There are many benefits to practicing yoga regularly. Some are more obvious than others, like more flexibility, strength, and balance. However, yoga’s benefits can also extend off of the mat, and into other areas of our lives as well.
For example, yoga can make you more productive and better at your job. Yoga can also increase your energy levels throughout the day. And yoga can also make you better in bed, whether you’re gay, straight, or anywhere in-between.
Really? Yes really, and here’s why:
Yoga makes you more connected to your body. Sex is not about thinking, it’s about feeling and following your body’s instincts. So is yoga. Practicing yoga postures, helps you connect to your body in a deeper and more internal way. The more connected you are to your own body, the more you are able to connect with another person’s body.
Hip openers help. Do I need to say more? These poses not only make you more bendy, and adaptable but also connect you to muscles that can increase pleasure. Orgasms happen in your sacral region, and practicing hip openers will put you more in touch with muscles there that are activated and engaged during sex.
Sex is spiritual (and so is yoga). Yoga is a spiritual practice. It is a sacred ritual, every time you step onto your mat, and while the physical and mental benefits are plentiful, yoga can make you feel your connection to something bigger than yourself. The same is true of sex. It is unique every single time. You can also treat sex as the sacred ritual that it is, and be fully present for each experience.
Confidence is key. Yoga builds confidence in you over time, and you can carry this with you throughout your life. Confidence is a key element to a healthy and beneficial sex life and you can increase your self-confidence on your mat and see this effect help you in bed.
Surface level beauty. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it can be argued that yoga is a fountain of youth, and keeps practitioners with a youthful glow into old age. Postures like inversions reduce wrinkles, and a regular practice keeps the hormone systems of one’s body, operating harmoniously. Good posture is also attractive and is an effect of a regular yoga practice.
Treat others with respect. The Yamas and Niyamas of yoga philosophy are surprisingly relevant to one’s sex life. Be honest with others and don’t do anyone any harm. Sex is something that can benefit all parties involved, and a sense of respect and understanding is key. Diving deeper into the roots of yoga, and applying some of these principles to how you engage and relate to others, can allow for more beneficial, honest, and intimate relationships.
Shamelessness. For many, upbringings infused of shame and guilt around a healthy sex life are real barriers to fully letting go and enjoying this special part of life. Yoga allows people to let go of an array of old emotional baggage, and layers of social programming that they do not need to carry around any longer. It is good to be uninhibited in bed, guilt-free, and be at peace and passionate about this part of your life. Yoga’s emotionally healing benefits, help with this.
Presence. Yoga is really about presence. If you are in your head thinking about things that happened before or what’s going to happen after, you are not going to be as good of a lover. You want to be present and attentive for a peak experience.
True and lasting happiness comes from within and never from sexual satisfaction alone. However, a healthy sex life can be a healing and beneficial part of one’s life. The wisdom and breakthroughs experienced in a yoga practice, have ripple effects and will allow you to experience more pleasure and meaning in your sex life.
By Nicki Mateo
Nicki Mateo is an independent artist and author, who enjoys pushing boundaries, yoga and meditation, creative energy, and breaking down stereotypes.
Yoga for Better Sex with Claire Petretti Marti