(NaturalNews) Go ahead and trade in all your scented candles, lacy red nighties and silk sheets for the latest gadget that will ramp up your sex life: a yoga mat. The exercise we often connect to meditation and inner enlightenment is also linked to improved bedtime fun. A study published in the December 2008 edition of The Journal of Sexual Medicine showed women who were not satisfied with their sex life experienced heightened arousal and better orgasms when they practiced yoga. And this isn’t just for ladies: another study published in the same journal in 2007 showed yoga was the most effective solution for men dealing with premature ejaculation in comparison to Prozac and non-prescription drugs.

So, how does this understated activity lead to better sex? Here are the top five benefits your sex life can take away from yoga:

1. Heightened Awareness and Concentration

Yoga teaches people to be more aware of their breathing and their bodies while letting go of mental distractions. This translates directly to better sex. When you’re able to concentrate on what your body is feeling instead of a sink full of dirty dishes, for instance, you can undeniably enjoy sexual activities much more.

2. Greater Flexibility and Strength

Nothing can bring more fun to the bed than a body that’s ready to rock. Yoga is an excellent fitness tool that not only conditions and strengthens the muscles, but also improves your flexibility range and joint health. Just imagine all the daring positions you can try out after a few weeks of yoga practice! Improving your muscle strength and fitness level will raise your energy and stamina during sex, too.

3. A New Kind of Foreplay

If your partner is up to it, add in several minutes of couples yoga before sex as a kind of foreplay. A few yoga moves can relax your nerves and get your circulation going: just what you need to get you in the mood after a long day. Plus, practicing yoga together helps you connect in a new way.

4. Acceptance and Confidence

One of the priceless benefits yoga offers is a new sense of confidence in one’s self. Yoga promotes being aware of your body and accepting it. When you realize what you appreciate about yourself, it gives you the freedom to offer more in the bedroom. Sexual confidence is incredibly freeing and can really open the door to better sex.

5. An Awesome Finale

Well, it all adds up to one thing: better orgasms. Between improved circulation, heightened awareness and more energy, you are primed for a great climax. Plus, positions that strengthen your pelvic core can give your orgasms a definite “wow” factor.

Okay, so maybe you don’t exactly want to throw out your sexy lingerie, but yoga is certainly a great way to spice things up in the bedroom in addition to its health benefits. Better sex is just one more (very fun) reason to appreciate this amazing form of exercise.

       

 Yoga has long been known as a great low impact exercise. Nowadays, many practitioners are also aware of the healing power of Yoga. Many doctors who explore alternative therapies even agree and recommend it as a treatment for various ailments.

Yoga has been shown to help relieve diseases such as chronic back pain, diabetes, stress, and fatigue. Apart from that, regular Yoga practice also helps develop and maintain the physical and emotional well being of a person.

In recent years, Yoga has been touted to provide relief for back pain sufferers. Since many asanas require bending and stretching, Yoga is ideal for building strength in the back muscles. It is also a great way to improve circulation in body areas that may otherwise never be stimulated.

With the help of a Yoga instructor, you can develop a program that best suits the needs of your physical condition. For instance, if you suffer from back pain, you can target the muscles in that area with specific asanas. The camel pose, cow pose, and locust pose have all been shown to help with back pain. Asthma patients can also benefit from the practice. Specifically, breathing exercises or pranayama can strengthen the lungs and increase the capacity.

People with terminal illnesses like cancer have also been shown to benefit from the healing powers of Yoga. Research suggests that cancer patients who are receiving treatment for cancer sleep better and are more relaxed. A recent Yoga Journal report also suggests that regular Yoga practice may help in reducing the risk of breast cancer among women. It helps regulate the production of hormones throughout the endocrine system and it also improves the immune system.

Yoga should be included in any holistic treatment program. Holistic medicine tells us that stress can be a major contributing factor in how our bodies prevent disease and heal themselves. Yoga has been proven to help reduce stress and detoxify the body.

Emotional well-being is an essential part of any recovery and Yoga can help with that as well. The practice has a calming effect on the body and if done properly, it can impact your state of mind and your ability to relax. Anyone diagnosed with a terminal illness or disease is destined to feel stress. Many doctors recommend Yoga not only to help relieve stress but also as a great way to exercise without overdoing it. It is a great low-impact exercise for people whose mobility is limited. Incorporating a regular program of Yoga into your treatment plan will help.

Even the slightest ailment can be helped relieved through the practice. If you have cramps in your leg, try a simple Yoga stretch to relax the muscles. Yoga stimulates muscle tissue, organs, and blood flow and many asanas can be modified so that they can be performed in a wide variety of situations. Many practitioners report not only a healthier body, but a general sense of peace and well-being after doing Yoga.

       

Who said that Yoga is only for the body? Your face can also benefit from the practice with the latest discovery of Yoga enthusiasts: Yoga Facials.

A Yoga Facial is a great addition to the growing number of ways on how to look and feel younger naturally. It includes a series of face exercises based on Yoga tradition. A Yoga Facial can help tone, smoothen, and soothe the face. Some spas and Yoga institutions offer Yoga Facials but the good thing about this is that it can also be done at home.

You can start your Yoga Facials with palming, an exercise that involves rubbing the hands together briskly, to concentrate energy. Rub your palms together until they feel very warm then cup them over your closed eyes. Relax and feel as it relieves stress. Most people have at least a few tense muscles in their face and this exercise will help loosen and free them.

Another exercise is done by placing the index and middle fingers of both hands in the middle of your forehead. Then, rub your forehead by making small circles with your fingers. Move your fingers across your brow and to your temples.

Give importance to your eye socket and give it a massage. Take your index and middle fingers of both hands and place them on either side of your nose just below the bridge. Rub them up to the bridge and along your eyebrows.

These are only some of the Yoga Facials that you can do. You can also try gritting your teeth and opening your lips as wide as you can. Some spas also have a Yoga Facial that includes a lion pose, in which the mouth and eyes are opened as wide as possible while roaring and sticking the tongue out. In spas, they incorporate facial massages along with these exercises. Also, if you are really looking for more stress-relieving facial massage, opt for clay facial.

All of these facials relieve tension, improve circulation, and relax facial muscles. It will also help enhance the general condition of your skin in the long run. Include Yoga Facial in your regular Yoga session and you will surely have a healthy body from head to toe in no time.