The yoga of joyful sex: with a few simple asanas, you can deepen the intimacy and passion in your relationship

Natural Health, July-August, 2007 by Nora Isaacs

A GREAT SEX LIFE is more than fun--it's also good for your health. "Sexually active people tend to live longer and have a lower incidence of heart disease," says Beverly Whipple, Ph.D., co-author of The Science of Orgasm (Johns Hopkins, 2006). According to Whipple's research, hormones and brain chemicals released during orgasm help manage acute and chronic pain. Other studies show that sex can fight depression and weight gain, and support the immune system.

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 co-author 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, Pennsylvania.

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."

The Home Stretch

Try these partner yoga moves with your significant other, courtesy of the new book Better Sex Through Yoga.--N.I.

DUO BUTTERFLY (BOUND ANGLE)

Benefits: Opens the hips, lower back, and neck, which improves blood flow and makes the body more sensitive to touch.

Kneel behind your partner, who should be seated with his knees bent and the soles of his feet together. Press your thighs against his back to help him keep his spine straight as he clasps his feet and bends forward slightly. Keep both of your backs straight and necks long for a few breaths, then simultaneously lower your heads and curve your backs forward. Move your hands onto your partner's inner thighs and use your body weight to gently push the thighs closer to the floor. If your partner has tight hips, put more weight on his back than on his thighs. Hold for four full, deep breaths.

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DUNKING FOR APPLES

Benefits: Stretches the inner thighs, allowing for greater flexibility.

Sit on the floor facing each other, legs opened into a V shape and feet touching. Grab hold of the other's wrists or forearms. On an exhalation, bend forward while keeping your back straight as your partner leans back. Continue holding his wrists or forearms and feel the stretch in your inner thighs. Take three or four deep breaths. Now switch directions and repeat--you lean back, and your partner bends forward.

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