Explore all the benefits of your hot yoga practice.

I’m leading a packed room of scantily clad students in a room of wall-to-wall mirrors at ZenSpot Hot Yoga studio. My students’ supple bodies glisten from the 102-degree heat as we work our way through 60 minutes of rhythmic moving, stretching and breathing through a series of postures. Ujai breath and the occasional moans of intense release can be heard between the seductive beats of Kayne West and Lady Gaga. The sequence is like an erotic dance on the mat, charged by the electric energy in the room, orgasmic in many ways.

The good news for hot yoga practitioners: the energy generated during your practice translates directly into other areas of your life, specifically the bedroom.

Any regular exercise routine will make you healthier, and everyone knows that better health equals better sex. But what makes hot yoga better for your sex life than, say, swimming or walking?  “Heat helps to get the Kundalini energy flowing. I have a number of patients who do yoga and have found that it has sexual benefits,” said Jan Stafl, M.D, board certified in OB-GYN and Holistic Medicine. Stafl, who practices medicine in Eugene, Oregon, also practices yoga.

Here’s how it works:

1) Hot yoga will decrease your sexual inhibitions.

You’ll learn to love your body more. You’ll become toned. You’ll increase your self-esteem. Hot yoga at ZenSpot burns more than 700 calories per hour, compared to an average of 260 for hatha yoga and 480 for Ashtanga yoga, which helps to tone those ‘jiggly bits,’ as Bridget Jones refers to them. It also helps us to accept and love the jiggly bits that remain. “I feel like I’m in my best shape, ever,” said Sandor Lau, a ZenSpot student of eight months. “My body shows it and people notice.” In addition, the increased coordination, agility, and flexibility we gain on the mat inevitably leads to added confidence and a more adventurous spirit between the sheets.

As a hot yoga teacher, and as a woman, I am comfortable with how my body glows because of the definition that hot yoga has provided. I feel strong and my skin looks impeccable. I also have no problems with being naked publicly and/or privately. I feel strong and confident.

2) Hot yoga will raise your libido and increase the frequency and length of your sexual encounters. Three words: Heat. Endorphins. Endurance. Ever go on vacation to Mexico or Southeast Asia and notice that everyone seems, well, sexier? “There are anthropologic studies that show the libido of women in tropical climates is greater than that of women is cooler climates,” said Stafl. This hot-weather lust may be attributed to Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (MSH), which scientifically has been linked to increased sex drive in women and is produced by the pituitary gland. Yoga practice stimulates the glandular system, which, with sunlight exposure, can elevate the production and secretion of this substance. And the combination of temperature and physical challenge in hot yoga class increasesheart rate for a sustained period of time, increasing athletic endurance.

“I’ve never felt more turned on around my partner than after I get out of class,” says ZenSpot student Debbie Blair. “And when we act on my friskiness, we can go for hours – my energy is increased tenfold.”

3) Hot yoga will increase blood flow and lead to better orgasms. “As women age, especially after menopause, blood flow to the clitoris and G-spot can be decreased  — yoga can increase blood energy to these areas, increasing sexual satisfaction,” said Stafl.

My husband and I have firsthand experience with the benefits of increased circulation. We’ve had a few students suggest that we’re always so healthy and vibrant-looking that we must have unbelievable sex. Of course, they are correct! Hot yoga has given both of us extra bedroom (or any room for that matter) endurance which makes foreplay and orgasm amazing.

4) Hot yoga will spice up your sexual repertoire. Think poses.

“Hot yoga has led to new positions in the bedroom,” said Blair, who has been practicing at ZenSpot for nine months. “You can actually express the postures while you’re having sex,” she said, citing Downward Dog and Camel pose as two favorites for she and her partner, who also practices hot yoga.

Personal favorites for my husband and I include Downward Dog, Happy Baby, and Wheel pose. Yummy! Don’t take my word for it, however; try it for yourself and explore all of the benefits of your hot yoga practice.