Enhancing Sexual Function through Yoga Practices: Insights into the Connection
Outta the countless blogs online hawking yoga as a ticket to the steepest cliff of pleasurable encounters, you wonder: does the science corroborate these claims? Let's roll out the mat and find out.
The health perks of ancient yoga practice are starting to bless its way into the modern world. Among the conditions it allegedly aids are depression, stress, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, thyroid malfunctions, and more. But what about the gossip about its bedroom improvement tactics? We delve in.
Yoga: aphrodisiac for the older ladies?
For those who find themselves in the golden years of 45, a study in Journal of Sexual Medicine hinted that yoga might indeed act as a lube for sexual function. The research scrutinized 40 women who ticked the box for sexual dysfunction before and after a 12-week anime-like session of yoga. Post-session, their sexual function had skyrocketed across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index, giving hope to the ladies who were feeling a little dry down there.
The women were trained on 22 poses, affectionately dubbed yogasanas, said to boost core muscles, aid digestion, strengthen pelvic floor muscles, and uplift mood. Who knew the triangle pose had such a deviant side? Right after the snake, things get interesting with the half spinal twist - but we'll leave that to your imagination.
Yoga bringing the heat to the boys' room
Not just the ladies' corner, fellas benefit from the sexy vibes of yoga too. In a study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the prestigious Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, 12 weeks of yoga practice led to a dramatic improvement in the sexual satisfaction of men. The researchers traced improvements across every facet of male sexual satisfaction, including desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, and orgasm.
How does it all work?
Now, it's like yoga magically swoops in and gives our private regions the Nando's Hot sauce treatment, but it's a bit more complex than that. Yoga reigns in the attention and breathing, melts anxiety and stress, and tames the nervous system, activating it to encourage relaxation, lower heart rate, and send our bodies into the "rest, digest, and relax" mode.
There are also psychological factors at play, with female yogis reportedly less likely to objectify their bodies and instead proclaim themselves more aware of their physical selves, which, in theory, could enhance their sexual enjoyment.
The power of the moola bandha
While yogis spinning tales of releasing blocked energy in root chakras may sound more fantastical than a binge-watch of Stranger Things, other theories make more sense. The moola bandha, for instance, taps into core muscles in the pelvic region, triggering activities that mimic medically recommended Kegel exercises. Practicing moola bandha may help reduce period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties for some women, and control testosterone secretion in men to boot.
The study situation
While it's possible to get a tad overexcited about the potential bedroom benefits of yoga, it's essential to keep in mind the significant gap between empirical, experimental evidence, and anecdotal evidence scattered across the web. Studies focused on the impact of yoga on male and female sexual satisfaction have small sample sizes and few control groups, making it difficult to draw concrete conclusions. However, more recent studies focusing on women with additional conditions like metabolic syndrome have yielded stronger evidence, suggesting that yoga might be a valuable alternative treatment for sexual dysfunction.
So, while we can't promise that a quick session of triangle and snake poses will leave you or your partner starstruck, there's definitely evidence swinging in yoga's favor. Whether it's the moola bandha or the psychological edge it offers, you might as well give it a try and see the impact it has down there. Your pelvic muscles will thank you, and so might your partner. Namaste, my friends.
- The health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise practice of yoga is gaining popularity in modern society, with claims suggesting it may aid conditions such as depression, stress, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid malfunctions.
- A study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that a 12-week yoga session improved sexual function in 40 women with sexual dysfunction, indicating a potential benefit for sexual health.
- Yoga postures, or yogasanas, such as the triangle pose and the half spinal twist, are said to strengthen pelvic floor muscles and boost mood, which could potentially enhance sexual health.
- Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist in New Delhi, India, led a study showing that a 12-week yoga practice significantly improved men's sexual satisfaction in areas like desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, and orgasm.
- The science behind yoga's effect on sexual health isn't only about relaxing our bodies and melting anxiety, but also involves psychological factors like increased body awareness and assertiveness, which can potentially improve sexual enjoyment.
- While studies on the impact of yoga on male and female sexual satisfaction have small sample sizes, more recent studies focusing on women with metabolic syndrome have yielded stronger evidence, suggesting yoga might be a valuable alternative treatment for sexual dysfunction.
