Yoga, Sex and Anxiety

By Michael Dale Kimmel of Life Beyond Therapy In the United States, approximately 36 million adults regularly practice yoga. This represents a significant increase from previous years, with a 50% increase in practitioners in the past 5 years alone. About 1 in 3 Americans have tried yoga at least once. Exercise trends come and go, but after 2,200 years, yoga is more popular than ever.

Many people attribute yoga's increased popularity to renewed interest in spiritual enlightenment, others are interested in feeling calmer and happier while still others go for better sex (yes, really).

Yoga classes - of all shapes and sizes - are trendy, but is there a scientific basis for its popularity?

Recent studies, including many supported by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (an arm of the National Institutes of Health) have demonstrated that regular yoga practice can improve cardiovascular risk factors like elevated blood pressure, blood sugar, blood cholesterol and clot-inducing fibrinogen, and it can raise blood levels of protective antioxidants.

Yoga was shown to improve balance and, by enhancing blood flow and the production of growth factors, yoga can counteract the deterioration of spinal discs.  Possibly through its stimulation of the vagus nerve, yoga appears to counter inflammation throughout the body, and may reduce the effects of arthritis.

Many studies verify that yoga helps to relieve physical and mental stress, which can erode the tips of DNA (which are called telomeres) and program cell death. In this way, yoga may slow biological aging and prolong life.

One benefit of yoga is its apparent ability to revitalize a person's sex life. Here are some yoga poses recommended specifically for sexual health:

1. Ardha Matsyendra Mudra/Half Spinal Twist: Improves spinal flexibility and digestion, potentially enhancing sexual function.
2. Baddha Konasana/Butterfly Pose: Opens the hips and groin, potentially improving flexibility and blood flow to the genital area.
3. Bhujangasana/Cobra Pose: Strengthens the back and core muscles, promoting blood flow to the pelvic region.
4. Paripurna Navasana/Boat Pose: Strengthens the core and pelvic muscles.
5. Setu Bandha/sana/Bridge Pose: Strengthens the pelvic floor and improves circulation in the pelvic area.
6. Trikonasana/Triangle Pose: Improves balance and flexibility, strengthening the pelvic floor.

Yoga may even help with hangovers: "Yoga reduces stress and has health benefits," said Dr. Debbie L. Cohen, a kidney specialist at the University of Pennsylvania who is studying yoga as an alternative to medication to lower high blood pressure. She cites studies showing that yoga can reduce chronic stress. "Yoga can make you feel better," she said, recommending yoga with an emphasis on meditation and breathing exercises to help ease your hangover.

Whatever your motivation may be - to reduce stress, tone the body, improve your mood - there is a yoga class (online or in person) for you. One of my San Diego friends takes an online yoga class in Los Angeles. Another friend takes a 6AM online class with a yoga teacher in India!

After taking hundreds of yoga classes over the past 54 years (I started in college when I was 18), here is my experience of some of the more popular types of yoga:

Hatha: an umbrella term that covers a number of disciplines. Expect a reasonable amount of chanting, a moderately quick series of asanas (poses) and a long relaxation period at the end of class.

Bikram: a set series of 26 asanas, mostly forward bends and spinal twists, per 90-minute class. The classroom temperature is set at a minimum of 100 degrees in order to warm the muscles for easier stretching.

Sivananda:  classes typically start with ten minutes of chanting and end with a fifteen-minute relaxation period, but the middle is a vigorous physical workout.

Vinyasa: a long, fluid, fast series of asanas with chanting, headstands, forearm stands, and handstands.

Kundalini: the energy force that exists at the base of the spine. This is the most overtly spiritual type of yoga. Classes move slowly through gentle stretches, prolonged chants, and lots of breathing exercises.

Iyengar: This is my personal favorite for the past 27 years. Iyengar instructors focus on alignment through held postures. When I was in a car accident a few years' ago, my Iyengar teachers created a routine for me that helped me heal from my injuries so fast that my doctor asked me how I did it.

There are many different kinds of yoga, each has its devotees. Check them out and pick the one(s) that make you feel the best. Try online and in-person classes. Be picky about teachers: if you don't like the instructor, you won't go to the class.  Set yourself up to succeed and watch your anxiety go down and your sexual health will improve.

P.S. Yep, that's me in the photo, practicing Iyengar yoga.

About the Author

Michael Dale Kimmel I am a California-licensed psychotherapist (LCSW 20738). With over twenty-five years of counseling experience, I bring warmth, practical insight and a healthy sense of humor to my practice.