Improve your sex life with yoga

Last updated on: September 17, 2010 17:58 IST

Next
Shameem Akthar
Shameem Akthar, yoga acharya trained with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, takes you through five
yogic practices that will enhance your sex life.

Flexibility and strength are essential for all human activity, including the more demanding acts of sex or
procreation. A regular yoga practice will go a long way in making you a considerate and efficient partner. However,
some poses are more designed towards increasing your performance in the bedroom simply because these engage
the uro-genital system, increase blood flow to the pelvic region, make the hips more flexible and encourage spinal
and limb flexibility. Stamina-boosting poses should also be part of this repertoire to give you endurance.

Since the reproductive hormones like oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine are also mood elevators, it is assured that you
will feel upbeat by practicing these moves. Also, most of these poses are involved with impulse control and practicing
them can be life-transformative by creating a sense of rare emotional stability.
Click on NEXT to read on...

For more of Shameem's yoga writings visit http://jaisivananda.blogspot.com.

Follow Shameem's yoga products on her online shop Yogatique on Rediff Shopping here. Shameem's second
book Yoga in the workplace, with photographs by ace photographer Fawzan Husain, is now available at
online shops and bookshops across the country.
Disclaimer: This column just shares the columnist's passion for yoga which is ideally learned under the
guidance of an expert.

Image: Yoga exercises for better sex

Photographs: Jahnavi Sheriff

Prasarita padottanasana
Image: Prasarita padottanasana (Wide-legged forward bend)

To ensure that the package is complete, you may use sun salutes or suryanamaskars as a warm-up to boost your
lung and heart capacity. Pranayama (breathing exercises) practices like kapalabhati (skull-cleanser breath) and
alternate nostril breathing like anulom vilom help enhance your overall stamina and sense of emotional control.

You need to gradually build your stamina in these poses so that you are able to hold them at least for half a minute
after a few weeks. Holding poses for longer also improves your figure and tones the body; further enhancing your
sense of confidence and sense of inner wellbeing.

Here, Shameem Akthar, yoga acharya trained with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, takes you through five
yogic practices that will enhance your sex life:

1. Prasarita padottanasana (Wide-legged forward bend)

Stand up straight, with your feet a meter or so apart. Your feet should be pointed forward.
Inhale, raising both your hands. Exhale, lower your hands to ground, placing them on either side of your head as
shown. Flare your elbows out, while walking your feet further apart, if need be. Try to touch the crown of your head to
the ground (initially this may be difficult, so you can place a bolster where your head can rest).

Benefits
Like most wide-legged poses, this one also challenges the hip and pelvic region, making it more open and
encouraging more blood flow to the region. Flexibility and stamina are other benefits.

Uttanasana
Image: Uttanasana (Standing forward bending stretch)

Stand straight, with your feet together. Interlock your hands gently behind. Inhale.
Exhaling, lower your head towards your thighs, as shown. Continue breathing as you extend your hands as high as
you can, fingers still interlocked.

Hold for as long as you can, gradually increasing duration in the final pose with regular practice over several weeks.
Benefits
The rush of blood to the brain works on the master glands which are involved with hormonal health in the rest of the
body, including the pelvic region. Being relaxed is a great way to ensure endurance.

Image: Utthita parsvakonasana (Extended side-stretch)

Stand up straight, with your feet a meter apart. Point your right foot towards the right side, your left foot slightly
flared inwards. Inhale.

Exhaling, lunge to the right, bending your right knee. Keep both your feet flat on the ground, ensure you are not
bending your knees. Inhale.

Exhaling pass your right hand under your right thigh, bring your palms together to form a namaste gesture as shown.
Inhale.

Exhaling, twist your torso slightly but firmly (this challenges your sense of balance most, so balancing might be
slightly difficult). Look up at the ceiling, feeling the stretch along your hips.

Continue normal breathing, holding to a count of five or ten. (Increase duration in this pose over a few weeks of
practice). Inhale and return to the starting position. Repeat the entire sequence for the left side.

Benefits
Same as in the previous poses, only more enhanced. The challenge to balance works out the cerebellum,
encouraging impulse control and emotional culturing.
Image: Ushtrasana (Camel pose)

Sit on your knees as shown, with knees slightly apart. Place your palms on your waist, elbows out. Inhale.
Exhaling, tilt your head back, bending from the waist, to drop your neck behind. Keep pushing your stomach out since
this intensifies the stretch along your lower back. Hold for a few seconds, breathing normally.

