Just like yoga, sex is also one of the most interesting experiences for the mind and body. The fact is that doing yoga regularly can improve your body’s flexibility, open your heart, increase the blood flow, and reduce the stress levels. All these are necessary if you need to enjoy a good sexual life. Yoga teaches true mindfulness that helps you to live in the present. According to the Journal of Sexual Medicine, many women find it difficult to remain focused, thus making their sexual life unemotional and boring. The mindful living you learn from yoga can translate into various spheres of your life and help you to enjoy your love life also without any worries. Practicing yoga daily can improve your fitness levels and help you to enjoy your life in a better way. Here are nine yoga moves to get in the mood.
1. The cat/cow stretch
Use both hands and knees. Your shoulders should be over the wrists and the hips over your knees. Inhale while you slowly arch back by lifting the chest up away from your stomach. Extend the tailbone toward the ceiling. Release the feet so that the tops are on the floor. Exhale and round the lower back up and contract your belly gently. Repeat the move six times and try to increase the range of motion each time.
Benefit: This move helps to strengthen the kegel muscles, which contract during orgasm, and control the tailbone when you curl in between the moves.
2. Cobra
Lie flat on your stomach with the forehead touching the floor. Palms should face down from the middle ribs. Keep your legs together and stretch out by pressing the tops of the feet on the floor. Press your hands down and draw the elbows to the side of your body closely. Use your back and slowly lift your chest from the floor, rolling your shoulders back. Use the arms for support. The muscles of the legs and the back are to be used for backbend. Hold this position for about 10-20 seconds, breathe evenly and slowly come back to the floor.
Benefit: This is known as the heart opener pose. Energy, love, and breath come from the heart’s chakras. This pose is indirectly connected to intimacy. You will feel energized too.
3. Downward facing dog
Begin with your hands and feet on the floor. The wrists should be 6-12 inches away from the shoulders in the front. Separate the knees to the width of your hips and curl your feet on the toes. Push evenly and lift the knees from the floor along with the tailbone and the top of the things to make an inverted ‘V’ position. Straighten the knees without looking at them. Move your chest towards the thighs until the ears are levelled with the upper arms. Lift the hips and strongly push into the hands.
Benefit: The position is a restful posture. When you do it properly, you can feel the peace within you. It also warms your body slowly and tunes it for the moment.
4. Tree
Begin with your feet on the ground with hip width apart. Shift your weight to the left foot. Use your hand, bend the right knee, and place it on your ankle. The right knee moves toward the side. Fold your hands together in a prayer position and lift them to the top. Stay in this position for one minute and come back to normal position. Repeat this with hands stretched to both the sides for balance. Repeat the moves on both sides.
Benefit: This is a good move for balancing and helps you to slow down your pace a little bit.
5. Bound angle
First, come to a seated position. Bring your soles of the feet together and place the hands on the ankles. Let the knees relax on the floor. Hinge forward on the hips and hold this position for about 10-15 breaths.
Benefit: This move heats up the groin area and enables wider range of motion in the hips.
6. Plank
The position for this move looks like the push-up. Begin with your hands and feet. Align the shoulders with the wrists. Spread the fingers widely and press on the floor. Do not collapse by the chest. Hollow out your stomach and keep the feet at the back, curl on your toes, lift the thighs and straighten your legs. All the body parts, ankles, heel, spine, butt, neck, shoulders, and head should be in a straight line. Hold this for 30 seconds and then come to resting position. Repeat for three times.
Benefit: It is a confidence boosting move and the best abs toner. Various core muscles are involved in keeping your body in a proper form.
7. Bridge
Lie on your back and bend the knees that are hip apart. The feet have to be at least 6 inches ahead of your butt. Slowly push your hips up towards the ceiling. Keep your hands at the sides. For a better stretch, interlace your hands, squeeze the shoulders together, and place them under your back. Breathe for about 60 seconds in this posture.
Benefit: This movement helps you to stretch your hip and ease tension.
8. Shoulder stand
Lie on your back with the feet flat on the floor and hip width apart. Keep the hands on the sides with palms up. Bend your knees toward your chest and roll your hips up until your legs become straight. The toes should touch the floor behind your head. Use your hands on your lower back for support. Now lift one leg toward the ceiling and then lift the other. Press them together and hold this position for 3-5 breaths. Release your hands and roll back to the floor with one vertebra at a time.
Benefit: There is an instant energy boost and increase in blood flow to your brain and hips.
9. Savasana
Lie on your back comfortably. Place your arms on the sides at some 45 degrees angle and palms facing up. Keep your legs apart as you feel comfortable. Now release the tension from all the parts of your body. Lie in this position for about 5 minutes and allow your body to calm down.
Benefit: Savasana, according to experts, is one of the toughest moves to master, though it does not require much physical exertion. You have to completely focus on the asana.