Here are a few observations that may be of special interest to those of our readers who live where Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14.
Yoga moderates attention and breathing; it decreases anxiety and stress; and induces a state of relaxation - all effects associated with improvements in sexual response. These factors and much more are highlighted in "Yoga and Sexual Functioning: a Review," (by Lori A. Brotto, Lisa Mehak, and Cassandra Kit, Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy [35, issue 5, October 2009, pp. 378-390]).
Relying on Sanskrit and some medical terminology, the authors point out a variety of yogic positions and practices, including one involving the contraction of muscles. "Moola bandha is a perineal contraction that stimulates the sensory motor and autonomic nervous system in the pelvic region, and therefore enforces parasympathetic activity in the body. Specifically, moola bandha is thought to directly innervate the gonads and perineal body/cervix . . . in numerous sex therapy centers, the practice of moola bandha is used to enhance women's awareness of their own genital arousal sensations . . ."
The article concludes: "In the domain of sexual response, yoga has also been touted as a method for improving genital awareness, stimulating genital blood flow, enhancing relaxation of the pelvic floor, . . . reducing symptoms of premature ejaculation, enhancing erectile capacity, . . . and fundamentally enhancing sexual pleasure. However, the empirical research is limited to one controlled study of yoga for the treatment of premature ejaculation in men. Moreover, there is no empirical research on specific asana for specific sexual problems, despite this practice and teaching for many hundreds of years. Clearly this is an area of research worthy of future efforts." Photo by rayhue
