Yoga and the Sexual Aspect of Life by Natalie Nowicki

INTRODUCTION

In the West the interest on Eastern way of healing is continually growing. We search for ways to relieve stress, cope with problems and improve our health not only through Western technologies, medicine and psychology but now through holistic ways such as yoga. Not only is the percent of the Euro-American society practicing yoga growing but of course more and more researchers are curious to see if yoga really is beneficial, and how. Yoga is known to bring balance and health to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the individual (Ross & Thomas, 2010, p. 3). It is apparent how all the parts of this discipline can help and improve one's sexual functioning. The Western culture's understanding of yoga and its connection to sex has changed throughout the years because of and thanks to many yogis, such as Oman, “who confused yoga postures with the sexual positions of the Kāma sūtra” (Singleton, 2010, p. 70). Through media and books people are able to learn more about these Ancient practices that when used well can bring many benefits to improving one’s own sexual improvement and the partner’s. It is not surprising that the society is finding ways to improve sexual fulfillment and pleasure through Eastern approaches such as tantra, Tao, mindfulness, acupuncture, yoga that have all been implicated in doing this (Brotto, Mehak & Kit, 2009, p. 378). This paper will focus on how yoga can improve one's sexual health, how sexual differences are present in Western and Eastern texts, the history of yoga and its connection to sexual importance in the lives of Westerners.

YOGA IN THE WEST

The beginning of yoga in the West is said to have been in the 1800s when “Yoga made its way from the rigorous shores of East India to the rigors of American higher education.” (Douglass, 2007, p. 1) The interest and acceptance of yoga has been developing through the people that practice it and those that study it. “Yoga was developed on the Indian sub-continent as a system for increasing physical and mental clarity so as to transcend our limited concepts of self.” (Douglass, 2007, p. 1) The importance and understanding of yoga has been changing ever since it appeared in the Western society but its first major connection to sex was noted in the 1960s. People's interest in drugs, sex and rock-n-roll was part of their search of Eastern ways and thus created “an intense period of academic mayhem in which yoga moved from a traditional association with monasticism to an unlikely association with orgies”(Douglass, 2007, p. 5). As mentioned earlier, also Singleton (2010) writes of the confusion between the kāma sūtra and yoga (p. 70). This is probably because of the importance of energy, postures, breathing in these two Indian disciplines. “By the 1970s the association of yoga with sexuality influenced both academics and popular culture” (Douglass, 2007, p. 6). This has been a growing topic for clearly a long time but still there is not enough empirical studies, and it would be useful for many people if more research on sexual improvement in both men and women was done.

WHAT IS YOGA?

“Yoga is an ancient discipline designed to bring balance and health to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the individual” (Ross, p. 3) and thus is naturally connect to sexuality. Yoga has brought many changes in the way some people in the West live because of how useful it is in improving all aspects of one's life.“All current forms of yoga are based on the Yoga Sutras that were compiled by Patanjali more than 2,000 years ago.” (Kaufman, Silverberg & Odette, 2003, p. 224) Yoga is great for everybody because of how adaptable it is; it does not assume that only one posture works for everyone and most importantly it focuses on breathing. Its speed, intensity and level are also very flexible and anyone can make it work, especially if one already knows what feels best. For those that prefer to sit in a relaxed position can practice on breathing practices. “The state of calm that is induced by a yoga breathing practice that focuses in exhalation can lead to a decrease in anxiety about sexual performance and an openness to the experience” (Kaufman, Silverberg & Odette, 2003, p. 225). This openness is mostly important to those who find sexual performance stressful because of the high demands that our society has created. The way television, internet and magazines, such as Cosmopolitan for women or Men's Health for men, are advertising sex and talking about being more exotic has led to anxiety and stress, which can be solved through spiritual practices, such as yoga. “Yoga helps us merge consciousness and movement in practices that incorporate postures, breathing, thinking, and feeling, which can have a powerful impact on our sexual expression” (Kaufman, Silverberg & Odette, 2003, p. 226).

KUNDALINI YOGA

There are many different branches of yoga that have many similarities but when it comes to sexual activity their beliefs differ. Kundalini yoga is one of the only branches that enhance sexual acts. “While most of the religious practices prefer ascetism and sexual abstinence as a way to uplift soul, Kundalini yoga considers carnal indulgence as a medium to increase self exploration”(yoga for sex). It is interesting to see how even various yoga systems have different beliefs and limitations. A quote from the yoga for sex site explains what Kundalini yoga does: “Techniques in Kundalini Yoga are designed to channel sexual energy up the spine, through pranayama, asana and meditation, to where it can be used for spiritual development”. There are many advantages of Kundalini yoga one of them being: “it does not require being a yoga expert or following instructions from a yoga teacher in the long term (although initial instruction by a teacher is required) (Brotto, Mehak & Kit, 2009, p. 9). This definitely is important in the Western world where people are often in a hurry and going to a yoga class can be too big of an effort so having the option of practicing at the comfort of one's own house can be very helpful. This also means that it is safe enough to practice on your own after receiving initial instructions so this is also an advantage of yoga because the last thing one will want is to hurt himself.

