Yoga Positions That May Help Your Sex Life
When it comes to sex, there's always room for improvement. Even people with seemingly fantastic sex lives can always learn more on both a physical and intimate level, then put that knowledge into practice and access a whole world of further sexual exploration. Frankly, that's one of the best things about sex: there's always more if you're willing to open your eyes and confidently embrace the new, the exciting, and maybe a bit of kinky fun too.
Yoga positions, for example, are a great way to broaden our sex lives both physically and mentally. "Yoga truly focuses physically on the core and emotionally on being present. Both are super important for sexual health," gynecologist Dr. Alyssa Dweck told Byrdie. "Maintaining yoga poses requires mental fortitude and 'being present.' Learning mindfulness through yoga translates to being in the moment during sex."
Although all yoga poses are beneficial in their own ways, some may be more beneficial for your sex life than others. If you're looking to give your sex life a little kick, grab a mat, take a deep breath, and get ready to open those hips.
Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana)
The bridge pose is a one-stop shop when it comes to poses that are great for sex, because of what it focuses on within the body. It doesn't just open the chest way up (which is essential for engaging in deep breathing work) but it also gets the glutes, hamstrings, and pelvic floor involved. While strong glutes and hamstrings are key in thrusting movements, a strong pelvic floor is what's necessary for greater orgasm frequency and intensity. This pose also allows people penises to have better control their erection and ejaculation.
As far as yoga poses go, the bridge pose is one of the easiest. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart, then tighten up your core as you lift your hips off the floor — squeeze your butt too! Although you can keep your arms at your sides with your palms up, some people prefer to lock their hands under their lower back to get a deeper stretch through their chest. Do what's most comfortable for you.
Hold each pose from 30 seconds to two minutes, depending on your yoga level, and do a few sets. "The more mobile and supple the pelvis is, the more the surrounding muscle groups will strengthen and soften simultaneously," yoga instructor Dice Iida-Klein told Men's Health. "This gives way to more pelvic control in sex."
Corpse pose (Savasana)
While it may not be the most cheerful-sounding of the yoga poses, the corpse pose is the best way to focus on your breath as it helps you embrace mindfulness in a way that we just don't, due to busy schedules and life generally getting in the way. "It's really common, particularly approaching orgasm, to hold your breath or breathe shallowly," breath coach Jamie Clements told Women's Health. "This can detract from the fullness of the experience. Breathing deeply creates relaxation allowing you a deeper sense of pleasure."
As the last pose of a yoga session, savasana isn't just about resting after stretching and strengthening every which way, but a restorative pose that allows for reflection and awareness. It's also the easiest, in that all it requires is laying on your back with your limbs comfortably spread (there should be no engaging at this point), eyes closed, and palms up and open. You can hold this pose as long as you want. If you doze off and have a little nap, then there's proof you were truly relaxed.
Boat pose (Navasana)
If there's anything to take away from yoga, whether you're doing it because you love it or you're just picking it up in the hopes of making your sex life better, it is really about strengthening and engaging your core to keeping your chakras in line. "Working on your uddiyana bandha, otherwise known as the upward abdominal lock, stretches the respiratory diaphragm," yoga instructor Jordan Younger told Well + Good. "This gives you more access to your root chakra, the source of 'Kundalini energy,' which is where our sexual energy lives."
The easiest way to get into boat pose is to start by sitting on the floor, with your legs stretched out in front of you. Pull your knees into your chest, lean back a bit on your sitz bones, then lift and straighten your legs. Eventually, you'll want to be able to stretch your arms out in front of you, palms up, without having to hold your legs to keep them at an angle; That may be something you might have to work up to in time. What's most important here is engaging the core and trying to keep the legs at a 45-degree angle for 10 to 20 seconds.
Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)
Not only does happy baby pose bring you back to the days of rolling on a floor as a wee one, completely oblivious to the horrors of the world, but it's absolutely phenomenal for relieving the body's stress — something that can really stand in the way of enjoyable sex. "Your muscles tighten as a result of stress and trauma, which can cause inflammation in the surrounding soft tissues," certified personal trainer Amelia Bartolino, RD, NDTR told Fitbit. "Stress can manifest in the body, causing lower back and hip tension ... Tension in the hips can cause immobility, pain in the hips and back, misalignment of the spine, and poor posture." So, naturally, any position that's going to release all that should be part of your better-sex-related yoga positions.
To do happy baby, lay on your back and pull your knees up until you can grab either your big toe or the outside of your feet — whatever feels most comfortable. Then you just want to let your knees sort of drop so they're open wider than your hips. Flex your feet and stretch your hips and inner thighs by pulling your legs apart and feet downward. Try to hold it for up to a minute.
Cat Pose (Marjaryasana) and Cow Pose (Bitilasana)
Also simply called cat-cow because they're done together, this position gives your spine, all the way down to the tailbone, a proper stretch through the repetitive rounding and arching of the back. And, of course, an elongated spine is just as important as open hips. "Most people are walking around with a sacrum [tailbone] that is not particularly open or aligned," vibrancy mentor and pleasure expert Martha Langer told Greatist, explaining that this position is paramount for the tailbone to be in good standing. "[It] gives us the ability to position our pelvis in a variety of positions during sex."
Cat-cow can be done by starting on all fours, hands on the mat being hip-width apart, then inhaling as you arch your back while looking up, then exhaling while you rounding your back. Try to do it a few times in a minute, paying attention to your breath and the movement of your spine.
Although the results of just how much these yoga positions will positively affect one's sex life are going to vary, research has found that yoga has been extremely beneficial for people with vulvas. According to a 2010 study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, after 12 weeks of yoga, the study's 40 participants, ages 22 to 55, experienced improved desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain, with those over 45 having the most improvement. There's definitely something to be said about yoga and its effect on sexual function.