Improved Sexual Performance through Yoga: Insights into Its Advantages
Thegrowing popularity of wellness blogs extols yoga as a means to enhance sexual experiences, often backing up these claims with personal accounts. Yet, does scientific research substantiate these assertions? We delve into the evidence.
Modern research is beginning to uncover the numerous health benefits associated with the ancient practice of yoga. Conditions such as depression, stress, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid problems are among those said to be alleviated by yoga.
Recent studies have sought to understand the underlying mechanisms that contribute to these health benefits. It has been discovered that yoga helps lower the body's inflammatory response, regulates stress-related genetic expression, reduces cortisol levels, and boosts a protein vital for brain growth and maintenance.
Beyond its numerous health benefits, yoga, at times, offers physical pleasure. The concept of a "coregasm" during yoga, though debatable, hints at its potential to induce powerful sensations.
With its potential for heightened bodily awareness and pleasure, does yoga hold the key to improving sexual encounters? We examine the research.
Improved Sexual Function in Women
One study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine provides evidence that yoga can indeed boost sexual function, particularly for women over 45. The research focused on the effects of 12 weeks of yoga, reporting significant improvements across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Seven out of ten women reported improvements in their sex lives after yoga training.
Participants in the study were guided through 22 yoga poses, or yogasanas, believed to enhance core abdominal muscles, digestion, pelvic floor strength, and mood. Examples of these poses include trikonasana (triangle pose), bhujangasana (snake pose), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist). For a full list of asanas, see the provided link.
Improved Sexual Function in Men
Yoga's benefits are not limited to women. A study conducted by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, investigated the effects of a 12-week yoga program on male sexual satisfaction. The study found significant improvements in all aspects of male sexual satisfaction, including desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
In a separate study involving the same team of researchers, yoga was found to be a viable alternative to fluoxetine (Prozac) for addressing premature ejaculation. Participants underwent a 12-week program incorporating 15 yoga poses, ranging from simpler poses like Kapalbhati to more complex ones like dhanurasana (bow pose).
Yogic Mechanisms for Better Sex
The system by which yoga enhances sexual function is not fully understood. However, research led by Dr. Lori Brotto of the University of British Columbia (UBC) offers some insight into its sexual-enhancing mechanisms. Dr. Brotto and her colleagues found that yoga regulates attention, breathing, reduces anxiety and stress, and activates the relaxation response, all of which are associated with improvements in sexual response.
Psychological factors play a role as well. Female yoga practitioners are less likely to objectify their bodies and exhibit greater awareness of their physical selves. This heightened self-awareness may encourage sexual responsibility, assertiveness, and even desire.
The Power of Moola Bandha
Although stories of unlocking blocked energy and moving "kundalini energy" may lack empirical evidence, yogic concepts like Moola Bandha appear more credible to skeptics. Moola Bandha is a contraction of the perineal muscles that stimulates the nervous system in the pelvic region, promoting relaxation. Practicing moola bandha is thought to benefit sexual health due to its potential impact on the gonads and perineal body/cervix.
Other yoga poses, such as bhekasana (frog pose), are also known to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. This can alleviate pain associated with conditions like vestibulodynia and vaginismus, providing women with a means to enjoy penetrative sex.
The Reliability of the Evidence
While the potential sexual benefits of yoga have been excitingly discussed, it is essential to acknowledge the scarcity of empirical evidence in comparison to anecdotal evidence found online. However, studies corroborating the benefits of yoga for sexual function in men and women are emerging.
In one such study, a randomized controlled trial targeting women with metabolic syndrome—a group at higher risk for sexual dysfunction—found that a 12-week yoga program produced "significant improvement" in arousal and lubrication for these women, whereas such improvements were not observed in the control group. Another study focusing on women with multiple sclerosis reported improvements in physical ability and sexual function after three months of yoga training.
Though further research is needed, the evidence suggests that yoga likely holds potential benefits for sexual health, strengthening the case for incorporating it into daily routines for overall well-being and potential sexual enhancement.
- The scientific research aligns with the claims made by wellness blogs, as modern research is beginning to uncover the health benefits associated with yoga, which include improved sexual function, particularly in women over 45 and men.
- Yoga's movements and practices, such as the 22 poses used in a study on women and the 15 poses used in a study on men, have been found to enhance sexual function by boosting libido, improving intercourse satisfaction, increasing orgasmic function, and reducing sexual pain.
- The mechanisms through which yoga enhances sexual function are not fully understood, but research suggests that yoga regulates attention, breathing, reduces anxiety and stress, and activates the relaxation response, which are all associated with improvements in sexual response. Additionally, yogic practices like Moola Bandha, which is a contraction of the perineal muscles, may benefit sexual health by promoting relaxation in the pelvic region and potentially impacting the gonads and perineal body/cervix.
