X: Sexual Function Enhancement via Yoga Practice
Rewritten Article:
Let's dive into the world wide web, where wellness blogs rave about yoga improving your sex life. Is there any truth to this claims, you ask? buckle up, as we explore.
Nowadays, the health benefits of yoga are being explored extensively. From defeating depression, managing stress, and combating anxiety, to helping people deal with metabolic disorders like diabetes and thyroid issues - the list goes on.
Science has also been shedding light on the intricate mechanics behind these benefits. Seems like yoga lowers the body's inflammatory response, counters stress-promoting genetic expression, lowers cortisol, and increases production of a protein that helps the brain grow and stay healthy - pretty neat, huh?
So, here's the million-dollar question - can yoga’s relaxing poses elevate our bedroom game? Let's dig in.
Yoga for the Ladies
A study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, brought some exhilarating news for the ladies over 45. After a 12-week yoga regimen, their sexual function significantly improved, across desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. A staggering 75% of the women reported a noticeable improvement in their sex life post-yoga sessions.
The program focused on 22 yoga poses, believed to strengthen core muscles, improve digestion, bolster pelvic floor strength, and alleviate stress. Moving into trikonasana (the triangle pose), bhujangasana (the snake), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist) were part of the plan. Check out this link for the complete list.
Yoga for the Gentlemen
Yoga isn't a ladies-only club. A study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, found that men also benefited from a 12-week yoga program. The men reported an improvement in their sexual satisfaction, evidenced by the Male Sexual Quotient.
Researchers found improvements in all aspects of male sexual satisfaction, such as desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm. Moreover, a comparison trial by the same team found that yoga serves as a viable non-pharmacological alternative to Fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation.
The routine included 15 poses, such as Kapalbhati (abdominal exercises) and dhanurasana (the bow pose).
Mechanisms at Play
So, how does yoga boost your bedroom activities? Research led by the University of British Columbia helps unravel the mystery. Yoga helps regulate attention, breathing, reduce anxiety and stress, and control the nervous system - all of which are linked to better sexual response.
Moreover, female yoga practitioners are less likely to perceive their bodies objectively and are more aware of their physical selves. This, in turn, may lead to increased sexual responsibility, assertiveness, and desires.
Upwards and Upwards... Or Downwards?
While tales about unleashing blocked energy in root chakras and moving "kundalini energy" up and down the spine to reach ejaculation-free male orgasms lack substantial evidence, moola bandha is an exception.
This concept involves contracting the perineal muscles, which activates the nervous system in the pelvic region, inducing parasympathetic activity and stimulating gonads and the pelvic floor/cervix.
Some studies suggest that practicing moola bandha can relieve menstrual pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, as well as treat premature ejaculation and control testosterone secretion in men.
Moola bandha is similar to Kegel exercises recommended by sex therapy centers to improve sexual pleasure in women.
Another yoga pose, bhekasana (the frog pose), can help strengthen pelvic muscles and potentially alleviate the symptoms of vaginismus and vestibulodynia.
How Reliable is the Evidence?
Although the tantalizing potential sexual benefits of yoga are attractive, it's worth remembering that the gap between anecdotal and experimental evidence is wide. The internet may be overflowing with anecdotal accounts, but real, controlled studies on the benefits of yoga for sexual function are scarce.
However, studies on women with disorders like metabolic syndrome and multiple sclerosis have produced more robust evidence. For instance, a randomized controlled trial found that a 12-week yoga program improved arousal and lubrication in women with metabolic syndrome. Another randomized trial indicated that yoga improved physical ability and sexual function in women with multiple sclerosis.
While scientific evidence supporting yoga's claims is still growing, it's hard to ignore the promising signs. So, roll out that yoga mat, and your pelvic muscles may thank you later.
- The study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine revealed that a 12-week yoga regimen significantly improved sexual function in women over 45, enhancing aspects such as desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and reducing pain.
- Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist, led a study showing that men also experience benefits from a 12-week yoga program, reporting improved sexual satisfaction, as indicated by the Male Sexual Quotient.
- According to research led by the University of British Columbia, yoga can boost sexual response by regulating attention, breathing, reducing anxiety and stress, and controlling the nervous system, which are all linked to better sexual function.
