Improved Sexual Function through Yoga Practice: Insights into the Connection
The web is brimming with wellness blogs that tout yoga as a key to a better sex life, with personal testimonies backing up the claim - often pretty convincingly. But does the science support these assertions? Let's explore.
In modern times, we're only just beginning to scratch the surface of the myriad health benefits that stem from yoga's ancient practices. Some of the reported improvements include addressing depression, stress, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid problems, among others.
Recent studies delve into the intricate mechanisms behind these advantages. It seems that yoga reduces the body's inflammatory response, counters the genetic expression that predisposes people to stress, slashes cortisol levels, and boosts a magic protein that keeps the brain young, healthy, and growing.
Now, onto the million-dollar question: does yoga improve our love lives? Let's investigate.
Yoga Boosts Sexual Function in Women
A well-known study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine discovered that yoga does indeed enhance sexual function, particularly in women over 45. Over 12 weeks, these women were schooled on 22 poses, called yogasanas, thought to improve core muscle tone, digestion, pelvic floor strength, and mood.
After the 12-week period, the ladies reported a noticeable improvement in their sex life across all Female Sexual Function Index categories: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. A whopping 75% of the women reported an improvement in their sex life following yoga training.
Yoga Empowers Sexual Function in Men
It's not just a ladies' game. An investigation by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, probed the effects of a 12-week yoga program on the sexual satisfaction of men.
By the end of the study, the men declared a considerable improvement in their sexual function, according to the standard Male Sexual Quotient. The researchers observed improvements across all aspects of male sexual satisfaction, including desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
In an additional study led by Dr. Dhikav, yoga was found to be a viable, non-pharmacological alternative to Prozac for treating premature ejaculation.
The 15-pose yoga regimen ranged from easier options like Kapalbhati to more complex ones such as dhanurasana - aka the "bow pose."
How Does Yogaups Our Sexual Game?
So, exactly how does yoga help us nail it in the sack? Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor at the University of British Columbia, spearheaded a review shedding some light on yoga's sexual-enhancing mechanisms.
The review outlines that yoga aids in the regulation of attention and breathing, reduces anxiety and stress, and governs the nervous system's rest and relaxation response. All these effects are linked to improvements in sexual response, indicating that yoga likely improves our sexual health.
There are also psychological factors at play. Female yogis have been found to be less likely to objectify their bodies, with a greater awareness of their physical selves, leading to increased sexual assertiveness and desires.
The Potential of the Moola Bandha
While stories of releasing blocked energy in root chakras and moving "kundalini energy" up and down the spine may lack scientific evidence, other yogic ideas might strike a chord with the skeptics among us. Moola bandha is one such concept.
Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the nervous system in the pelvic region, promoting relaxation and enhanced circulation to the reproductive organs. Research suggests it may relieve period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, as well as treating premature ejaculation and regulating testosterone secretion in men.
In fact, many sex therapy centers suggest this yoga practice for improving vaginal arousal and sexual enjoyment in women, exemplifying its value for sexual wellness.
The Rigor of the Evidence
While the potential sexual benefits of yoga may excite us, it's essential to remember the significant gap between reported empirical, or experimental, evidence and anecdotal evidence scattered across the internet.
However, more recent studies—focused on women who experience sexual dysfunction along with other health issues—have garnered stronger evidence, offering hope for the future of yoga's role in sexual health and pleasure.
Stay tuned for further research that will clarify whether the widely discussed "yogasms" are indeed achievable! Until then, we whole-heartedly support adding yoga to our daily routines, promising benefits for both our pelvic muscles and overall sexual well-being.
- A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine reported that yoga, particularly yogasanas, can enhance sexual function in women over 45, leading to improvements in all Female Sexual Function Index categories.
- In a 12-week study, men reported significant improvements in their sexual function as a result of a yoga program, suggesting a beneficial impact of yoga on male sexual satisfaction as well.
- Dr. Lori Brotto's review suggests that yoga helps regulate attention and breathing, reduces anxiety and stress, and Govern the nervous system's rest and relaxation response, which can improve sexual response.
- Moola bandha, a perineal contraction in yoga, stimulates the pelvic nervous system, promoting relaxation and enhanced circulation to the reproductive organs, potentially relieving period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women.
- While empirical evidence for the sexual benefits of yoga may not be conclusive, recent studies focused on women experiencing sexual dysfunction alongside other health issues have provided stronger evidence, offering hope for yoga's future role in sexual health and pleasure.
- As more research emerges, we may discover whether the widely discussed "yogasms" are indeed achievable, making it even more crucial to consider incorporating yoga into our daily routines for potential benefits to our pelvic muscles and overall sexual health.
