5 Yoga Poses That Can Improve Your Sex Life
Yoga helps us better connect with ourselves and our partner, spiritually, physically, and even sexually.
When you practice yoga consistently, there are a trove of health benefits. Not only can it alleviate anxiety, tone the body, and relieve chronic pain, it can also help you spice things up in the bedroom.
How Does Yoga Improve Sex?
Let’s touch on three of the important reasons behind why yoga helps couples in the bedroom.
- Practicing yoga increases flexibility and libido.
- Yoga helps us maintain healthy body image.
- There are many yoga poses that increase circulation in our pelvic region, which can elevate erotic enjoyment.
While there are a number of poses, or asanas, that will help you and your lover create some memorable heat beneath the sheets, we are going to tell you our top five—these poses will add a little extra zing to your sex life. You can thank us later!
Cat and Cow Pose
Flowing from cat pose to cow pose will strengthen your Kegel muscles, the muscles that contract when you're climaxing. The end result? You’ll experience more controlled and intense orgasms.
Cow Pose: Start in tabletop position, AKA on all fours with your hands directly below your shoulders and knees beneath your hips. When you inhale, tuck your toes, draw your shoulders back, and roll your tailbone upward while arching your back.
Cat Pose: When you exhale, tuck your chin, flatten your toes, and roll your tailbone downward while drawing your belly up and into your spine, like a Halloween cat.
With each inhale, roll into cow and with each exhale, rotate to cat. You can shift from cat to cow ten times whenever you have several moments to spare.
Reclining Bound Angle Pose
When you perform reclining bound angle pose, the positioning will stimulate blood flow and increase circulation in the pelvic region. This creates more sensations during sex, which enhances pleasure all around.
There's also a sex position, "yogic missionary," where the female situates herself in reclining bound angle pose. Now, you might not be a fan of period sex, but yogic missionary is a natural cramp reliever—and it actually works, so goodbye Midol!
You can start by laying down on your back, with your arms resting near your side-body and your legs extended outward. Let your palms face upward, which is symbolic of receiving. Next, bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet to touch. You don’t want to force your legs closer to the mat—let the legs naturally fall further down as gravity takes control. For a deeper stretch, bring the feet closer towards your body. Be mindful of how you’re feeling, though—if you’re experiencing any tension or discomfort in the thighs or groin, move your feet further away. Close your eyes and relax here for five minutes.
Happy Baby
Happy baby is a hip opener that increases flexibility. This pose can stimulate the sacral chakra—activating your passion and pleasure center.
Lie down on your back with your knees pressed against your chest for several breaths. On your next inhale, grab the outsides of your feet (or your big toes) and pull your legs apart until your knees are wider than your torso. Make sure your knees are directly below your ankles and your feet are flexed, engaging the muscles in your legs. Next, pull your feet downward gently using your hands, creating some resistance. You can hold here for one minute or rock back and forth (massaging your back on the mat) while maintaining the integrity of the pose. Bonus points, this asana doubles as a fun sex position!
Downward Facing Dog
We are all familiar with the yoga classic, downward facing dog. Think about it, this pose has sex written all over it. Your booty is up in the air... you’re feeling free, confident, and maybe frisky. The combination of boosting confidence and increasing circulation in the pelvic region will enhance sexual arousal. Additionally, this is an inversion, meaning your head is below heart level. When you perform an inversion, the nervous system relaxes and anxiety can melt away, including sexual performance anxiety.
Begin on your hands and knees in tabletop position—this pose really resembles doggy style, right?! Make sure your shoulders are directly above your hands and your hips are above the knees. Check the positioning of your hands—you want the index fingers pointing forward and the other fingers fanned out to the sides of your mat. To avoid straining your wrists, press firmly through your palms, fingertips, and knuckles. Next, tuck your toes and lift your knees off the floor, straightening (not hyperextending) your legs. Your body should be in the shape of an “A.” You can move your feet several inches closer to the back of the mat if that’s more comfortable. Let your back relax, lift your sit bones towards the ceiling, and allow your heels to reach towards the floor. Hang here for as long as you want.
Pigeon Pose
There are many variations of pigeon pose, but all of them are deep hip openers. Tight hips can make sex painful—they also hold you back from trying out new and adventurous positions with your SO.
Starting in downward facing dog, lift your left leg up—moving into three-legged dog—and bring your left knee to the floor on the outside of your left hand. Your left shin should be parallel with the top of your yoga mat. Release your right leg, extending it behind you in a straight line. Your hands can press into the mat in front of your left shin. Square your hips towards the front and take four second inhalations and four section exhalations, breathing the tension in your hips away.
To return to downward facing dog, tuck your right toes and lift your left leg back up into three-legged dog—then step your left foot down on the mat several inches away from your right foot. Repeat pigeon pose on the opposite side.