The growth of yoga throughout the fitness industry has been astronomical over the past decade. It is difficult to go to any facility in North America and not find a yoga program...
Even with its immense popularity, many still believe yoga is just for flexibility. Sex expert, Dr. Yvonne Kristin Fulbright suggests yoga is not just for flexibility anymore.
Following are 9 tips on how yoga can improve your sex life
1. Increased Sensitivity
Yoga’s breathing exercises help you to breathe more fully, decreasing your anxiety level and blood pressure. Your breath helps you manage your stress. Recent research in PLoS One reports that meditation, prayer and yoga can improve your health. These relaxation activities change patterns of gene activity that affect the body’s response to stress. When a person evokes a relaxation response, the mind actively turns genes that are "switched" on or off by stress the other way.
All of this makes you more primed for intimacy. The fresh oxygen, improved circulation and ability to channel your breath throughout the body further enhance your sexual responsiveness and sensitivity.
2. More Powerful OrgasmsYoga’s influence on your orgasms is two-fold. First, in strengthening your sexual core, you have greater control over your pelvic floor muscles and sex organs. Harnessing this during sex helps you to climax more magnificently. Second, the practice enables you to release muscle tension, which, in turn, rocks your body for full-body orgasms.
3. Improved Energy
In being physically active, learning how to relax and alleviating stress through breathing, and by simply having fun, you will feel more energized. Yoga is invigorating, simply in the luxurious thought that you’re being good to yourself. You’re taking care of yourself. You’re taking care of your sex life. Best yet, with increased stamina, you will be able to last longer in bed.
4. Body Knowledge and Acceptance
Yoga is about embracing your form. You become more aware of your body’s strengths and limits. At the same time, you develop your flexibility, coordination, balance and physical strength, all of which will help you in the bedroom. You will also become more graceful and confident in your movements while making love. You will be granted permission to make noise. Yoga invites you to evoke a sound when the spirit moves you.
5. Greater Fitness
By tapping unused muscles, you will feel fitter. In working out, your body will become more toned and you may notice an increase in your metabolism. Better muscle tone will also increase your sexual responsiveness. For example, tight hips decrease your sex drive by constricting blood flow to the sexual region, decreasing nerve activity and pleasure. Yoga counters this!
6. New Sexual Positions
Because you are exercising your muscles, you will be able to engage in a greater variety of sex positions for greater pleasure. Between more flexible muscles and joints and toned buttocks, thighs and abdominals, you will be able to partake in more postures with exotic names, like splitting bamboo.
7. A Better Sense of Foreplay
Yoga kindly reminds us that we need to get the body properly primed before it will reward us – as in feeling really, really good. Sex and yoga are the same in that it’s a bit impractical and unwise to attempt a maneuver without warming up first.
8. An Erotic Glow
Yoga gives you a whole new lease on life. You will feel an overall high with the heightened sense of well-being
that comes along with your practice. You will come alive sexually because you will have a better understanding of your mind-body connection, and you will feel more confident about yourself and your sexual nature.9. An Enhanced Relationship
Couples who practice yoga together learn how to move and breathe together. They learn how to sync their energies as they explore their sexual potential and creativity.
So how do you start practicing yoga for better sex? If you’re a beginner, find a yoga studio that offers basic yoga courses. It is best to focus on your own practice, building your own comfort level, before inviting your partner along.
For those of you who are at the intermediate or advanced level, take a couples class, exploring positions for two and the sensual benefits of a shared practice.
Small group trainings like those offered at Fitness Gatherings Studio may be the perfect for you to join or establish a yoga training specific to your experience level.
Here's to your good yoga and good sex.... Click here to read more FOXSexpert columns.