Inhale, returning to the start position. Repeat a few times. After a few weeks of regular practice, you may do this just
once but hold for longer.

Benefits
Expands lung capacity, lifts mood. The forward thrust works the pelvic and hip region. Is also a stamina-builder.

Image: Baddha Konasana (Leg-lock angle pose)

Sit with the soles of your feet together and hold them with both your hands. Push your knees down firmly, holding
them down. Continue normal breathing throughout.

Hold for a while, release. Repeat a few times.

Benefits
This is powerfully therapeutic in all major uro-genital problems. It works the pelvic region and induces the flow of feel-
good hormones.

5 yoga poses to help you stay young

 Next
Shameem Akhtar

Yogic forward bends are known as youth elixirs. This is because they, like the inverted poses, fight gravity, create
an opposite flow of blood that services circulatory routes in our face and head and even the torso, that are neglected
due to the drag of gravity.

Forward bends are supposed to enhance memory, keep wrinkles and laughter lines at bay, prevent premature
graying of hair, tone the face, provide nutrients and repairing agents to neglected parts of ourselves which shows up
as wrinkles, sagging skin etc.

Since most people cannot do inversions due to various reasons, including timidity, they can attempt the forward
bends with greater confidence. The standing forward-bends are particularly special because they also tone-up the
entire spine and the body, including address obesity issues.

Shameem Akthar, yoga acharya trained with the international Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, shows you five
forward bends that will keep you dynamic and youthful.

These poses, though easy to practice, need guidance of a yoga teacher. Attempt them only if you have some
yoga practice already on. For more on Shameem's yoga writings and workshops, go to
http://jaisivananda.blogspot.com
For more on Shameem's yoga writings and workshops, go to http://jaisivananda.blogspot.com

Padahastasana (Standing forward bend)

Last updated on: March 19, 2010 15:55 IST

Padahastasana (Standing forward bend)

Also called uttanasana. Stand up straight. Inhale, raising hands overhead. Exhale, extend hands out in front as if
reaching for wall in front of you. Keeping lowering hands till they reach the feet. If that is not possible, touch your legs
where you can. Hand the head low now. Continue normal breathing.

In the first few weeks you may bend knees slightly, but later try to keep the legs straight for maximising benefits. Hold
the pose, breathing normally. Release. Repeat a few times. After a few weeks learn to hold the pose for longer.

Avoid: If having lower back pain or very high blood pressure.

Benefits: Helps lose weight, control diabetes. Prevents age-related bone shrinkage. Keeps face young and wrinkle-
free.
 Prev Next
Do as shown in the previous slide. However interlock fingers, as shown. Inhale. Exhaling, bend forward so head
reaches towards thighs.

Simultaneously extend arms behind, as high as possible. Hold the pose, breathing normally, as long as you can.

Benefits and other points: As mentioned in the previous slide. The hands and upper back get a great tone.
Prasarita padottanasana (Wide-legged spread
angle pose)

Stand with feet a meter or so apart. Feet should be pointed straight ahead. Inhale, lifting both hands up. Exhale,
lower both hands down, to touch the floor.

Continue normal breathing. Push your hips back further, look ahead. Hold the pose for a few seconds, increase
duration with regular practice.

Benefits: Tones the spine. Ups mood. Builds stamina. Tones whole body.
 Prev Next
Do as shown in the previous slide. However, place both palms flat on the ground. Then gently slide feet even more
apart, then shifting weight on your legs, gently lower head between the palms.

Hold for as long as you can. To release, walk feet back to the center, stand up.

Benefits: Same as above, more intense. The sense of balance and mental focus are sensitised and improved.

Image: Prasarita padottanasana (Wide-legged spread angle pose, advanced version)

 Prev More
Stand with feet a meter across. Then pass hands behind, to interlock fingers. Inhale. Exhaling lean forward to place
crown on the floor. Walk your feet more apart, if needed to ensure you are not bending at the knees. Hold the pose,
extending arms behind, as high and away from the body as possible.

Breathe normally through out. To release from pose, release hands, walk feet back to centre, to stand up.

Benefits and caution: Is more intense than all the other above poses, tones the whole body and mind superbly. This
is an advanced pose that calls for a well-developed sense of balance and may be only attempted to by those who are
really flexible, fit and/or already practicing intermediate level yoga.

