I’ve always considered Yoga exercise for people who don’t really want results. Intellectually, I understood that Yoga encompassed some sort of spiritual enlightenment, but in terms of maintaining physical fitness and body composition, I never thought Yoga could produce the type of results I expected from my exercise routine.
Ten years later, I still do pretty well maintaining a decent fitness regimen, but new aches, sore muscles, and funny cracking sounds have begun to appear in painful parts I never noticed as a teenager. It’s yet to interfere with my personal life, but I’ve been advised by an orthopedic physician, colleagues, and friends to begin practicing yoga before it’s too late.
Over the last decade, I’ve attempted yoga a few times and found my overabundant energy combined with a lifetime of fast-paced exercise made me a poor candidate. I didn’t know the names of the poses or how to do them nor was I patient enough to focus and learn.
The cult-like members of yoga classes never seemed to embrace my awkward, somewhat ungraceful translations of their routines. During the two whole classes I took, the infamous benefits of yoga were never felt in my joint, muscles, or chakras. Despite this traumatic history, I’ve recently worked up the courage to attempt yoga again.
In addition to potential ways yoga may reduce those sounds coming from my knees during squats, I’ve recently become intrigued with yoga’s newest claim to fame: Better Sex. Through my work as a health educator and teaching sexuality at New York University (NYU), I know that all exercise is good for intimate relationships because physical activity helps us tune into our bodies and heightens awareness of physical sensations.
But I was delightfully surprised to find so many recent reports about yoga’s therapeutic effects on sexual satisfaction and some even use it as a replacement for intercourse.
How does it work?
Yoga improves sex by strengthening your core muscles located in and around your genitals, increasing sensation, endurance, and comfort. In the new video, “Better Sex through Yoga,” students are instructed to isolate and lift the PC muscle, located between the pubic bone and tail bones.
The experience has been compared to Kegel exercises with proper breathing. Yogis eventually develop the skills to isolate the perineum, a key area of pleasure for both genders. In addition to the controlled strength developed through yoga, one may also become in touch with their body, which on some level means getting in touch with their reproductive organs.
This can produce improved, enlightened sexual experiences, as our sex organs determine a lot about who each of us are, physically and psychologically. Men also confirm the sensual benefits of yoga. One of my good friends is half of highly active couple and she just took a new, high pressure job. When she’s unavailable for intimate nights, he releases the energy through an intense yoga class.
He told me he enjoyed the variation yoga provided as not only the best substitute, but it fosters the opportunity to improve his sexual prowness while releasing that energy. Garvey Rich, co-producer of the Better Sex series and eight-year Yoga practitioner publicly revealed the exercise dramatically increased his ability to maintain firm and both men and women report increased size of male organs achieved through dedicated yoga practice.
Anne Regetin, author of The Erotic Side of Yoga, reported “Yoga brings a deep, physical gratificatio after twenty minutes of incredible stretches, my heart is pounding, every muscle is glowing, and I am relaxed and happy. Lying in Savasana after half an hour of extreme stretching and balancing, I get the feeling I’ve just made love to the whole universe.”
The environment of many Yoga classes are even structured like sex: There’s a calm, soothing sense as you begin the class, intensity slowly builds into challenging postures, a slightly sweaty, overheated scent taints the room, everyone has a quick nap before leaving.
In addition, the music, poses, and etiquette of yoga serve as an unspoken code among Yogis, reinforcing feelings of connectedness, as they’ve just experienced something together the outside world didn’t feel. Something like sex.
There’s a few forms of yoga known specifically for sexual enhancement properties, but the yoga discussed in this article refers to the most common form offered in exercise facilities: Hatha Yoga. Though not developed to specifically improve sexual functioning, it was created to improve physical functioning which can’t be bad for your sex life.
Many have heard of Tantra Yoga, which uses sexual energy and connectedness spiritually, as sacred and divine. The musician STING popularized this form long ago, boasting he could make love to his wife for eight hours. Practitioners of Kundalini Yoga are focused on effectively harnessing and increasing sexual energy.
Regardless of the form, yoga uses the body as a vehicle for enlightenment. Making love as an enlightened person is a result I’d never considered yoga could produce. I never took the time to make the connection between intimate satisfaction and deep, satisfying breaths, improved muscle control, core strength, limb flexibility, reduced physical aches and pains, and increased ability to bend into unusual positions.
Ten years later.
I’ve learned that Yoga is exercise for people who want a different type of result. Yoga is exercise for busy, multi-tasking professionals who benefit from activity, peace of mind, and better sex. Gotta go - I’m late for yoga.
