@tina_samsam

Yoga instructor and Yoga Journal’s May cover star, Karly Treacy tells us “the key to more enjoyable sex lies in muscles you cannot see in the mirror” so while liking the way you look naked feels good, it’s those inner muscles that will really help heat things up in the bedroom. Just like yoga strengthens your core, it can also strengthen your pelvic floor — which can lead to better sex and stronger orgasms.

Treacy is sharing her eight favorite yoga poses for better sex. She tells us that postures targeting our hips and pelvis will “wake up” the muscles in our pelvic floor. Yoga is a practice so go slow and at your own pace. Your body will feel lean and strong — both in and out of the bedroom.

Breathe
Begin inhaling for 3 seconds and exhaling for 3 seconds. Try to match the lengths of your inhales to the lengths of the exhales. As your body allows, you will add more seconds. The inhales should be full and expansive. You want to feel the entire ribcage expand out to the sides stretching the diaphragm and pelvic floor. As you exhale completely, you will feel the abdominal muscles activate slightly and the gentle lift of the pelvic floor.

Thread the Needle
Thread the needle is practiced to stretch the outer hips and mobilize the pelvis. Begin lying on your back. Bend the knees and plant the feet hip width distance apart. Cross the right ankle to the outside of the left knee in a figure 4 position. Reach through the diamond of the legs with one hand and pull the left knee straight back to the left shoulder. Keep the head and tailbone on the ground (use a strap or a towel if the hips are tight and this is not possible in your body). Hold for 8-10 breaths and then switch sides.

Happy Baby
The inner thighs have a direct connection to the pelvic floor. Resolving any tension here is essential. This posture will encourage the stretching of the inner thighs. Lying on your back, hold the outsides of the feet and let the knees drop toward the underarms. You will feel a gentle stretch in the inner thighs. Hold for 8-10 breaths.

All 4’s Hip Circles
This exercise is a great way to encourage awareness and blood flow into the pelvis. Come on to hands and knees. Set the wrists directly beneath the shoulders and the knees directly beneath the hips. Keep the shoulders and upper body stable as you begin to make hip circles. Swirl for 6-8 breaths in each direction.

Downward Facing Dog to Plank
To begin to wake up the entire body, you will flow on the breath from downward facing dog to plank. From the all 4’s position, lift the knees and send the hips back and up to downward facing dog. Imagine there is a yoga block or playground ball between the inner thighs. We do not want to “grip” the inner thighs to hold it, so get a sense that it is the outer hips hugging toward one another that holds the imaginary prop. Keep this “hugging” as you inhale forward to plank and exhale to downward facing dog. Keeping the breath, slow and smooth, take the entire inhale and exhale to arrive at the posture. Repeat for 6-8 rounds of breath.

Low Lunge (Option to Grab the Back Foot)
To stretch the front of the thighs and pelvis, from downward facing dog, you will step one foot forward and set the back knee down on the mat. Bring your torso upright lengthening to the sky as much as possible as you let the tailbone lengthen to the earth. Once again, feel the outer hips hugging toward one another. The arms can be directly overhead or resting on the front thigh. Many people feel a big stretch here. If you would like to add on, bend the back knee and grab the top of the foot with the same side hand. Hold for 10-12 breaths and then switch sides.

Crescent Lunge
To further open the fronts of the thighs and pelvis, from downward facing dog, step one foot forward. Stay balanced on the ball of the back foot and check to make sure that your feet are hip width distance apart. The front knee is bent so that the thighbone is toward parallel to the earth. All of the same actions from the low lunge take place here. The outer hips hug in as the torso lengthens to the sky and the tailbone lengthens to the earth. If you cannot lengthen the tailbone to the earth, bend the back knee a bit to make this possible. Hold for 8-10 breaths and then switch sides.

Prasarita Paddottanasana D
Stand on your mat with your arms out to the sides in a t shape. Step your feet so that they line up beneath your wrists. Make sure all 10 toes are facing straight ahead. Bring the hands to your hips. Lengthen the torso to the sky and the tailbone to the earth. Imagine you have a giant beach ball between the inner thighs and you are hugging it from the outer hips. Keep this as you hinge at the hips to forward fold. If you can fold all of the way in, hook the big toes with your first two fingers and thumb. Gently pull up on the toes as you lift your shoulders up to the sky creating length and space in the neck. With every exhale remind yourself to hug that beach ball! Hold for 6-8 breaths.

xx, The FabFitFun Team