Image: Moordhasana (Crown-based pose)

Yoga poses to develop the heart chakra
Last updated on: February 25, 2010 14:55 IST

Shameem Akthar

As the mood of Valentine and its association with our heart continues, we can look to what yoga has to say about
this important plexus and how we may heal ourselves through love and acceptance.

In yoga, the heart plexus is referred to as the anahata chakra (wheel/plexus). It is associated with higher impulses.
Except in sages, in most of us it is said to be either overflowing or blocked. In ones where the heart is said to overflow
are who give to others at the expense of themselves and often hurt themselves in the process.

In those in whom it is blocked, it is said to indicate selfishness and lack of self-acceptance. Both are conditions that
can, according to yoga, cause severe illness in the circulatory system, the immune system, and the lungs. Some of
the common ailments associated with a dysfunctional heart plexus are asthma, coronary disease, respiratory and
weakened immunity.
Practices that work on the heart chakra are said to bring the chakra back into a state of balance, when its flow is
equitable and smooth.

Shameem Akthar, yoga acharya trained with the international Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, shows you five
poses that work on your heart centre.

These poses, though easy to practice, need guidance of a yoga teacher. Attempt them only if you have some
yoga practice already on. For more on Shameem's yoga writings and workshops, go to
http://jaisivananda.blogspot.com

Pranamasana (Prayer pose)

Stand up straight. Feet should touch lightly from inside. Keep both palms together at the chest, as shown. Shut
eyes. Hold this pose for as long as possible.

If you feel the balance is becoming shaky, you may open your eyes for a few seconds to get your bearings before
shutting them back. Try to hold this for a minute at least after a few weeks.
To keep a count of the time, you may count backwards, starting from 60, counting down to zero.

Points to note: Though a seemingly simple pose it is tough and calls for the deliate sense of balance. So, it needs
regular practice before perfection is reached.

If you feel you are shaking a lot in this pose, lean lightly against the wall for support in the initial stages. However,
move out from such props after a few weeks or even days.

Image: Pranamasana (Prayer pose)

Dwikonasana (Double angle pose)

Stand with legs a meter apart. Flare right foot out, left slightly turned inward. Inhale, grasping hands behind,
interlocking fingers.

Exhale, lunging to right, lower head to reach forehead to knee. The back leg should be straight. Straighten hands
behind also as high as possible.

Continue normal breathing throughout. Release return to center to repeat for the other side.

Benefits: Calms. Tones spinals. Relieves emotional tensions.

Stand up straight (may be also done seated). Place each hand, fingers lightly touching either shoulder as shown.
Each elbow must be pointed straight out.

Roll the elbows in front, bringing them as close as possible, keeping chest erect. Do five to ten times. Rest, then roll
the shoulders backwards five to ten times.

Benefits: Releases tension lodged in the upper body, especially the neck and shoulder region. Offer relief in frozen
shoulder and neck problems. Is a good immune booster and improves respiration.
Lie on your back. Placing palms down on the floor beside the body, push hands under the hips. Elbows should be
as close as possible to each other. Inhale, raising your head as if to look at the toes. Exhale.

Inhale deeply. Now slowly tilt head back so your neck arches, touching the crown to the floor. Now breathing evenly,
introduce a few corrections, such as perfecting the arch by pushing up your chest further; resting the entire upper
body on your elbow and lower arms. Ideally you should look back.

Benefits: Is therapeutic in diabetes, obesity, respiratory ailments, spinal problems. Those with vertigo may find this
tough. You can sensitise yourself and phase your learning of the pose, by using a bolster.

This pose is called a face-freshener because it boosts respiration, blood circulation and works out the subtle muscles
of the face. It also works on the thyroid gland, involved with metabolism. And the arch at the neck improves voice.

Lie on stomach with chin on floor and palms either side of shoulder. Inhale. Raise chin and shoulder off the floor
arching back. Eyes should look up at the ceiling, stomach should remain pressed on the floor so the arch is
emphasized at the lower back. Hold for a few seconds initially.

Breathe normally throughout. To return to starting position, exhale and lower back gently to the floor. Attempt thrice.
With a few weeks or even months of practice, you can do this pose only once but extend time to half a minute or
more in the final position.

Avoid: In case of abdominal inflammations and flare-ups and severe lower backache and hyper-thyroidism.

Benefits: Same as above. It also helps with weight-loss due to pressure on thyroid at throat. Therapeutic value in
diabetes due to pressure on abdomen.

Image: Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)