Teachers and how-to books seldom mention
that Yoga began as a sex cult.
In medieval India, Tantra devotees believed
it was possible to fuse the male and female
aspects of the cosmos into a blissful state
of consciousness.
Sexual Rapture!
Hatha yoga — the parent of the styles now practiced around the globe — began as a branch of Tantra. In medieval India, Tantra devotees believed it was possible to fuse the male and female aspects of the cosmos into a blissful state of consciousness.
The rites of Tantric cults, while often steeped in symbolism, could also include group and individual sex.
One text advised devotees to revere the female sex organ and enjoy vigorous intercourse. Candidates for worship included actresses and prostitutes, as well as the sisters of practitioners.
Naked Yoga from Naked Yoga School on Vimeo.
Hatha originated as a way to speed the Tantric agenda. It used poses, deep breathing and stimulating acts — including intercourse — to hasten rapturous bliss.
In time, Tantra and Hatha developed bad reputations. The main charge was that practitioners indulged in sexual debauchery under the pretext of spirituality.
Many of us have discovered from personal experience that the practice can fan the sexual flames. Pelvic regions can feel more sensitive and orgasms more intense.
Research has shown sharp rises in testosterone — a main hormone of sexual arousal in both men and women. Poses can result in bursts of brainwaves indistinguishable from those of lovers.
Fast breathing, done in many yoga classes, can increase blood flow through the genitals. The effect was found to be strong enough to promote sexual arousal not only in healthy individuals but among those with diminished libidos.
Men and women who take up yoga report wide improvements in their sex lives, including enhanced feelings of pleasure and satisfaction as well as emotional closeness with partners.
Yoga and related practices can foster autoerotic bliss. Some individuals can think themselves into states of sexual ecstasy — a phenomenon known clinically as spontaneous orgasm and popularly as “thinking off.”
Brain scanners can measure the levels of excitement in women and compare their responses with readings from manual stimulation of the genitals.
The results demonstrate that both practices light up the brain in characteristic ways and produce significant rises in blood pressure, heart rate and tolerance for pain. These are indicators of orgasm.
Now you know: practise Yoga when you want to come.
10 Yoga Poses
Doubling as Sex Positions
Yoga has been linked to positive sexual function for
both women and men. From increased flexibility to
more mindfulness to familiarity with and confidence
inyour body, the benefits of the practice can pay off
in the bedroom. Yoga need not stay in the studio.
Try these 10 poses that do double duty as
knock-your-socks-off sex positions.
