Ancient Indian and Chinese scriptures hold countless pages referencing the training of the mind as early as 1500BC. Buddhist, Hindu, Christianity, Islam—nearly all religions—suggest how vital the practice of the mind is to wellness. They teach that the capacity to practice compassion, kindness, love, forgiveness, devotion, or nearly any other aspect of spirituality, wholly require mindfulness. Without it, these beautiful aspects of humanity cannot exist.
The understanding of how meditation changes the body gained traction in the Western science community in the 1960s. An American psychologist from the Menninger Clinic and a Senior Yogi from the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science teamed up to discover that we do in fact have the ability to control bodily functions, such as blood pressure and digestion, which had long been considered completely involuntary processes that are out of our control. The results of their research fascinated the world of medicine.
These two men demonstrated that with disciplined training of the mind, one can in fact manipulate the body’s physiology.
Noticeable attention has been given to one organ in particular. The sex organs of both males and females are never from the mind. Mainstream culture is driven by sex. The ads you see, the social media posts you consume, the clothes you wear, even the moisturizer on your skin—at the center of it all, lies the notion of sex. Psychologists would argue this is really because so much of our status in society is determined by sexually-related factors, such as our appearance and how desirable we are. No wonder there is so much pressure to perform!
And contrary to popular belief, men are not the only ones who struggle with sexual performance challenges. In fact, up to 63% of women report experiencing dysfunction in their sexuality in comparison to 52% of men. These challenges include a wide array of topics, including incapability to be aroused, inability to orgasm, difficulty maintaining an erection during sex, premature ejaculation, and many others related to relationships that occur before we ever even enter the bedroom.
Thankfully, there are ways your mind can be manipulated that will transform your experience of sex. And no, the tiny blue pill, or any other substance, is not required. All you need is your mind and a dedicated practice. Similar studies from 2018 and 2019 reveal that people who meditate have greater sexual desire, better sexual function, overall more satisfying experiences of sexuality, and overall higher self-esteem.
The science is actually quiet simple.
Meditation creates changes in various brain wave lengths. These changes in the brain lead to changes in cortisol and adrenaline production. This means stress reduction for the mind and ultimately body. Think about the times in your life when you are extremely stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted, etc. What happens to your sexual desire? What happens to the way your body responds to sexual acts? It’s all in disarray! The body is constantly working to be in a state of homeostasis, which leads to optimal organ function. This includes the penis, the vagina, and the brains connected to them.
Meditation also improves our ability to be fully present and aware—two things that are vital to the ultimate experience of sex.
Think about how the brain works when it is not present. Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and momentarily drifted to a day-dream or replay of some previous event? Were you able to catch and comprehend every word they said? Of course not. Your brain cannot process those two experiences at the same time. So, one experience has to take a back seat. This same principal exists for experiences of sex. If your mind is not right there with you in that precise moment, wholly processing every touch and sensation, your sexual organs cannot respond.
Empathy and mirror neurons are also side effects of meditation that create mind-blowing sex. We need to be able to read our partner and our partner to read us. While it is, of course, impossible for us to completely understand what the sensation of pleasure is for our partner/s at a given moment, mirror neurons allow us to connect to another’s experience in a way that guides our movements of giving and receiving. Every touch, every breathe, every movement is a coordination between partners.
Practicing meditation can look or feel as you need. It does not need to be constricted by rules or expectations. This is what prevents most people from practicing at all as the idea of it can be rather intimidating. Meditation can take place in a serene meadow or the middle of a New York City subway. It can be done alone or in a packed room. It can last 10 minutes or 10 hours. The most important part of using meditation to improve sexuality, is that you simply engage.
Written by: Aubrey Koel, LPC