The Sexy Side of Mediation
On the surface, sex and meditation don't appear to have that much in common. After all, when you're meditating, you're trying to rid your mind of all thoughts - especially those "oh-so-distracting" sexy thoughts. We think of sex as sensual and primal, while we see meditation as more spiritual and philosophical. To most people, they're polar opposites. However, according to researchers they are more similar than what you might think.
So, what makes sex and meditation so similar? Well, there are a few reasons. The first thing is that meditation causes your body to release endorphins, which are your body's natural "feel good hormones". These are responsible for the feeling of well-being that we have when we are exercising for example. I'm sure you have heard of the term "runners high". As you are having sex, our body also produces and releases more of these wonderful chemicals. Also, many people use meditation to reduce stress, which, in the long run, will decrease the amount of the destructive stress hormones in our body like cortisol, for example. As we orgasm, our body's chemistry also changes and reduces the amount of these stress hormones in our body.
Additionally, according to a recent study in Scientific American (July 12, 2011) when you meditate or have sex, it activates nearly the whole of the right side of your brain. What's surprising about that? It's the left side of our brain that's associated with pleasure, not the right; but that's not the point. Both meditation and sex make us less self-aware. In other words, they're both activities where we're totally lost in the moment, freed from our usual anxieties, doubts and fears. This is the pleasurable state that has also been called "flow-state". You know that feeling when you are so absorbed and enjoying what you are doing that you completely lose track of time? We enjoy this state so much, because we are freed from our identity and our "ego". For a moment, we "lose our self" and just enjoy the moment. Therefore, the joy of sex isn't just the physical pleasure, but the emotional release - just like meditation.
Now, let's look at one final piece of good news about meditation. It turns out that meditation can also improve your sex life (as well as every other area of your life). Even many rock stars (such as Sting and Madonna) will agree with this. If you are more mindful during sex, you will increase the intensity of the pleasure that you experience. So, perhaps if you thought that meditation was about burning incense and wearing funny clothes, you will change your mind as you consider the sexy side of meditation!
As a global-selling author, international speaker, and health care provider, Dr. Michelle Nielsen has invested the last 20 years to studying and teaching methods to optimize human potential and healing. In 2001, Michelle discovered and fell in love with meditation. She has found it to be one of the most time-efficient and simple transformational tool on the planet. Michelle shares her passion for meditation through her writing, website, workshops, and within her MIND SPA meditation app. Michelle enjoys an active and healthy lifestyle with her family in Barcelona, Spain.