Enhanced Sexual Function Through Yoga Practice: Exploring the Potential of This Ancient Practice
Yoga's Impact on Sexual Health Unveiled
The internet is brimming with wellness blogs advocating for yoga as a catalyst for improved sex life. These testimonials describe enhanced sexual experiences – even remarkably so – bringing into question the authenticity of the claims. A comprehensive evaluation is necessary to ascertain if the research supports these assertions.
Research continues to explore the multitude of health benefits associated with the ancient practice of yoga. Conditions such as depression, stress, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid difficulties are among those reportedly alleviated through this practice.
Recent studies delve deeper into the underlying mechanisms behind these benefits. It appears that yoga decreases the body's inflammatory response, mitigates genetic stress triggers, minimizes cortisol levels, and boosts proteins promoting neural growth and degeneration resistance.
While these advantages are significant, it is worth mentioning that yoga sessions can be a source of profound physical pleasure. The concept of coregasms, orgasms resulting from intense abdominal workouts, while controversial, adds to the intrigue surrounding yoga's potential impact on sexual experiences.
The question remains: can yoga's attractive poses enhance sexual lives? Investigations into the matter ensue.
Improved Sexual Function in Women
One study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine has garnered substantial attention for its findings on the positive effects of yoga on female sexual function, particularly among postmenopausal women.
This study examined the impact of a 12-week yoga regimen on the sexual function of 40 women who self-reported on their experiences before and after the sessions. Upon completion, the women's sexual function had significantly improved in all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. As many as 75% of the women reported an improvement in their sexual lives due to yoga training.
The women were taught 22 poses or yogasanas, believed to enhance core abdominal muscles, improve digestion, strengthen the pelvic floor, and boost mood. Examples of these asanas include trikonasana (triangle pose), bhujangasana (snake pose), and ardha matsyendra mudra (half spinal twist). The full list of asanas can be found here.
Improved Sexual Function in Men
Yoga does not omit benefits for men. A study spearheaded by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, assessed the impact of a 12-week yoga program on the sexual satisfaction of males. By the end of the study period, the participants reported a notable improvement in their sexual function, as assessed by the Male Sexual Quotient.
Improvements were observed across all aspects of male sexual satisfaction, including desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm. Additionally, a comparative trial carried out by the same team found that yoga was a viable and nonpharmaceutical alternative to fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating premature ejaculation.
Yogic Mechanisms for Better Sex
But how does yoga impact one's sex life precisely? A review led by researchers at the University of British Columbia Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology sheds light on several sex-enhancing mechanisms. Dr. Lori Brotto, professor in the department, is the first author of the review.
Dr. Brotto and her colleagues explain that yoga regulates attention and breathing, reduces anxiety and stress, and manages the nervous system, thereby triggering relaxation responses. Such effects are associated with improvements in sexual response, making it "reasonable that yoga might also be associated with improvements in sexual health."
There are also psychological mechanisms at play. Female yoga practitioners have been observed to be less likely to objectify their bodies and more mindful of their physical selves, potentially contributing to increased sexual responsibility, assertiveness, and desires.
The Power of Moola Bandha
While tales of unblocking energy in root chakras and causing "kundalini energy" to surge up the spine leading to ejaculation-free male orgasms lack rigorous scientific evidence, other yogic concepts seem more plausible for skeptics. Moola bandha is one such concept.
Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that activates the autonomic nervous system in the pelvic region, stimulating relaxation. This practice may directly impact the gonads and cervix, providing potential benefits for sexual dysfunction in women and men.
Various studies mentioned by the researchers suggest that practicing moola bandha can alleviate period pain, childbirth pain, and sexual difficulties in women, while also aiding in controlling testosterone secretion in men. For women, moola bandha has been found to stretch and rejuvenate the pelvic floor muscles, potentially alleviating symptoms of vestibulodynia (vagina vestibule pain) and vaginismus (involuntary contraction of vaginal muscles).
While the potential sexual benefits of yoga are enticing, it is essential to be mindful of the disparity between empirical, experimental evidence and anecdotal evidence. While numerous accounts of improved sexual satisfaction and function in both genders exist, scientific studies examining these improvements are still relatively scarce.
Most studies mentioned above, which found improvements in sexual satisfaction and function for both men and women, have modest sample sizes and lack comparison groups. However, more recent studies with larger sample sizes and control groups have found stronger evidence supporting yoga's benefits for sexual health, particularly among women with metabolic syndrome or multiple sclerosis.
In conclusion, while empirical evidence supporting yoga's impact on sexual health is still growing, it is worth considering incorporating yoga into one's routine due to its potential benefits for overall well-being and physical comfort. The promises of "yogasms" may remain unproven for now, but the benefits of increased flexibility, stress reduction, and pelvic floor health certainly warrant exploring yoga for personal improvement.
- The internet's health-and-wellness blogs suggest that practicing yoga can enhance sexual experiences, with some individuals claiming unexpected improvements.
- A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that a 12-week yoga regimen significantly improved sexual function in postmenopausal women, as measured by the Female Sexual Function Index.
- Researchers at the University of British Columbia Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology have identified several mechanisms through which yoga could impact sexual health, including regulation of attention and breathing, reduction of anxiety, and stimulation of the pelvic region through practices like Moola Bandha.
