NOTE: I am not a yogi, and this is not my professional forte. I am someone who loves good sex, mindfulness, and wellbeing. Here I am sharing a daily personal practice that has offered me positive results in combination with many other lifestyle choices, including staying hydrated, eating nutritiously, and leading with kindness and curiosity in life and love.
Yoga is a practice, not a perfect. Just like sex.
Consistency always wins with wellbeing, and for me, over time, this 5 minute morning practice has transformed the baseline from which my body operates. Naturally, this directly impacts my performance, and experience of sex. I’m talking quality, creativity, and duration!
When I wake up each day, I have 5 things I attend to before checking my phone and checking in with the outside world. This includes the short practice that I break down in the video above. I try to go for a longer flow on top of this (illustrated at the end of the video) another 3 times per week later in the day before a workout.
The capacity to bone down to the extent of our imaginations and desires is something worth working for (if you ask me). Part of preparing for sexual exploration and play *should* include regularly honoring our connection to the strength and flexibility of our bodies (and minds). And the great thing about a personal practice is it is just that: it’s a practice. You get to keep trying, and are guaranteed some sort of change in time.
Your body’s flexibility and ability to transition through your own body weight will improve gradually. A wise man once told me you can only go from A to B, never from A to Z or even A to C. Accept that and find joy in the process of each step, because once you hit that B you’ll never be at that same A again. Applied here, the message is simply to be where your current flexibility allows. Try to listen to your body without judgment, and adjust throughout each stretch as necessary. Don’t force anything. Let A be A. Trust that B is going to come and find some pleasure in the present moment.
This 5 minute morning practice has become the launchpad I make the rest of my physical choices for the day off of. Getting the energy boost from this short routine for circulation and mental and physical awakening has impacted the way I spend my days overall.
I have always loved stretching to connect with my body. Dance and sex have always been my favorite workouts. As I have gotten older, the ol’ vessel requires more consistent maintenance in order to maintain the level of aerobic athleticism I generally like my sexual experiences to have. Thus, a daily stretch practice has become a critical and welcome commitment to my ability to remain active and fully present during pleasure, and perform like the type of lover I want to be (ahem…).
Exploring sexual positions can be fun, playful, hilarious, bonding, super arousing, and deeply pleasurable. Discovering the angles, rhythms, activities, and positions that bring you the most satisfying intimacy, connection, and pleasure with each partner is a process and a practice of its own. I say, put me in, coach!
Here are the 5 stretches that I do every morning to help me remain a strong and limber lover:
1) Garland Pose, The Yoga Squat (60 seconds)
Garland pose strengthens your pelvic floor, increases circulation to your abdominal organs, aids in digestion and strengthens your knees and ankles, which makes it a great stretch for the morning. Over time, I promise it will start to feel good, and will definitely help you enjoy some fun moves in the sack.
2) Sun Salutation Variation (3-5 repetitions)
This one is about strength conditioning and energy circulation throughout the body, so I try to challenge myself to do each repetition slowly, and with as much control as possible. It always feels invigorating, especially when I wake up in the morning.
The sun salutation is typically a combination of 12 different moves, but I am obsessed with this quicker combo to get my blood flowing and my body feeling strong. I throw a few into every warm up for a nice full body activation and stretch.
Sometimes going slow is better than going fast, ya know what I mean?
You’ll probably feel all your muscles coming to life by the time you’re done, so I like to take a childs pose at the end for a few breaths to promote relaxation and rejuvenation before moving on to the next stretch.
3) Cat Cow Variation (3 - 5 repetitions)
Cat cow helps with neck, shoulder and spine flexibility. It activates your tailbone and helps relieve upper back tension. After 3-5 rounds of these, roll your hips and neck around a bit, exploring sensation and seeing what else feels good here.
4) Kneeling Foot Stretch (60 seconds)
This is another one that may be uncomfortable at first, but eventually starts feeling fantastic. Seriously, you won’t wanna go a day without it. It is great for your feet and ankles, and the connective tissue in the soles of your feet.
You can distract yourself from the tightness in your feet by doing some upper body stretches here too. I like to roll my neck and shoulders, and stretch my arms and wrists. You want those wrists warm for more reasons than one, so don’t sleep on giving them some love in this practice.
5) Bridge Pose (60 seconds)
Bridge pose improves digestion, respiration and circulation. It opens your lungs and calms your brain while strengthening your back muscles, glutes and hamstrings. You get a deep, frontal stretch and some benefits of an inversion without actually having to be upside down.
And there you have it! A 5 minute, 5 pose morning practice you can try to become a stronger and more limber lover over time. As a bonus, you are doing yourself a huge solid by maintaining a daily commitment to your overall health and wellness. Huzzah!
The maintenance our individual bodies require to feel functional and capable exists on a scale. For me, whether I get to do anything on top of it or not, this daily 5 minute practice is enough to at least feel alive and activated in my body.
Maybe there are 5 stretches that your unique body craves that you can develop into your own morning routine. If my practice also works for you, great, and if not, now is a great time for you to get curious. Tune in to your body’s communication while exploring different poses. There will probably be a few that stand out you could pull for yourself and apply with this formula.
And hey, if you’ve got extra time, why not build yourself a full flow?
Remember, yoga is a practice, not a perfect. Just like sex. Enjoy the opportunity to explore and connect with your body. Breathe through your movement. Give yourself patience, and grace. Have gratitude for your curiosity, capacity, and commitment to your physical, emotional, and sexual wellbeing.
My hope is that you feel inspired to mindfully connect with your body after watching and reading this, in some way. Which, by the way, is awesome of you!
Thanks for taking the time to connect with me here, too.
And make sure to end your practice by giving yourself a big hug!