The Sex Kitten: How Animal Yoga Poses Can Help Your Sex Life

Sexual health and yoga have something in common; they’re ultimate mind-body experiences. Ellen Barrett, author of the book Sexy Yoga, explains, ‘Not only is yoga an amazing stress reliever, but certain postures improve flexibility, increase blood flow, and open your heart—all of which are necessary for a hot sex life.’ Another way yoga amps up your sex life is – according to a recent Journal of Sexual Medicine study – through teaching mindfulness, as most of us complain that troubles remaining focused makes sex boring or unemotional. Barrett notes, ‘The mindfulness you learn during yoga can translate to other parts of your life, so you can enjoy lovemaking entirely for what it is, and not think or worry about anything else.’ So, which yoga poses give your sexual wellbeing a boost?

 

 

1. The sex kitten: Also known as the cat/cow stretch (although being called a cow isn’t great for your sense of sexual wellness), this pose works your Kegel muscles, which are the same ones that contract during orgasm. You start on your hands and knees with your shoulders directly over your wrists and your hips directly over your knees. Breathing in, slowly arch your back and lift your chest up and away from the belly, extending tailbone toward ceiling. This is known as the cow position. Then, release your feet so the tops are resting on the floor, exhale and round your lower back up into the cat position. You should gently contract your belly as you do this. Repeat this six times and increase range of motion with each repetition.

 

 

2. The cobra: Lying with your belly and forehead touching the floor, place your palms face-down by the middle of your ribs. Then, draw your legs together and stretch them out, pressing the tops of your feet into floor. As you draw your elbows close to sides of your body, press your hands down evenly. However, when you next slowly lift your chest off the floor and roll your shoulders down your back, you should do this using the strength of your back – not the force of your hands. Hold this position for 10 to 20 seconds, breathing evenly, and then gently release to the floor. Barrett comments, ‘This is a heart opener pose. Love, energy, and breath come from your heart chakra, and this pose indirectly connects to sexual intimacy.’ It’s also very energising for those tiring days when sex is the last thing on your mind.

 

 

3. The downward-facing dog: This is definitely the most famous of all the yoga poses, and with good reason; it relaxes you and helps get your body ready for a night of passion. Barrett asserts, ‘This is a great pre-sex pose; it slowly warms up your body and helps you tune into the moment.’ On all fours, make sure your wrists are six to 12 inches in front of your shoulders, your knees are hip-width apart and your toes are curled under. Then, pushing evenly into your palms, lift your knees off the floor and raise your tailbone towards the ceiling, pushing the top of your thighs back so that your body looks like an inverted V. Hold this position for a minute and then slowly start to your straighten knees, without locking them. Finally, gently move your chest back towards your thighs until your ears are in line with your upper arms, but don’t let your head dangle. Barrett adds, ‘In this posture, your gaze goes nowhere; you should be looking inward, as though you’re closing your eyes, but not.’

Categories: barrett, better sex, Downward Dog, floor, Knees, nbsp, nbsp nbsp, sex kitten, sex life, yoga, yoga poses

Get Back to Being a Sex Goddess Through the Power of Yoga

When your love life goes from sizzle to fizzle, it takes its toll on your emotional health and wellbeing. After all, nothing gives you a confidence boost like a good romp between the sheets, so how can you get things heated up again? According to a new study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, taking up yoga and practicing mindfulness techniques helps sexually dissatisfied women to experience better orgasms, arousal and desire. So, if you could set aside 10 minutes, three times a week, to do a few poses, your sex life could go from rubbish to racy in no time at all. Check out the libido-boosting poses in a bit more detail below, and look online for more information about how it’s done.

 

1. Upavistha Konasana: This is known as the wide-legged straddle pose and, as yoga instructor Kate Hanley, author of The Anywhere, Anytime Chill Guide, explains, ‘This move is good for low libido. It improves blood flow to the pelvic area, and where the blood goes, so do energy and vitality.’ Getting good circulation below-the-belt is directly connected to arousal; the more blood in your pelvic area, the more you feel like using it!

