Improved Sexual Function Through Yoga: Insights into Its Advantages
Strap in, folks, because we're diving into the wild world of yoga and its connection with our bedroom antics. You may have stumbled upon a slew of blogs hailing yoga as the panacea for better sex lives, and yeah, there's some juice to that claim, but let's examine the cold, hard facts.
Skeptics might scoff at the idea of doing downward dog to boost your sex drive, but modern research is slowly unearthing some intriguing insights into yoga's multitude of health benefits. Conditions ranging from depression to diabetes and thyroid problems are all taking a hit as yogis roll out their mats.
Studies have started to delve deeper into the mechanisms that account for these benefits – and it gets juicy. Researchers have found that yoga can lower the body's inflammatory response, affects stress genes, reduces cortisol levels, and increases secretion of a protein that keeps the brain young and healthy. But y'all were here for the sex, right? So, let's get to it.
Yoga gets women grooving
A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine took 40 ladies over the age of 45 and subjected them to 12 weeks of yoga. The subjects reported on their sexual function before and after their yoga marathon. After the 12-week debacle, the ladies' sexual function scores skyrocketed across the board on the Female Sexual Function Index: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. A whopping 75 percent of these sassy seniors reported an improvement in their sex life after yoga training.
Each participant was schooled on 22 poses, or yogasanas, that are said to improve core abdominal muscles, digestion, pelvic floor strength, and mood. So which moves were the real heavy-hitters? Triangle pose (trikonasana), snake pose (bhujangasana), and half spinal twist (ardha matsyendra mudra) were all part of the curriculum.
Yoga puts the wunders in Wondermen
Guys, don't feel left out. A similar 12-week yoga program led by neurologist Dr. Vikas Dhikav found that men reported a significant improvement in their sexual satisfaction, as evaluated by the Male Sexual Quotient. The researchers discovered improvements in desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
The researchers also conducted a comparative trial that found yoga to be a viable alternative to fluoxetine (Prozac) in treating premature ejaculation. The program featured 15 poses, ranging from the easily-accessible Kapalbhati to the more challenging dhanurasana (the bow pose).
How does yoga turn us on?
Exactly, how does yoga work its magic in the sack? A review of existing literature led by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) sheds some light. The reviewers explain that yoga regulates attention and breathing, lowers anxiety and stress, and activates the part of the nervous system that tells the body to chill the eff out. Sounds like a nice way to prepare for a roll in the hay, right?
The researchers also found that female yoga practitioners are less likely to objectify their bodies and more tuned in to their physical selves, a tendency that could be linked to increased sexual responsibility and assertiveness – and, maybe, desire.
The heat is on: enter moola bandha
Stories about releasing blocked energy in root chakras and moving "kundalini energy" up and down the spine to create ejaculation-free male orgasms have questionable scientific backing. But other yogic concepts, like moola bandha, could be more convincing. Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the nervous system in the pelvic region and enforces relaxation.
Research suggests that practicing moola bandha relieves period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, as well as treating premature ejaculation and controlling testosterone secretion in men.
The proof is in the pudding (or in this case, the research)
While it's tempting to get overly excited about the potential sexual benefits of yoga, it's worth noting that the amount of empirical evidence supporting these claims lags behind the barrage of anecdotal stories online. More research is needed to confirm these findings and establish yoga's place as the ultimate libido booster.
However, there are promising studies – like a randomized controlled trial that found that a 12-week yoga program led to significant improvement in arousal and lubrication in women with metabolic syndrome, a group at a higher risk of sexual dysfunction.
Another study looking at women with multiple sclerosis (MS) found that after 3 months of yoga training, the participants showed improved physical ability and sexual function, while women in the control group reported worsening symptoms.
So, while we're waiting for more research to confirm yoga's impact on our sex lives, it might not be a bad idea to give it a go for our pelvic muscles' sake – and our minds, for that matter. Namaste and, er, happy humping?
- Yoga's apparent influence on sexual health has been substantiated by a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, where 40 women over 45 improved their sexual function scores following a 12-week yoga program.
- Conducted by neurologist Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a 12-week yoga program also benefited men, showing significant improvements in their sexual satisfaction as measured by the Male Sexual Quotient.
- A review of existing literature by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) revealed that yoga could potentially boost sexual health by regulating attention and breathing, lowering anxiety and stress, and activating the nervous system that promotes relaxation.
- A specific yogic concept, moola bandha, has shown potential benefits in alleviating sexual difficulties in women, as well as treating premature ejaculation and controlling testosterone secretion in men, despite stories about blocked energy in root chakras having questionable scientific backing.
