Mindful Sex: What is it and what are its benefits?

Let's take a look at the characteristics and benefits of Mindful Sex, explaining what principles it is based on.

Having a fulfilling sex life is crucial for our psychological and emotional well-being.Although we usually associate sex with physical pleasure, this facet of life also encompasses affective, cultural and personal factors, being important in the development of our identity and self-esteem.

That is why sexologists, in clinical practice, see on a daily basis how sexuality can be a source of health and well-being, but also of suffering for some individuals who experience negative or painful situations. In a society like ours, unrealistic expectations, often fed by misinformation or the idealization of porn, can cause problems such as anxiety and depression as confirmed by several scientific studies.

To counteract this, a tool has emerged that helps to live sexual relations from the here and now, without judgments and with an attitude of compassion towards oneself and others: we are talking about Mindful Sex or Sexual Mindfulness.. In this article I will explain what it is.

Sex is the greatest expression of Mindfulness

Sex can be a very rewarding and memorable experience, with which you can get to connect with a person in such a way that it seems that time does not pass for that fusion between the bodies of both loved ones. That moment where the breath of the two is united, where a "state of flow" occurs, time flies and you enjoy every sensation without even thinking about it.

This state, that of good sex, is the highest expression of Mindfulness, a very popular concept in Psychology that refers to being in the present moment, with full attention and with a level of concentration so high that sensations are lived as they are, without thinking about them and without judging them.without thinking about them and without judging them.

This relationship between Mindfulness and sex is natural, but when someone loses that naturalness and lets worries, anxiety, irrational beliefs or distorted thoughts enter the bedroom, that is when many problems occur in their sex life. The solution to stop that from happening... It's called Mindful Sex.

What is Mindful Sex?

Mindful Sex is a philosophy similar to Tantra, which in many aspects drinks from that millenary practice and is perhaps its most modern version. In addition, it has the scientific endorsement of Mindfulness. It can be used both therapeutically to correct problems such as Erectile Dysfunction or vaginismus, or as a sex education tool to help you relate better to your sexuality and to your partner. and with one's partner. It is also used to help improve sexual experiences, which have a positive impact on one's well-being and love relationships. Nowadays, many workshops are offered where one learns the theory and performs Mindfulness exercises to put them into practice in the sexual realm.

To understand what Mindful Sex is, it is necessary to know what Mindfulness is and what its benefits are, given that it is an ancient practice that is used in the West thanks to Jon Kabat-Zin, a professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts, who popularized this philosophy with his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, and which today is used by many psychologists in their therapeutic practice, along with Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, more aimed at improving mood.

Mindfulness can also be learned by any individual as a philosophy of life, based on mentally healthy habits of mind and body.Mindfulness can also be learned by any individual as a philosophy of life, based on mentally healthy habits, and as a way to live better in today's society, where people have more and more difficulties to relate to their emotions and live in a context of immediacy, as we are constantly connected to new technologies in a globalized world. This practice is a good way to stop and enjoy the present instead of living on autopilot trapped by the madness of modern societies.

The implications of Mindfulness on well-being and emotional balance

Mindfulness allows us to develop a full awareness in the here and now without judging the experience, emotions, or thoughts, simply seeing them from a different perspective.simply seeing them from a more objective perspective and accepting them as they are. Its implications for well-being are many: reduces stress and anxiety, allows us to be more realistic, greater enjoyment of the experiences we live, improves concentration and memory and improves productivity at work or sport, allows healthier relationships, helps to overcome insomnia, and so on.

The good thing is that Mindfulness can be learned through a training of several weeks, just like Mindful Sex, which, in short, is to apply Mindfulness in the field of sexuality and sexual practice.

Although Mindfulness is often confused with meditation, they are not the same.. Meditation, especially Vipassana, is a useful resource for developing Mindfulness, but there are other non-meditative exercises that are also useful for this purpose.

Benefits of Mindful Sex

Mindful Sex also has a positive influence on people's lives for several reasons.

1. It generates spaces of intimacy in the couple.

Since Sexual Mindfulness is based on principles such as non-judgment and compassion towards oneself and othersIt allows to have healthier relationships and to see sex without taboos. This is key because it improves communication and each partner can enjoy their sexuality to the fullest, creating a greater connection between both partners in a loving relationship.

Reduces stress, anxiety and helps overcome sexual problems 3.

The non-judgmental and present-centered mentality characteristic of sexual Mindfulness has a great effect on people's mental health. Many sexual problems stem from anxiety and irrational expectations about sex and sexuality, and with Mindful Sex Mindfulness can help overcome sexual problems.With Mindful Sex there is no room for overthinking, just feeling and living in the here and now.

3. Allows you to explore more pleasurable sexual situations

Mindful Sex, as I have already mentioned, is based on the principle of non-judgment, which is the same as the open-mindedness. This means that there are no limits in sexual relations and sexual moments are experienced with greater pleasure.

4. Improves the sexual experience and orgasm

As with Tantra, Mindful Sex improves the sexual experience because it is not focused it does not focus on achieving orgasm, but on having a greater concentration to live the experience fully, making use of all senses to achieve orgasm.Paradoxically, focusing on the senses helps to not think about anything else (reduces anxiety or eliminates expectations) and to have more pleasurable sexual experiences and greater orgasms.

5. It is key to living a fuller life

Having a fuller sex life is essential for greater well-being and self-esteem.. In part this is because couples with an active sex life enjoy greater satisfaction in the love relationship, which has an impact on life in general.