Friday Five: Yoga For Sexual Wellness
Although they often go unnoticed, the muscles of your pelvic floor are just as important to stretch out and strengthen as any other part of the body. They support spinal stability, the bladder, bowel, and uterus in women, and can affect sexual response and ability to experience pleasure.
Keep reading for 5 yoga poses for pelvic floor health.
Wide-Legged Squat (Malasana)
Lower your tailbone toward the ground while bending your knees into a wide squat. Bring your palms to touch at the heart and use your elbows to press into your knees to deepen the stretch.
2. Reclining Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Use a block, pillow, or wrapped-up blanket to support your lower back and tailbone and lay down on the floor or your mat. Bring your feet together and knees out making a triangle shape with your legs. Relax and stretch your arms above the head.
3. Supported Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
Plant your feet, shoulders, and the back of your head on the ground, reaching the arms by your sides with your knees bent toward the ceiling. Then, press into the ground to lift your hips. Place a block under the tailbone to make this a restorative posture.
4. Legs up the Wall (Viparita Karani)
This one is exactly as it sounds. Find a wall, sit on your tailbone and scoot your hip right against it. Lie on your side and roll to your back while straightening your legs to rest up against the wall. Stay here for 3-5 minutes if possible, and then bend your knees slowly and take your time coming out of the pose. Some tingling in the legs is normal as the blood flow returns to the legs.
5. Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)
While lying on your back, lift your knees, keeping them about hip-width distance, grab onto your shins, calves or feet and bring your knees towards your armpits, compressing downward while keeping your spine straight. Feel free to rock back and forth here like a happy baby would!
Remember, every body is different. If something doesn’t feel right, skip it!
