It is well known that the benefits of yoga stretch longer than a downward-facing dog in even the most challenging of yoga classes.
Physically speaking, it increases your flexibility, is great for toning and can improve sleep, pain diseases and your posture (just to name a few).
In terms of the psychological benefits, it increases overall mood, confidence and self-acceptance, and decreases anxiety and depression. So it’s not surprising that these benefits translate well beyond the yoga mat and into the bedroom.
So if the above reasons were not enough to encourage you to continue with your yoga practice, here’s three benefits to keep both genders smiling.
Mindfulness And The Big ‘O’
As any yogi or yogini will testify, yoga is just as much about staying present in the moment as it is about the positions. They go hand-in-hand, so unless you’ve mastered the art of switching off any wandering thoughts and staying present during each pose, you’re not going to reap the full benefits no matter how gracefully you can balance on your head.
So what’s the connection with this and sex you may ask? Well, for women in particular who find it difficult to switch their mind off during sex because they’re worrying about their body or what their partner thinks, the ability to silence these thoughts and emotions, leads to greater enjoyment during sex because you’re able to get lost in the euphoria of the moment.
With only an estimated 30% of women reaching orgasm during sex, those who are unable to achieve this during intercourse can often feel pressured to reach climax or that something is wrong with them, instead of being swept away in the erotic moment. However yoga and meditation increase your mindfulness and can assist in bringing women to orgasm.
Nicole Daedone, author of Slow Sex: The Art and Craft of the Female Orgasm claims that “in just 15 minutes, a woman can become orgasmic” by using meditation techniques like mindfulness and focusing on sensitivity and pleasure by having slow sex – helping to turn your om into oooooh.
Sexual Endurance
Yoga has also been found to help men who suffer from premature ejaculation. A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, in September 2007 carried out a test on two groups of men who suffered from premature ejaculation. The men were given a choice to either take Prozac or try yoga-based non-pharmacological treatment for one hour each day.
The study found, those who practiced yoga “had both subjective and statistically significant improvements in their intra-ejaculatory latencies, similar to participants in the pharmacologic treatment group.” Suggesting that perhaps meditation, rather than medication should be prescribed in some instances.
Increased Circulation
Yoga is not only great for toning the exterior of your body, but also works the neglected nether regions too, as it opens up and increases blood flow to your pelvis and tightens your sexual core muscles – all of which play an important part in reaching orgasm.
This is also good news for those bound to a desk job or who do little physical activity, because the muscles that run through the pelvis become chronically constricted. One yoga pose that is particularly good for increasing blood flow to the pelvis is the Upavistha Konasana (Wide-Legged Straddle Pose).
And for strengthening those muscles that play a core part in reaching orgasm is the mula bandha, or (Root Lock), as this involves engaging and drawing up the muscles of the pelvic floor.
These are just three ways yoga can lead to a better sex life, however the benefits from daily practice trickle into so many facets of our lives, that the knock-on effect can be make a significant difference to our overall quality of life.
If you’ve practiced yoga for sometime, have you noticed an improvement in your sex life? Has it made you more confident, present in the moment or perhaps helped with endurance or with reaching climax. Share your views below.
P.S. Do you practice yoga? Are you struggling to build a yoga practice that you can stick to?
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