YOGA FOR SEX - Part 1

1)  INTRODUCTION - BETTER SEX THROUGH YOGA

A fun energizing introduction to Yoga for the best reason of all - your love life. Yoga for Better Sex guides the curious through lovemaking positions that mimic asanas. Useful? Perhaps. Entertaining? Definitely.

What better use for yoga than sex?! There's so much to yoga, and there's so much to sex. Together, they make an area rich with possibilities and full of ideas to explore. Yoga can enhance your sex life in so many ways - through sexual practices you do together, through yoga practices you do as partners, but without sexual goals in mind, through practices that you do on your own to help you explore your own mind-body connection and through routines that can help keep you in better shape for those wonderful moments! It's all good.

2) CAT/COW STRETCH

1. Begin on hands and knees, with shoulders directly over wrists and hips directly over knees.
2. Inhale, and slowly arch back (cow), lifting chest up and away from belly and extending tailbone toward ceiling.
3. Release feet so tops are resting on floor. Exhale and round lower back up (cat), gently contracting belly. Repeat six times and increase range of motion with each repetition.

Why it works: You strengthen your Kegel musclesóthe same ones that contract during orgasmóto control your tailbone as you curl from cat to cow, says Barrett.

3) COBRA

1. Lie on belly with forehead touching floor. Place palms face-down by middle ribs.
2. Draw legs together and stretch them out, pressing tops of feet into floor.
3. Press hands down evenly as you draw elbows close to sides of body.
4. Using the strength of your back (not the force of your hands), slowly lift chest off floor, rolling shoulders down back. Use arms for support, while muscles of back and legs are responsible for backbend. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds, breathing evenly, and then gently release to floor.

Why it works: "This is a heart opener pose," says Barrett. "Love, energy, and breath come from your heart chakra, and this pose indirectly connects to sexual intimacy." It's also very energizing; ideal for couples who sometimes feel too wiped out to be sexy.

4) LOTUS POSITION

In this posture, the person sits cross-legged and feet are placed on opposite thighs. The appearance of the position resembles the lotus flower and hence the name.

5) DOWNWARD-FACING DOG

1. Start on all fours with wrists 6 to 12 inches in front of shoulders. Separate knees hip-width apart and curl toes under.
2. Pushing evenly into palms, lift knees off floor. Lift your tailbone toward ceiling and push top of thighs back so body looks like an inverted V.
3. At first, keep knees bent and heels lifted off floor. Slowly start to straighten knees, but don't lock them.
4. Gently move chest back toward thighs until ears are even with upper arms; don't let head dangle. Keep hips lifting and push strongly into hands.

Why it works: "In this posture, your gaze goes nowhere; you should be looking inward, as though you're closing your eyes, but not," says Barrett.

Downward dog is a restful pose; doing it well is all about finding peace so it doesnít feel like hard work. "This is a great presex pose," Barrett says. "It slowly warms up your body and helps you tune into the moment."

6) TREE

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart and arms at sides. Shift weight onto left foot.
2. Bend right knee and use right hand to place right foot on inside of left thigh, just above knee. (If you can't keep your balance this way, place foot just below the knee or on your ankle.) The right knee opens out to side. Make sure pelvis faces forward.
3. Bring hands together in front of chest in prayer position. Fix gaze on a nearby object for balance. Stay here for a full minute, or as long as you can. Slowly lower arms, come back to standing. Repeat on other side.
4. Do tree on first side again. This time, bring arms overhead with hands separated shoulder-width apart and palms facing. Visualize arms as a treeís branches, strong and steady. Repeat pose (with arms overhead) on other side.

Why it works: "Any balancing pose keeps you focused on one thing at a time," says Barrett. "It helps slow life down a little." Tree is particularly good at teaching mindfulness.

7) HALASANA

The practitioner lies straight on the floor. Keeping legs together and straight, he raises the legs and takes them behind the head. Hands are kept firmly to the floor and parallel to the upper body. The name is derived from the word ` hala`, which means plow.

8) BOUND ANGEL

1. In seated position, bring soles of feet together and put hands on ankles.
2. Allow knees to relax toward floor, and hinge forward at hips as far as you can. Hold for 10 to 15 breaths.

Why it works: This really heats the groin area and opens the hips for a wider range of motion.

9) PLANK

1. Like the top of a push-up, start on all fours, aligning wrists with shoulders. Spread fingers wide and press entire palm into floor. Avoid collapsing in chest by lifting under armpits.
2. Hollow out belly and step feet way back, curling toes under so that thighs lift as you straighten legs.
3. Heels, ankles, butt, spine, shoulders, neck, and head should all be in one long line. Check in a mirror if you can.
4. Hold for 30 seconds and then rest. Repeat 3 times and build up to 5; try to hold plank for up to a minute as you practice.

Why it works: This confidence-boosting strength pose is the ultimate tummy toneróit requires many different core muscles to keep your body in proper form. Not only will you in better shape for a sizzling sex session, you'll also look and feel better about yourself.

10) UDDIYANA BANDHAS

It is done by pulling the abdomen (between the chest and the hips that contains the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen) inwards after exhaling all the air. While doing so, take a false inhale, hold your breath, pause and release the abdomen. This cycle of doing false inhale and complete exhale is repeated several times.

Bandhas means internal lock. While doing this asana, the air is blocked to enter the lungs. Once the cycles are over, the lung receives fresh air.

11) BRIDGE

1. Lie on back with knees bent and hip-width apart. Keep feet about 6 inches in front of butt.
2. Push hips up toward ceiling.
3. Your hands can be flat by sides, or for a deeper stretch, squeeze shoulder blades together and interlace hands, keeping them on mat directly under back.
4. Hold for 60 seconds, breathing into the posture.

Why it works: This simple lift really stretches your hip flexors and eases tension.