8 better-sex yoga poses that put the O in ooohhhhhm

Did you know that the key to having better sex could be as simple and fun (read: deliciously hot and sweaty) as a daily yoga routine? A series of studies in India found that practicing yoga each day increases all aspects of both men’s and women’s sexual performance, from arousal and orgasm to erection and ejaculation control. 

The best part? While most yoga practiced in the U.S. is “vinyasa” style, with lots of standing and stepping, the yoga routines that help most with your sex life involve lots of rolling around on the ground… yep, kind of like sex itself. Check out the 8 yummiest poses for improving your sex life, whether you’re doing them alone or, even better, with a partner. And, just like with sex, the more you practice, the better it gets.

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yoga pose: child’s pose 

People love this pose for a reason: Not only can it provide rest and relaxation in the middle of an otherwise strenuous routine, but it also causes your pelvic floor muscles (the ones around your genitals and anus that contract when you orgasm) to relax. Keeping the pelvic floor healthy optimizes your ability to feel pleasure and orgasm, especially as you get older, and pelvic floor muscle relaxation in particular is linked to lower likelihood of pain during sex.

yoga pose: cat cow  

For this bed-ready pose, get on your hands and knees and alternate between arching and rounding your back. Up your creativity by moving in circles or even popping your booty in a twerk-like motion. Cat cow is part of the sequence that Indian researchers found helpful in reducing both men’s and women’s sexual dysfunctions. 

yoga pose: fish pose 

Borrowed from these same studies, fish pose opens up the space around your physical heart, which is thought to also open up your heart chakra, allowing you to connect more deeply with others — including sexual partners.

yoga pose: mula bandha

For the mula bandha or “root lock,” you sit up, hold your breath and squeeze your rectum and sex organs upward as if you were trying to pull all the energy in your body up to your head. This is believed to improve endocrine functioning and has been found to prevent sexual difficulties as well as period pain and childbirth pain. 

yoga pose: boat 

This pose provides an intense ab workout to say the least— enough for some people to experience what’s known as a coregasm, or an orgasm produced by clenching of the lower abdominals. It also builds your stamina. If it’s too much to keep your legs straight, bend your knees while keeping your shins parallel to the floor.

yoga pose: partnered chair pose 

Exercising with your partner releases endorphins that cause you to feel more connected and turned on. It’s no wonder that research has linked partnered exercise with higher relationship satisfaction. This pose in particular builds trust as you literally lean on each other for balance. You both sink into chair pose at the same time, pushing against each other’s backs for stability. 

yoga pose: happy baby pose 

This (ahem) relaxing pose gets you comfortable having your legs spread and up in the air, which is like a pre-game warm-up for the real thing (pictured above as the happiest baby ever pose). Plus, it stretches out your groin so that you can get into all sorts of positions with ease. (Note: If you're already landing the pose above, you can stop reading, you've got this.)

yoga pose: savasana 

Who knew everyone’s favorite part of a yoga class is a perfect prep for sex? This lying-down pose saved for the very end of a session helps to activate your parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) nervous system, allowing you to relax enough to let down your inhibitions in the bedroom. The Sanskrit word “savasana” translates to “corpse pose,” which may sound a bit morbid for the bedroom, but they do call orgasm the “little death.” Learning how to shut your mind off prepares you to reach greater heights of pleasure. Ohhhhh-m.