Can Yoga Improve Your Sex Life?

One study found that women who practiced yoga regularly for 12 weeks reported a big improvement in a certain steamy quality of life. Downward dog, anyone? From The Big, Fun, Sexy Sex Book by Lisa Rinna and Ian Kerner, Ph.D.

Lisa likes to say that yoga puts her in touch with her body faster than any other type of exercise. That's not surprising: The meditative stretches and poses of yoga can help get you out of your head and in tune with your body. They're not only a great workout, but can be both calming and rejuvenating. Research even suggests that yoga may help lower blood pressure, ease symptoms of asthma, back pain, and arthritis, and prevent stroke.

But can yoga improve your sex life? A growing body of evidence suggests that the answer may be yes. Research suggests that yoga has long been used by women to benefit sexuality. And one study, published in the February 2010 issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, found that women who practiced yoga regularly for twelve weeks reported better sexual function, including improved desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction and less pain. Anecdotal reports show that some women even confess to enjoying yoga-related orgasms-or "yogasms"-during class! Yoga may help men, too: The same study found that regular yoga sessions can also benefit male sexual function, while other research has shown that it may improve premature ejaculation as well as SSRI antidepressants, a common treatment for PE.

It makes sense: Yoga requires that you regularly engage the mula bhanda, or the muscles in and around the genitals. These benefits can be found in any form of yoga, but kundalini yoga in particular has been shown to have tantric benefits, especially if you perform the poses with a partner. Some poses that are especially beneficial when performed with a partner are the sacred embrace, downward-facing dog, side plank, and camel. Not only do these poses improve your flexibility, but, like dance classes, they involve a lot of eye contact and nonsexual touching, making them another high-value form of foreplay. So why not take a yoga class with your sweetie? Your sex life will thank you.

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Related Links: Buy The Big, Fun, Sexy Sex Book
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