual satisfaction, including desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
How Does Yoga Enhance Sexual Function?
Scientists believe that yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers anxiety, reduces stress, and activates the nervous system in ways that promote relaxation – all factors associated with improved sexual response. In addition, female yogis are found to be less likely to objectify their bodies and more aware of their physical selves, which may lead to increased sexual assertiveness and desires.
One concept, Moola bandha, is gaining attention for its potential benefits. Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the nervous system in the pelvic region and helps relieve pain, sexual difficulties, and premature ejaculation in men.
Strengthening the Pelvic Floor Muscles
Inevitably, many sex therapy centers recommend yoga practices, like Moola bandha, to help women become more aware of their sensations of arousal in the genital area, which in turn can improve desire and sexual experience. Other poses, like Bhekasana (the frog pose), can help ease symptoms of vaginismus and vaginal pain, making sex more enjoyable for women.
The Current State of Yoga Research
While stories of energy blocks and kundalini energy may lack scientific evidence, the potential sexual benefits of yoga seem promising. However, it's essential to consider the relatively small amount of experimental evidence compared to anecdotal evidence found online. More research is needed to determine the full extent of yoga's impact on sexual function, particularly for women and men with specific sexual health concerns.
Nevertheless, the seeds have been planted, and until future research provides conclusive answers, incorporating yoga into our daily lives could be a worthwhile experiment – not just for our pelvic muscles but for our overall well-being too.
- The study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that women over 45 who participated in a 12-week yoga session reported significant improvements in key areas of the Female Sexual Function Index, such as desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.
- Research led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav showed that men reported significant improvements in their sexual function after a 12-week yoga program, including desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
- Scientists suggest that yoga improves sexual function by regulating attention and breathing, lowering anxiety, reducing stress, and activating the nervous system in ways that promote relaxation – all factors that can enhance sexual response.
- Incorporating yoga into daily life could be a worthwhile experiment, as the potential sexual benefits of yoga seem promising, although more research is needed to fully understand its impact on sexual function, particularly for individuals with specific sexual health concerns.
