Improved Sexual Function through Regular Yoga Practice: Yoga's effects on sexual health and performance.
Uncovering the Link between Yoga and Sexual Wellness: Is the Hype Real?
The worldwide web buzzes with wellness bloggers suggesting yoga as a secret to a steamy sex life, and personal accounts abound on how the practice has fortified their sexual encounters - to a rather impressive degree. But does scientific research support these findings? Let's dive in.
The ancient practice of yoga is gaining attention in modern research circles for its multitude of health benefits, such as aiding depression, reducing stress, lowering cortisol levels, and boosting brain health proteins. But can it also enhance our sex lives? Let's investigate.
Empowering Sex Lives: Women
A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine hints at yoga's potential to improve sexual function, particularly in women aged 45 and above. Over a 12-week period, 40 women were trained on specific yogic poses, and their self-reported sexual function was analyzed before and after training.
The ladies' sexual function significantly improved across all sections of the Female Sexual Function Index, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. An astounding 75% of the women claimed an improvement in their sex life post yoga training.
The study involved a list of 22 poses, including the triangle pose, the snake, and half spinal twist, believed to strengthen the pelvic floor, improve digestion, and foster better mood.
Power Play: Men
Men aren't excluded from yoga's benefits! In a similar 12-week study led by Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist from the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India, the sexual satisfaction of men was analyzed.
At the study's end, participants reported significant improvements in sexual function as evaluated by the standard Male Sexual Quotient. Improvements were seen across all aspects, such as desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, erection, ejaculatory control, and orgasm.
Moreover, a comparative trial led by the same team of researchers suggests that yoga poses could function as a non-pharmacological solution for treating premature ejaculation.
Yoga's Secrets to Better Sex
So, what's yoga's magic formula for improved sex lives? A literature review by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada, sheds light on some possible explanations.
Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC, is the first author of the review. According to Dr. Brotto and her colleagues, yoga trains our attention, breathing, lowers anxiety and stress, and activates our bodies' relaxation mechanisms. These effects, they claim, are associated with improved sexual response.
Moreover, psychological factors also play a role. Women who practice yoga are less likely to objectify their bodies and more self-aware of their physical selves, potentially contributing to increased sexual assertiveness and responsibility.
The Magic of Moola Bandha
While persistent rumors of releasing blocked energy and moving "kundalini energy" to produce ejaculation-free male orgasms lack substantial scientific backing, other yogic concepts, such as Moola Bandha, might strike a chord with skeptics.
Moola Bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the pelvic region's sensory-motor and autonomic nervous system, promoting relaxation and rejuvenation in the area. Studies propose that it may help women manage period pain, childbirth pain, and ease sexual difficulties, while aiding men in controlling testosterone secretion and providing relief from premature ejaculation.
In essence, moola bandha mirrors modern, medically recommended kegel exercises for improving urinary incontinence and helping both men and women enjoy extended intimacy. Many sex therapy centers indeed recommend this yogic practice to help women become more conscious of their sensations of arousal, thus improving their sexual experience.
The Evidence Situation
While the tantalizing potential sexual benefits of yoga may pique our interest, it is vital to remember the overwhelming discrepancy between empirical, experimental evidence and anecdotal evidence. The Internet abounds in the latter, but research focusing on the benefits of yoga for sexual function remains scarce.
Most of the studies mentioned in our investigation, which found improvements in sexual satisfaction and function for both men and women, had small sample sizes and lacked control groups. However, recent studies focused on women with sexual dysfunction and other conditions yielded stronger evidence.
For instance, a randomized controlled trial assessing the effects of yoga in women with metabolic syndrome, a group at a higher risk of sexual dysfunction, showed "significant improvement" in arousal and lubrication for the yoga-practicing women, while no such improvements were observed for the women not practicing yoga.
Another randomized trial looked at the sexual benefits of yoga for women with multiple sclerosis (MS). The yoga group showed improvement in physical ability, including sexual function, while the control group experienced worsening symptoms.
In conclusion, while evidence supporting yoga's benefits for our sexual health remains limited, the seeds have definitely been planted. As comprehensive studies continue to develop, it's not too early to give yoga a try in our regular routines. Who knows, our pelvic muscles might just thank us for it!
- In a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, women aged 45 and above reported significant improvements in various aspects of sexual function after following a 12-week yoga training regimen, with 75% claiming an improvement in their sex lives.
- Dr. Vikas Dhikav, a neurologist based in New Delhi, India, found in a 12-week study that men experienced significant improvements in sexual function, as evaluated by the standard Male Sexual Quotient.
- According to a literature review by researchers at the University of British Columbia, practicing yoga trains attention, reduces anxiety and stress, lowers cortisol levels, and promotes relaxation – factors associated with improved sexual response, particularly for women.
