Yoga's Role in Enhancing Sexual Function: Insights and Advantages
Kneelin' several toes in the web of internet's wellness blogs, you'll discover a delightful craze - yoga for a zestier love life. Yep, you heard that right! Are people's claims legit though? Time to dip our pinkies in the tea leaves and find out.
The internet's current fascination revolves around the numerous health benefits of yoga's ancient practices. Conditions such as depression, stress, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid problems, for instance, receive a significant boost from the discipline. Yet, that's not all yogis' chat, they also tout the practice's advantages in the bedroom. But does science back it up or are we inhaling a cloud of hot air?
Spicing up your sex life, the yogi way
One popular study adorns the universe of ejaculate-less publications. This research found that yoga does contribute to improved sexual function, mainly in women above age 45.
This study scrutinized 40 ladies' sexual functions before and after 12 weeks of yoga. By the time the practice was done, their sexual life had significantly improved across sections including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Incredibly, 75 percent of these confident yogis reported an improvement!
The women practiced 22 yogasanas, or poses, including trikonasana (triangle pose), bhujangasana (snake), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist). Intrigued? Dive deep into the yogasana cosmos here.
Oh, men benefit too
It's not just fair maids in the magical yoga forest that reap the benefits. A similar study spearheaded by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, an ace neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, probed men's sexual satisfaction after a 12-week yoga stint.
Lo and behold, participants celebrated a significant enhancement in their male sexual function, thanks to the standard Male Sexual Quotient. Researchers noted improvements across all aspects of male sexual satisfaction such as desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
In a more profound examination, the same team discovered that yoga functions as an alternative and non-pharmaceutical treatment for premature ejaculation, surpassing the brand name Prozac in some cases.
How yoga improves your mojo
So, how does yoga turn turtles into gazelles passion-wise? A review by researches at the University of British Columbia (UBC) hurls some light. Dr. Lori Brotto, a UBC professorial bellyflopper, and her crew explain that yoga regulates attention, breathing, reduces anxiety and stress, and soothes - activating the body's parasympathetic system. All these effects are associated with improvements in sexual response.
There are also psychological factors at play. "Female yoga practitioners are found to regard their bodies with greater love and respect," says Dr. Brotto and her team, "which may encourage heightened sexual responsibility, assertiveness, and desires."
Enter the powerhouse of moola bandha
Before we dive into the land of unicorns and kundalini energy, a cautionary note: tales about unlocking energy blocks in root chakras and moving energy up and down the spine to culminate in ejaculation-free male orgasms evade high-quality scientific evidence.
But there are other 'yogi whizzes' worth a peek. Moola bandha is one of them. "Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the sensory-motor and the autonomic nervous system in the pelvic region," explain Dr. Brotto and her pals, "enforcing parasympathetic activity in the body."
In fact, some studies have suggested that practicing moola bandha aids in relieving menstrual and childbirth pains, easing sexual difficulties in women, and treating premature ejaculation and controlling testosterone secretion in men.
Moola bandha is similar to Kegel exercises, which are recommended by medical experts to prevent urinary incontinence and help easen pleasurable sex for all.
Some yoga postures that support pelvic floor muscles and loosen sexual tightness include bhekasana (frog pose) and moola bandha exercises (video below). These poses, according to the researchers, may alleviate symptoms of vestibulodynia (vaginal pain) and vaginismus (uncontrollable vaginal contractions that impede pleasurable sex) in women.
The trustworthiness of evidence
It's challenging to shake off the hype surrounding the potential benefits of yoga on sexual function. But, before you channel your inner Goku, it's crucial to sift through the copious anecdotal evidence on the web and focus on the few scientific studies on the topic.
Most of these studies - which demonstrates improvements in sexual satisfaction and function for both men and women - don't boast large samples or control groups. However, more recent studies that explored sexual dysfunction alongside other conditions yielded stronger evidence.
For instance, a randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of yoga on women with metabolic syndrome, a demographic with a higher risk of sexual dysfunction. After 12 weeks of yoga practice, these women reported "significant improvement" in sexual arousal and lubrication, while such improvements were absent in non-practicing women.
Ultimately, there's sufficient evidence to justify adding yoga to our daily routines. On one hand, it might not be a one-way ticket to Wonka's chocolate factory, but, hey, if the benefits unfold compliments from our pelvic muscles, who are we to complain?
- The research conducted on women's sexual functions revealed that practicing yoga for 12 weeks significantly improved their sexual life across various aspects such as desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain, with 75 percent of the participants reporting an improvement.
- In a study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, men who participated in a 12-week yoga program experienced a significant enhancement in their male sexual function, showcasing improvements in desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
- Moola bandha, a yogic contraction that stimulates the pelvic region, has been associated with relieving menstrual and childbirth pains, easing sexual difficulties in women, and treating premature ejaculation and controlling testosterone secretion in men. It is similar to Kegel exercises, recommended by medical experts to prevent urinary incontinence and enhance pleasurable sex for all.
