I’ll be honest—I lost my mojo a few years ago.
While Austin Powers made losing his mojo funny, for me, it wasn’t the slightest bit humorous. In our overworked and over-stimulated digital world, the constant connection to my inbox, projects, and phone notifications acted like an off-switch for my sex drive. With a culture that remains hush-hush around bedroom talk, it wasn’t until I felt confident enough to talk about my struggle that I realized the phenomenon was happening far more frequently than I expected.
If you start to feel more connected to WiFi than our partners, how do we regain intimacy? For starters:
Ditch The Technology
The first step may be obvious: Ditch the tech after hours. When we are hyper-focused on what is happening outside of the bedroom, we lose focus of what is in front of us. Set a cut off time at the end of every night where the tech is turned off and you can turn on your partner. After creating space between myself and my devices, I turned to my yoga mat for answers to ignite the sexual flame again.
Using Yoga as a Tool for Sex Drive
The practice of yoga is a tool of unity and oneness. When we step on our mats, we are prompted to disconnect from outside stimulation. Every pose is an opportunity to tap into the rhythm of the body and breath which work simultaneously together to create a multi-sensory experience.
Just like yoga, sex is a multi-sensory experience of unity where two become one. Between the breath, the movement, and the presence required for mind-blowing sex, we can find inspiration through the postures and pranayama practiced on the mat.
5 Poses That Ignite Your Sex Drive
Hatha yoga, the parent style of the various styles practiced around the globe, stems from Tantra and uses poses and deep breathing to increase sexual libido. Throughout time, the history of Hatha has been watered down to focus more on health and fitness than stimulation. Despite the shift in focus, what many have noticed is that a consistent practice can be a catalyst to reignite the flame again.
Science is catching on with recent studies seeing a significant increase in sexual function in both men and women after completion of a 12-week session in yoga and fast breathing causing an increase of blood flow to the genitals. The studies focused on poses that increased blood flow in the sacral region and hips and are often found in your standard 60-minute flow.
Upon reading these studies, I took to my mat to see for myself if the poses held the answers I had been searching for. All photos of, and courtesy of, the author.
Full Wheel
Plant the feet hips width distance and bring the palms alongside the ears, fingertips face the shoulders. First, inhale the hips into bridge pose, then press through the palms to lift the chest toward the sky.
Cobra Pose
Bring the palms underneath the shoulders and the shoelace sides of the feet onto the mat. On an inhale, straighten through the arms and lift the chest. Relax the shoulders down the back and relax into the lower body.
Fish Pose
From lying on the back, bring the palms alongside the hips. Press through the forearms and palms to lift the chest and round through the spine. Option to bring the crown of the head onto the mat to expose the throat.
Bow Pose
From the stomach, bend into the knees and capture the outside edges of the feet. Begin first by kicking into the palms enough so the chest hovers off of the mat.
Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
Place your right thumb on your right nostril and peace fingers on your third eye. Plug the right nostril and begin inhaling through the left for a count of five. At the top of your inhale, plug both nostrils, then release the right thumb. Continue with this breathing for 5-10 minutes to balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
Does It Really Work?
If the flames of your sexual desire aren’t burning bright, adding yoga into the mix is a practice that can fan the flame on a physical and emotional level. While it’s not the end-all-be-all that will guide you back to your mojo, it is an intentional practice that awakens our connection to the present moment and our partner. For me, combining these poses with breathwork, a nightly digital detox, and intimate conversations with my partner was a recipe for success. As Austin Powers says: Yeah, baby!
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Ava Johanna Pendl is a wellness writer and teacher based out of Southern California. Between teaching meditation, yoga, and breathwork at events across the globe, Ava focuses on providing readers with online mindfulness practices via her blog and her podcast, The Alchemized Life. Check out her website, Instagram, and podcast.