When it comes to getting horizontal, are you more inclined to lie back when sex is on the cards rather than in a room full of deep belly breathing yogis? Well, what if we told you that actually focusing on the breath (in Savasana or not) is exactly the reason you should get on board the meditation bandwagon if you want great sex!
According to this study, women who practice mindfulness and meditation are found to have better sex lives and a higher libido than those who don’t. Not so ‘woo woo’ now huh? You could even say more ‘woo hoo!,’ with the study, published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy finding it doesn’t even matter whether you practice long or short meditation sessions, as long as you’re practicing both in general. And what could be a better incentive to close your eyes and ‘get in the zone’ than that?
Well, how about this… aside from ‘functional finesse’ under the covers, out of the 451 women surveyed, the ‘meditators’ reported higher sex drives (and desire levels), happier moods, greater interoceptive awareness (awareness of internal body sensations) and trait mindfulness (someone with a mindful personality). And let’s not forget the ‘O’ factor—the ‘mindfully awakened’ women also reported greater orgasms and higher arousal levels (as well as lubrication) than those who didn’t meditate. Ready to get your groove on and skyrocket your way to sexual nirvana?
According to the experts, it’s as simple as starting a short-term mindfulness practice — a minimum as four to eight sessions should do the trick. And in case you need anymore fuel to stoke the fire within by starting a meditation practice, here’s a few added bonuses.
5 Ways Meditation Can Ramp Up Your Sex Life
1) It helps you stress less
Studies show meditation works to lower cortisol, the primary stress hormone. The less stressed we feel, the higher libido and the more inclined to have sex we are, according to science.
2) It focuses your awareness
For those who notice their mind wander during sex, meditation, and mindfulness will bring you back into the moment. According to science, mindfulness can switch your mind out of an ‘internal’ focus to an ‘external focus’,’ easing anxiety and bringing you into the ‘now.’
3) It boosts energy levels
One of the biggest known buzzkills when it comes to sex is a lack of energy. But by spicing things up with a little hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation, science says not only will you elevate brain functioning but boost energy levels and say goodbye to the ‘not tonight honey’ excuse in no time.
4) It heightens sexual stimulation
If feeling ‘horny’ or sexual doesn’t come naturally to you, meditation might help. Studies show that women who meditate become faster at registering their physiological response to sexual stimuli and actively reduce their self-judgement, anxiety and depression levels (the major key factors found to affect sexual performance).
5) It increases your intuition
Instead of fumbling your way through the motions, by practicing meditation, science says you can develop a deeper intuitive sense to know what your sexual partner needs. How? Well interesting, it turns out meditation boosts mirror neurons in the brain—neurons responsible for allowing us to ‘mirror’ what we see (porn being the most classic example—by watching others derive pleasure, it makes us feel pleasure too). By developing these neurons we become naturally more intuitive and responsive to our partner’s pleasure.
Ready to switch off and tune in? To get started, we recommend downloading Headspace or for a more arousing soundscape, try Dipsea for erotic sexual stories and soundscape meditations to get you in the zone (listen solo or with a partner for a sexy start).