 

2. Salamba Sarvangasana: Gravity does more to your wellness than making your skin sag; it also makes the circulation in the lower half of your body more sluggish. However, this upside-down shoulder stand can help you beat the Earth’s downward pull. Hanley notes, ‘It relieves fatigue, calms the mind, lessens symptoms of depression and anxiety, and eases digestive problems,’ all of which can impact your sex life.

 

3. Balasana: Also known as the Child’s pose, the Balasana is really relaxing and can help your mind and body become in sync. ‘Many women are so in their head that they can’t get into their body,’ says yoga instructor Ellen Barrett, author of Sexy Yoga. ‘Everything that helps you to be in the moment is going to help you be more sensual.’

 

4. Utthan Pristhasana: The key to this position, also known as the Lizard pose, is taking long, deep breaths. Yoga instructor Tara Stiles, author of Slim Calm Sexy Yoga, comments, ‘Lizard is a great way to ease the hips open and calm the mind. When your attention is focused on your breath instead of your thoughts, you are brought right into the moment, which helps for all sort of things, including time in between the sheets.’

 

5. Supta Baddha Konasana: Hanley recommends this “Goddess Pose” for PMS and menopause sufferers, as both of these lady ailments can make you feel as sexy as Ed Balls. She notes that not only does this pose promote a more healthy function in your reproductive organs, ‘it teaches you how to get comfortable with being vulnerable, which true, mind-blowing intimacy requires.’

 

6. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana: Although the “Pigeon Pose” may not sound sexy, Stiles asserts that it ‘is the best way to release deep tension in the hips and put the mind in total chill mode.’ While guys store their tension in their shoulders, we girls tend to hang onto it in the hip area, and so this pose can help to relive your tightness and restore flexibility where you need it most.

 

7. Adho Mukha Svanasana: More popularly known as the Downward Dog, this pose is both relaxing and energising. Hanley notes, ‘Downward dog calms the mind and invigorates the body, both important ingredients in good sex. You can almost feel the tension sliding off your back when you do this pose. Plus, you’ve got your butt up in the air, which is about as “come hither” as it gets!’

Categories: Downward Dog, hanley notes, nbsp, pelvic area, pose, sex life, sexy yoga, The Goddess, yoga, yoga instructor

How to Get Sexier Abs By Doing Some Simple Exercises

One of the biggest weight and fitness goals that women have is to tone up their abs. Having a flat, toned and sexy stomach seems like a direct route to sexual wellness and wellbeing, and so women are often desperate to find that magic formula to help them achieve these.

 

Not all exercises lead to nicer abs, however, and you need to ensure that you are targeting your core muscles if you want to have that movie star and athlete style of flat, toned tummy.

 

First of all – you need to be doing cardio work and burning off fat. Coupled with a low fat, healthy diet, this is one of the keys to having nicer abs. You can do all the tummy work you like, but unless there is no fat at all on top of your abs, it’s going to be very hard to see the definition you’ve created in the muscle. Cardio needs to be serious, fat-burning exercise and your diet needs to be healthy and nutritious to reduce body fat as you build muscles.

 

The first exercise you should try is the belly button to the spine move. Wherever you are and whatever position you are in, be it lying down in bed, sitting in the bath or at your desk at work, you should practise pulling your belly button in towards the spine on a daily basis. This trains your tummy to be naturally pulled in in the middle. Just make sure that your spine is straight when you do the exercise, and then imagine that a cord is pulling your belly button backwards towards your spine.

 

Downward dog with a plank is also a move that you should perfect to improve your abs. Start by lying on the stomach and pulling up into a plank position, where you support your body on your elbows and toes, and then pull your bottom up towards the ceiling, whilst keeping your abs tight. Keep switching between plank and downward dog for tight and toned abs.

Categories: Abs, belly button, Downward Dog, exercise, flat toned, nbsp, nicer abs, spine, stomach, toned, tummy, work