Improved Sexual Function through Yoga Practice
Welcome to the lowdown on the alleged link between yoga and a supercharged sex life!
Yoga's rise as a trendy wellness practice has seen it recommended for boosting bedroom exploits, but does the research actually back up these claims? Let's dive in.
There's a growing body of research exploring the numerous health benefits of the ancient yoga practice, from treating depression and low self-esteem, to addressing conditions like diabetes and thyroid issues.
Scientists have also begun to uncover the inner workings behind these advantages, such as lowering the body's inflammatory response and improving brain health.
Hype surrounding the mythical "core orgasms" aside, could yoga's zen-inducing poses improve our carnal experiences? Let's check the research.
Yoga For Ladies Over 40: A Game-Changer
A popular study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine examined the impact of a 12-week yoga session on sexual function in 40 women over 45.
After the trial, these ladies saw significant improvements in all aspects of their sexual function, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and reduced pain, according to the Female Sexual Function Index.
A staggering 75% of the women reported enhanced pleasure in the bedroom post-yoga! The women practicing poses like the triangle, snake, and half spinal twist showed improvement.
Fellas, This One's For You Too
Men aren't left out of this love fest. A similar study spearheaded by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, found that a 12-week yoga routine boosted male sexual satisfaction.
The participants reported overall improvement in desire, satisfaction, performance, and confidence after 3 months of yoga exercises, such as Kapalbhati and the bow pose.
Researchers also found that yoga is an effective non-pharmacological treatment for premature ejaculation, when compared to conventional drugs like Prozac.
Yoga's Oh-So-Naughty Mechanisms
So how exactly does yoga give your sex life a boost? Researchers at the University of British Columbia reviewed existing literature and identified several mechanisms.
By regulating attention, breathing, and reducing anxiety and stress, yoga encourages the body to relax, reduce heart rate, and stimulate sexual response mechanisms.
Female yogis, in particular, are often found to be less likely to objectify their bodies, positioning them for greater self-awareness, sexual assertiveness, and desire.
Ah, the power of the moola bandha! This yogic technique is believed to stimulate the pelvic region and gonads, promoting parasympathetic activity throughout the body.
Some studies hint at the potential benefits of moola bandha for treatments like periods pain, childbirth pain, sexual difficulties in women, and premature ejaculation and testosterone control in men.
Various other yoga poses, such as bhekasana (the frog pose), could also strengthen the pelvic floor to alleviate conditions like vaginismus and vestibulodynia.
Does The Evidence Stack Up?
Given the tantalizing potential benefits, a word of caution: much of the evidence in favor of yoga's salacious effects remains anecdotal, as actual experimental studies are still few and far between.
Most of these studies have a small sample size, lack a control group, or haven't yet been subjected to rigorous scientific scrutiny.
Larger, more thorough experimental studies, particularly those focusing on healthy individuals, may be needed in the future to further confirm the benefits.
For now, while scientific confirmation is still outstanding, the potential for incorporating yoga into our daily routines for overall health and increased sexual satisfaction looks tantalizingly promising.
After all, happy pelvic muscles make for a merry practitioner!
- The impact of yoga on sexual function was explored in a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine,which found significant improvements in all aspects of sexual function in 40 women over 45 after a 12-week yoga session.
- A similar study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav discovered that a 12-week yoga routine boosted male sexual satisfaction, with participants reporting overall improvement in desire, satisfaction, performance, and confidence after three months of yoga exercises.
- Researchers at the University of British Columbia identified several mechanisms through which yoga gives a sex life boost, such as regulating attention, reducing anxiety, and stimulating sexual response mechanisms.
- Female yogis are often less likely to objectify their bodies, positioning them for greater self-awareness, sexual assertiveness, and desire, according to studies.
- The moola bandha technique, believed to stimulate the pelvic region, could potentially benefit treatments like periods pain, childbirth pain, sexual difficulties in women, and premature ejaculation and testosterone control in men.