YOGA AND SEXUAL HEALTH

The importance of sexual activity in the West has led to the creation of medicine (for example viagra) that is meant to improve the sexual aspect of people's life. Unluckily medicine for impotence very often causes other health problems such as heart disease, high or low blood pressure, heart attack, coronary artery, liver or kidney disease. With the growing interest in Eastern methods people are switching or even incorporating holistic ways to improve one's sexual, and of course overall health. So why is sexual activity so important? According to many Eastern masters believe that “about 90% of your sexual energy is used to repair and rejuvenate the organs of the body” (Kundalini Yoga for sex energy transformation). Yoga can make sex more meaningful because it teaches how to control energy in the body and how to transform it so that it can improve one’s health. According to yoga theory people have certain diseases pertaining to sexuality because energy is blocked or stagnant in the root chakra (mooladhara chakra) or the second chakra (swadhisthana chakra) (Brotto, Mehak & Kit, 2009, p. 382). There are different ways of controlling and releasing energy, and I believe it depends on who is doing. “One way to release this energy is to raise or move one’s kundalini through the spine and up to the brain through the nadis (channels through which energy passes through the chakras)” (Brotto, Mehak & Kit, 2009, p. 383). This idea of energy is something many people still struggle with because it is so different from what the Western society has taught us. It is definitely good to learn about energies but if one does not agree with them it is fine to focus on and follow other aspects of yoga.

GENDER DIFFERENCES

“Academic work addressed topics ranging from male sexuality and the vibrant nature of female energy known as sakti to ethnographies of female saints” (Douglass, 2007, p. 6). This sentence is mostly important because it introduces the topic of sex differences in Eastern cultures. Using spiritual words to name sex organs was very popular in the East. Many Indian spiritual ways on male and female differences, such as Buddhism, give names to sex organs, for example “diamond” when referring to the male reproductive organ and “lotus” for the female one (Buddha and Love, 2011). Although stereotypical, the belief that male and female have different energies is based on true Ancient texts, such as the kāma sūtra, which is one of the most important of all Eastern sources because of its long history of study and usage. Focusing on improvement differences one can see the results after practicing yoga vary depending on the practitioner's gender. Some scholars have studied the improvement of concentration, relaxation and many other factors thanks to yoga but the gender difference outcomes are mostly interesting.
“Men with premature ejaculation who practiced an hour of yoga a day for 12 weeks were able to triple the length of time they lasted during intercourse”(Watkins, 2008). There are many poses that are good especially for men because of how the breathing controls anxiety while movements strengthen their pelvic muscles. In books, such as The Multi-Orgasmic Couple (2001) the idea of extending the longevity and increasing the number of sexual intercourse in one night by facilitating male orgasms without ejaculation has been proven through numerous studies and the research done on Taoist methods. This is also something that was later on discussed by Brotto, Mehak and Kit (2009) when speaking on Kundalini energy. These two sources that have chosen different Eastern methods are an example of how similar the idea of sexual performance is but how the techniques vary.
As sexual improvement through yoga is something that interests me, I am also able to learn how it can improve my own life.“Female practitioners of yoga have been found to be less likely to objectify their bodies and to be more aware of their physical selves. This tendency, in turn, may be associated with increased sexual responsibility and assertiveness, and perhaps sexual desires” (Brotto, Mehak & Kit, 2009, p. 382). Although one may experience many changes in the body and mind, it is easier to realize them and describe them when there are articles and books on it. Scholarly information and life stories are useful because they support the feelings one might have but that are difficult to name. It also shows how similar human experience and how different techniques change people's lives. To me it is important to remember that different methods, work for different people and just because yoga works for me does not mean it will work for some other person. One of the studies done by Indian researchers resulted in supporting the idea that after merely 12 weeks of yoga, women's sexual function scores were significantly improved in all domains studied (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain) (Sherman, 2010, p. 76). The number of research being done on yoga in connection to sexual health, performance, activity and quality is growing, and it is clear that it worth trying out yoga breathing practices and/or the movement poses that go with it.
An important quote from the Kāma Sūtra in the translated version by Daniélou (1994) is “sexual weakness is mainly due to two causes: one is impotence due to mental instability, while the other, which is physical, is due to reasons of frigidity” (p. 523). Before one looks for solution to any problem the cause/s must be first found and presented for clarity and I believe the translator has shown what they are. Although there are many ways to work on the problem and yoga does a good job at doing it because as quoted earlier by Ross and Thomas (2010) it helps the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of an individual.
Although this paper speaks of sexual activity it is important to note that there are also many poses to control desire and erection for those that choose celibacy. “For instance, there is a central pose known as siddh¯asana in which the practitioner’s legs are crossed while seated during which a celibate man can pinch his penis and scrotum with his heels to control his desire” (Brotto, Mehak & Kit, 2009, p. 7). I believe it to be unhealthy and unnatural to use poses whether they are painful or not, to repress desire because human, as animals, are made to reproduce and live sexually.

