Sex may permeate our popular culture, but conversations about it are still associated with stigma and shame in Indian households. As a result, most individuals dealing with sexual health issues or trying to find information about sex often resort to unverified online sources or follow the unscientific advice of their friends.
To address the widespread misinformation about sex, News18.com is running this weekly sex column, titled ‘Let’s Talk Sex’. We hope to initiate conversations about sex through this column and address sexual health issues with scientific insight and nuance.
The column is being written by Sexologist Prof (Dr) Saransh Jain. In today’s column, Dr Jain explains how yoga can help to overcome sexual dysfunctions & improves Sexual health.
There’s no doubt that yoga is gaining popularity all over the world, with millions of active practitioners, and more being added on a regular basis. It has been shown to ease anxiety and depression, lower blood pressure, improve joint pain, relieve pain and many other mental and physical complaints. It may come as no surprise that yoga may also serve to enhance sexual functions in both men and women.
Everyone knows that working out can improve your sex life, but with yoga, you get all those benefits plus a few enhancements in your love life, which you could have never imagined. Whether you just want a new, fun form of exercise or you are always searching for ways to spice up your sex life, yoga could be the answer to everything.
Yoga counteracts stress, fatigue, and poor self-image, all of the factors, which can suppress your libido. You’ll also benefit from increasing your physical fitness, particularly strength, flexibility, and muscle control. Some of the benefits are:
Yoga Relaxes the Body and Mind
One of the most beneficial things yoga does, especially for women, is reduce stress levels that can keep sexual arousal at bay. Men have sex to relax but women must be relaxed to have sex. As a moving meditation, yoga helps calm the body and mind.
Female sexual interest is rooted partly in their hormonal balance but more significantly in the level of their stress hormone balance. When stress hormones are lowered, it opens the door for more sexual thoughts and desire to come in.
Although many men don’t need that same level of relaxation to become sexually excited, being relaxed may help them enjoy it more.
Reduce Premature Ejaculation & Increase Sexual Stamina
The body releases chemicals and hormones in a state of anxiety. When you perform sexual intercourse in this state, the hormones released in the blood play against you to return your body in a state of chemical equilibrium. The result is early ejaculation.
Yoga will allow you to control your anxiety. It is by controlling your breathing that you control the flow of energy inside your body. Mastering certain breathing exercises or pranayama will enable you to get rid of anxiety, control your bodily functions and inhibit the production of chemicals that affect your sexual stamina.
The other very effective technique in combating symptoms like premature ejaculation is ‘yogic asanas’. They increase blood circulation thereby decreasing tension in the body and improve sexual vigour.
Improve Your Body Image
Feeling good about yourself and being comfortable in your body is key to a healthy and fulfilling sex life. When you do yoga, you become intimately familiar with your body and what it can do. You also learn to accept and be sensitive to your body as it is today. At the same time, you will be developing strength and muscle tone, so you will also look and feel better.
Reduces Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile Dysfunction is a particular symptom of impotence can happen either gradually or suddenly. Like premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction is also largely caused due to psychological factors which can be controlled through yoga.
You can try Viagra anytime you want, but if you want a holistic method of treatment that uplifts your mind, body and soul and enables you to attain your true potential, yoga is the best bet.
Increase Your Flexibility, Sensitivity, and Control
Flexibility is increased through poses like hip openers, which allow for a wider range of motion. Assuming these types of positions, which counteract the hours each day you spend sitting in the car or at a computer terminal, may also improve circulation and blood flow through the pelvis, increasing sensitivity. The instruction of ‘mula bandha’ (the root lock), which is the drawing in and up of the pelvic floor, much like a Kegel, may create awareness and control of this area as well as strengthen these new-found muscles.
Help Ease your Period Symptoms and Lift Up Your Sex Drive
Study shows women who maintain a regular yoga routine have lower levels of follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin, which lead to less severe menstrual symptoms. As a result, if you’re not bothered by cramps and backaches, you’ll be more likely to have orgasm, which will also assist to ease period pain.
Try New Sex Positions
Today’s yoga poses are tomorrow’s sex positions. Your newfound ability to touch your toes and wrap a leg behind your head can certainly be put to good use. Now you can flip through the Kama Sutra with full confidence that you can conquer practically any position. Focusing on a few key yoga poses can help really enhance your sexual skills.
Yoga techniques may improve physical activities and sexual satisfaction function of both men and women. If your partner does yoga or is open to trying it, you may find a spark by practicing together. So maybe it’s time to gear up, and get your yoga on.
Keep in mind that there are cases in which a sexual dysfunction needs to be treated by a physician or therapist.
