5 ways yoga can improve your sex life

If you practice yoga regularly, you know how energising and refreshing it is. But did you know that, combined with the right breathing techniques, certain yoga poses and yoga-inspired rituals can also benefit your sex life?

They increase sexual stamina, reduce tension so you can fully relax during sex, and even help to heighten sexual arousal, leading to greater emotional connectedness between you and your hubby.

US-based yoga instructor Rainbeau Mars shares some practical yoga poses, breathing techniques and bedroom rituals for a more fulfilling sex life.

1. IMPROVE SEXUAL AROUSAL
Make loving yourself a regular ritual, Rainbeau advises. Take time to groom and pamper yourself, splurge on pretty lingerie, and make an effort to smell and feel clean and beautiful.

2. INCREASE SEXUAL STAMINA
Rainbeau believes that sexual stamina is connected to three things: diet, overall body strength and health, and kidney health. Make sure you have a wholesome diet – eat foods that are rich in nutrients to boost your energy, she advises.

“Keep exercising and using your body,” says Rainbeau. “The quadriceps (the muscles in the upper front part of the legs), are the largest muscles in the body. So take the time to strengthen them by doing squats, lunges and standing yoga poses to build heat throughout the whole system. This will boost your stamina, energy and vital forces that also give you that same power and sexual vitality in the bedroom.

3. BOOST SEXUAL SENSITVITY
The best way to increase your sexual sensitivity is to first, take the time to breathe and connect with your body from all directions.

Second, get comfortable on a mat. Try to tune out negative thoughts and focus on the positive ones. Breathe slowly and deeply through the abdomen to help enhance blood and energy flow. Being in this relaxed state can help you feel more open, which can heighten sensitivity and make you feel more comfortable with being loved and touched.

4. REDUCE MUSCLE TENSION AND INCREASE FLEXIBILITY
Rainbeau suggests the hip-opener pose, which encourages the body to relax from the inside out.

“Our hips are the largest joints in the bodies,” says Rainbeau. “They also store huge amounts of chemical, physical and emotional toxins. They are connected to the second chakra, which is an inner energy centre that houses our sexual and creative energies.”

THE HIP-OPENER POSE

5. IMPROVE EMOTIONAL INTIMACY
When kissing your hubby, focus on your breathing, taking in his scent. Feel his breath on your face. Learn to enjoy each other in silence, but also make it a habit of talking openly and truthfully about your feelings and needs.

In bed, massage each other’s hearts, kiss each other all over, and surrender to your hubby, feeling his energy, Rainbeau advises. Do not make orgasm the goal; just take time to enjoy each other. Breathe, slow down, and focus on bringing the energy up into your hearts and gaze into each other’s eyes. This connects your bodies, minds and souls, even as you delay the gratification (orgasm).

Rainbeau Mars is a US-based yoga instructor, health and fitness expert and the creator of Ra’yoKa, a unique fitness system that combines breath-centred yoga flow, dynamic martial arts movements and core connection. To find out more about Ra’yoKa, go to www.rainbeaumars.com.

This article was originally published in SimplyHer July 2011.