Breathwork and intimacy may not seem to be something that goes together, but there is surprising news……they do!
Using the breath can actually improve your intimacy in a huge way. Using the breath has been a significant and important part of my personal journey in unlocking another level of intimacy and pleasure.
Our mental and emotional state in intimacy is very important, it defines how we show up and how present we are with the experience. Breathwork, and meditation, have been found to increase our desires, arousal and lubrication, particularly for women, and also help all of us switch off from everyday life whilst being present with our body and intimacy.
Intimacy can often become something we do on auto pilot, a bit like when we drive a car on autopilot. We have all done it! When you drive somewhere and have no idea of the route you took to get there …….have you ever done that in intimacy? Just slipped into autopilot doing the same thing you have always done, in the same way.
Many of us often run-on auto-pilot in intimacy and end up forming a routine and habits. We are not always present in the moment and disconnect from honouring ourself, or our partner. It doesn’t matter if you are alone in intimacy, or with someone we can get stuck in our head, in a routine and it can all become just a habit.
Being present with your breath means you are more present with your amazing body and become more connected to yourself and the experience. You can do this by focusing on your breath in during all types of intimacy. You can practice this during the day at any time to allow it to become a more supportive experience and a more empowered habit to be transferred to intimate connections.
Intimacy can be more connecting when we use the breath. If you concentrate on the flow of air through your nose and mouth, the feeling of the belly rising and falling you are more present with the experience. When you use the breath, you can anchor yourself into a moment and be present with sensations in your body and be more present with pleasure.
Being present with the breath is a form of meditation and this can reduce the amount of cortisol in the brain, reducing stress and increasing libido. Being more connected to the breath and being more present with experiences, including intimacy, increases positive mental health and well-being.
These three examples may help you get started:
Exercise One – Allow your chest to expand. Take a deep inhalation through your nose. Retain your breath for a count of 5. Slowly release your breath by exhaling through your nose.
Exercise Two – Inhale for a count of 5. Exhale for a count of 5.
Exercise Three – Keep the mouth closed, inhale slowly through your nose for 2 counts. Shape your lips as though you were going to whistle and exhale slowly by blowing air through your lips for a count of 4.
Let the breath be part of your every day, use it in intimacy and be empowered in your sexual energy.