Sex may permeate our popular culture, but conversations about it are still associated with stigma and shame in Indian households. As a result, most people 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 publishes this weekly sex column entitled “Let’s Talk Sex.” With this column, we hope to spark conversations about sex and tackle sexual health issues with scientific insight and nuance.
The column is written by sexologist Prof (Dr) Saransh Jain. In today’s column, Dr. Jain explains how yoga can help overcome sexual dysfunctions and improve sexual health.
There is no doubt that yoga is gaining popularity all over the world, with millions of active practitioners and more joining regularly. It has been shown to relieve anxiety and depression, lower blood pressure, improve joint pain, relieve pain and many other mental and physical complaints. It should come as no surprise that yoga can also serve to improve sexual functions in both men and women.
Everyone knows that exercising can improve your sex life, but with yoga you get all those benefits plus a few improvements in your love life that you could never have imagined. Whether you just want a new, fun form of exercise or are always looking for ways to spice up your sex life, yoga can be the answer to everything.
Yoga counteracts stress, fatigue and low self-esteem, all factors that can suppress your libido. You will also benefit from improving your physical fitness, especially strength, flexibility and muscle control. Some of the benefits include:
Yoga relaxes body and mind
One of the most beneficial things yoga does, especially for women, is to reduce stress levels that can keep sexual arousal at bay. Men have sex to relax, but women have to be relaxed to have sex. As a moving meditation, yoga helps to relax body and mind.
Women’s sexual interest is partly rooted in their hormonal balance, but more importantly in the level of their stress hormone balance. When stress hormones are lowered, it opens the door for more sexual thoughts and desires to enter.
While many men don’t need that same level of relaxation to get sexually aroused, relaxing can help them enjoy it more.
Reducing Premature Ejaculation and Increasing Sexual Endurance
The body releases chemicals and hormones in a state of fear. When you have intercourse in this state, the hormones released into the blood play against you to bring your body back into a state of chemical equilibrium. The result is an early ejaculation.
Yoga can help you control your anxiety. By controlling your breathing, you control the flow of energy in your body. By mastering certain breathing exercises or pranayama, you can 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 ‘yoga asanas’. They increase blood circulation and thus reduce tension in the body and improve sexual vigor.
Improve your body image
Feeling good about yourself and comfortable in your body is the key to a healthy and fulfilling sex life. When you do yoga, you become familiar with your body and what it can do. You also learn to accept your body and to be sensitive to it as it is now. At the same time, you develop strength and muscle tone, so you look and feel better too.
Reduces erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is a special symptom of impotence and can occur gradually or suddenly. Like premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction is also largely caused by psychological factors that can be controlled by yoga.
You can try Viagra at any time, but if you want a holistic treatment approach that elevates your mind, body and soul and allows you to reach your true potential, then yoga is the way to go.
Increase your flexibility, sensitivity and control
Flexibility is increased by poses such as hip openers, which allow a greater range of motion. Assuming that these types of poses, which counteract the hours you spend in the car or at a computer terminal each day, can also improve circulation and blood flow through the pelvis, increasing sensitivity. The instruction of ‘mula bandha’ (the root lock), which is the pulling in and up of the pelvic floor, much like a kegel, can create awareness and control over this area and strengthen these newfound muscles.
Help relieve your menstrual symptoms and boost your sex drive
Research shows that women who maintain a regular yoga routine have lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin, leading to less severe menstrual symptoms. So if you don’t suffer from cramps and back pain, you are more likely to have an orgasm, which also helps to relieve menstrual 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 browse the Kama Sutra with complete confidence that you can conquer practically any position. By focusing on a few key yoga poses, you can really improve your sexual skills.
Yoga techniques can improve physical activities and sexual satisfaction function of both men and women. If your partner does yoga or is open to trying it, you can find a spark by practicing together. So maybe it’s time to adapt and start your yoga.
Keep in mind that there are instances where a sexual dysfunction needs to be treated by a healthcare practitioner.
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