A week ago I had an elderly student approach me secretly after class and ask which postures will improve her sex life. I couldn’t help but laugh because I held the same question in my head when I first started yoga— but never had the guts to actually ask my teacher.

Yoga works holistically. It improves all aspects of our life, if we commit to a regular practice. It tones up our bodies, reduces our stress levels, increases our energy, and expands our awareness to embrace the greater whole. And yes, most certainly it enhances our sex drive. Because, the more yoga you do, the more you discover your own body, and learn how to respond instead of react to it.

I smiled at my student and promised that next class we will do a libido-enhancing feast of poses and practices. When I set the theme before class everyone seemed so intrigued.

The focus was on the second chakra – the center of sensuality and sexuality. We started with breath of fire and a few hip openers to increase the circulation in the pelvic region. Then, we went straight into abductor twists that squeeze the sexual glands and bring vitality to the lower abdomen. Next, we tossed in a series of power poses to fire up the abs and quads, and flooded energy through the whole system so it was relaxed and supple. Last, we got into cuddly mode with a few exciting “innovasanas” that sparked up overall creativity and the desire to play. Our relaxation gushed love and joy into our life and relationships. The students felt a positive surge and tuned into their heart’s true desire.

During he class we emphasized the tenets of Tantra Yoga and clarified that Tantra Yoga did not equate with Kama Sutra and sexual alchemy only.

While most of us think of sex when we think of Tantra Yoga, this ancient practice is actually a powerful combination of asana, mantra, mudra, and bandha (focal pointo of locking energy and chakra (energy wheel) work that you can use to build strength, clarity, and bliss in everyday life. By harnessing and embodying the five forces of Shakti, the female deity that represents creativity and change, Tantric Yoga suggests we can move through the world with more confidence and contentment.

I was actually drawn to Yoga from the Tantric teachings. But not those exposed in the New Age trips of the sexual revolution. I was pulled by the possibility to pursue enlightenment here on the Earthly plane. It was fascinating to study the universal order from the point of the individual and to know that we all have the choice to be happy and free. Back then I was helping friend who was tumbling from one obsessive love relationship to another and was surprised to discover that Sufism was too a form of Tantra. The Sufis approached God as a lover. As I got her deeper into the Tantric and Sufi philosophy and honed her yoga practice she realized that perhaps the all-or-nothing love she was longing for wasn’t something she could get from a relationship with a man, that maybe it was longing for the great love, the divine Love.

So she threw herself into practice and uncovered the source of love inside herself. Today, her relationships are free because she no longer expects them to serve purposes they weren’t made for. Instead of fighting her life addiction, she has learned to divert it, so it serves her own growth.

When you learn to identity your deepest desires, you can truly take advantage of desire’s creative power. That’s when intentions, instead of being wishes or obsessions, become powerful engines that awaken your life.

Libido Enhancing Yoga: Zest Up (open level)

This yoga sequence contains key poses that enhance libido and spice up your desire to indulge in life’s pleasures. Kneeling cats and cows open up the spine and pelvic region. A cocktail of backbends, Eagle and Butterfly poses open up the hips and torso and promote circulation in the pelvic region. Abdominal abductor twists give a healthy squeeze to the sexual glands – boosting the sex drive and overall sensuality. Hip stretches paired with shoulder openers help maintain a healthy body image and self-esteem. Forward bends and lateral pulls calm the mind and open up the body to taste the delight of the moment. Reclining innovasana twists and pelvic lifts stimulate the sexual chakra and fuel the desire to play and explore – helping you re-discover your heartiest and sexiest self.