Stop and think if any variation of the following thoughts has ever taken hold of you during sex.
“My cellulite must look terrible in this position.”
“Did I remember to text my sister back?”
“I better come quickly or he’s going to lose interest. I swear, it’s like I’m numb down there.”
If you relate to the experience of having pesky, intrusive thoughts like these during sex, you’re not alone. Distraction thoughts, emotions, and body sensations can make it impossible to concentrate, let alone enjoy, sex. And if you can’t enjoy sex, chances are you’re not going to want to do it.
So what’s a woman to do? The answer lies in mindful sex.
Mindfulness has become such a buzzword over the past decade that entire magazines and blogs are dedicated to it. Mindful eating, mindful parenting, mindful meditation … but what is it exactly, and can it really help improve your sex life?
While mindfulness may seem like a new concept, it’s actually quite old. It has its roots in ancient Hinduism dating back thousands of years. The concept of mindfulness weaved its way through other religions, such as Buddhism, before making its way into more commonly known practices such as yoga. Eventually, mindfulness made the leap from spirituality to science, which helped it gain popularity in the West. Backed by an ever-growing body of research, mindfulness is now used to treat everything from depression to pain management, and newer studies find that mindfulness is one of the best ways to improve your sex life.
In short, mindfulness is the practice of creating a spacious presence. It helps us maintain an awareness of our thoughts and feelings without getting overly emotionally attached to them or judging ourselves for having them. When we do that, we’re finally freed up to take pleasure in life … and sex.
To read more about how mindfulness can improve your sex life, you can read the remainder of the article at HealthyWomen.org.
