The Yoga of Joyful Sex
With a few simple asanas, you can deepen the intimacy and passion in your relationship.
7/2007
So how does yoga help? By making you stronger, more flexible, and more confident in and out of bed. In short, the more time you spend on the mat, the more steamy your time in the bedroom, says Jacquie Noelle Greaux, a yoga instructor and coauthor of Better Sex Through Yoga (Broadway, 2007). "Yoga helps you open your body and tap into your core strength and sexual energy," she explains. Yogis believe sexuality is stored in the hips and pelvis; poses like Bound Angle (in which you sit on the floor with the soles of your feet together) and Wide-Legged Forward Bend increase blood flow to these areas, which enhances sexual sensitivity and pleasure. And movements that require you to lift your perineum (engaging the Root Lock or Mula Bandha, for example) can strengthen the pelvic-floor muscles the way Kegel exercises do, thus improving the intensity of your orgasms.
Beyond increasing sexual pleasure, poses like Chaturanga (Four-Limbed Staff Pose) build strength and stamina. Additionally, yoga teaches self-acceptance—and if you love your body, you may feel more comfortable being naked and less inhibited during sex. "Feeling at ease with your body is sexy," says Alicia Rambo-Wozniak, who teaches partner yoga with her husband, Rob, and manages Easton Yoga in Easton, PA.
By practicing yoga with your lover, you can both enjoy the benefits— and grow closer in the process. "Couple's yoga is like foreplay: You're breathing, sweating, and moving together," says Greaux. And when the sheets are untangled, the fruits of your practice can have a long-lasting outcome: "Without a doubt, I think doing yoga with your partner deepens your relationship," says Bill Wyland, co-owner of Bernal Yoga in San Francisco. "It helps you connect on all levels—physical, mental, and spiritual."