SEX AS SPIRITUALITY

Yoga has been shown to improve sexual health but an interesting part of sexuality is how it can turn into spirituality. This topic could be another paper so I will only touch upon it to simply introduce it because it is connected to yogic masters. “In the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says: "I'm omnipresent but in the human body. I take the form of desire, particularly sexual desire."”(sex and spirituality) For thousands of years sexuality has been believed to transform one to enlightenment when practiced according to Eastern teachings. This is something many yogic masters have discovered and thus have used yoga to increase sexual abilities in order to reach the highest goal. One of the most interesting quotes by Badrinath explains:
“The force of sex can be transmuted into the highest form of spiritual energy. That can be done neither by confining sexuality within an arbitrary social order, nor by renouncing it, but by utmost submission to it. The cosmic energy stored in human sexuality can be released into human consciousness. But not before sex has been perceived, and worshipped, as the primal force, Shakti” (sex and spirituality).
To me this quote is important because it explains how balancing and finding a mean between the two opposing beliefs can lead to a transformation through sexuality. Sex was not the way to enlightenment for all practitioners because these are supposedly higher teachings and one must have the right qualifications for this. It must be first perceived and worshipped; sexual intercourse was a process that was practiced only after the right amount of study.

COUPLES YOGA

Doing yoga together as a way to enhance ones relationship is something I struggle to understand because I cannot see how practice in pairs can make partners feel closer to another. I can see how it can be a way to feel more comfortable with the partner and I am sure experimenting different poses in bed is easier after doing yoga but the heart connection through yoga is something I have never experienced. “By using specific asana, mudra, pranayam and meditations to sync your energies with your partner, you create a powerful bond between the two of you that transcends your physical body. You prepare your souls to merge.”(http://www.spiritvoyage.com/blog/index.php/yoga-for-sex/). Maybe it is true but I cannot say, all I know it is a fun way to spend time with a partner and it definitely relaxes people.

CONCLUSION

The amount of research on the correlation between yoga and sex has been growing steadily for many years now but there are still some topics that need to be expanded more. The problem with the researchers is that they are all fighting for yoga and so any negative outcomes are being overlooked. I believe it is important that research should be done by neutral people so that one can trust books and articles fully. I would like to see more case studies being done on yoga and sexual health, activity and ability rather than Eastern texts being translated into English or having Westerners write books on what they have learned.

Yoga is beneficial because it works on so many levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual through breathing, movement and flow of energies. It has been proven to improve one’s sexual life thanks to the healing and strengthening process that is present when doing yoga for at least a couple of weeks. As a yoga practitioner I can agree with and relate to most of the readings that I have done for this research paper. Yoga definitely relaxes one’s body and mind, which gives a clearer vision of things and makes life more enjoyable. Although yoga is very beneficial there is of course the need to balance things out and overdoing it can be as unhealthy as any other physical practice. The sexual differences in men and women are visible when the benefits for both genders are presented. The advantage of doing yoga for men is for example the ability to perform better in bed when they have premature ejaculation and for women sex is less painful and the possibilities are larger when the body is more flexible and relaxed. Although I do not agree with some of the readings, especially those speaking of the emotional connection between the partners when doing yoga together because to me it is simply a way of relaxation and enjoying life. The goal of this paper has not been to support yoga by showing how it can benefit ones sexual life but to lay out the research that has been done on it. It is an interesting topic as many people suffer because sex is widely talked about in popular media which causes stress for those that are incapable of performing so well. There is a large amount of ways one can improve his/her sexual abilities which can bring many happy moments in life, so I do believe that trying different practices can be great and yoga is a good place to start.

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