Sex is a natural part of a healthy life. But what happens when it’s hard to perform sexually and enjoy intimate relations? Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common sexual difficulty for men. There are an estimated 30 million men in the US affected by ED, so if you relate to this, you’re not alone.
Psychological factors often cause or contribute to ED, and stress is one of the most common. Because of this, even though meditation and erectile dysfunction may not seem like a complementary pair, meditation can be a useful part of managing the stress side of ED. Healthy sexuality is easier when stressful feelings are low relative to positive ones, and meditation and mindfulness may help with that.
ED can also have physical causes, such as heart disease, diabetes, or medication side effects, so please see a doctor if it persists. This article is not medical advice, and meditation is not a replacement for medical care.
In this article, you’ll find information on what erectile dysfunction is, how ED meditation can help you, guided imagery for ED, and how to incorporate meditation into ED management.
What is Erectile Dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction is the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex. This plagues 13% of modern men, with 42% reporting sexual difficulties in general. Since an erection depends on what neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky calls a “calm and vegetative state,” part of the answer to your sexual woes may lie in your nervous system. Here’s why…
When your heart rate and blood flow increase during sex, you activate the part of your nervous system that also controls the fight or flight response. If you tip into stress instead of arousal, you may lose the erection. When you’re stressed, levels of cortisol and adrenaline rise. This can reduce blood flow, which you need to keep an erection.
Meditation and mindfulness may help us navigate the fine line between arousal and stress, which could mean better erections and better sex. These practices are thought to work by changing how the brain responds to stress. In one small study, an 8-week mindfulness program was associated with changes in the amygdala, a core part of the brain involved in the stress response. Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., says in a talk for the Greater Good Science Center that about 60% of doctor’s visits for ED were psychological. So training your brain to respond better to stress may help with stress-related ED.
How Meditation for Erectile Dysfunction Can Help
Mindfulness includes any practice that uses attention to increase awareness. Erectile dysfunction meditation focuses on the connection between the genitals and the mind. In a world where we live mostly in our minds, we can easily lose connection with our bodies. As you reconnect the body and the mind, you decrease stress and anxiety.
You may not even realize that your mind is busy, which can increase underlying feelings of stress. As you practice meditation, you’ll become aware of how often your mind strays. When you’re unable to stay present and focused on the body, you’re less likely to relax enough to keep an erection. The more you become aware of your thoughts and internal sensations, the more you’re able to refocus your attention. This is helpful in everyday life, especially in the bedroom.
Meditation is associated with lower stress. David F. Khalili, LMFT, a sex and couples therapist in the Bay Area, says, “Biologically speaking, you are lowering cortisol, blood pressure, heart rate and the stress hormones. Psychologically you’re more aware and present. Emotionally you are less reactive.”
Researchers have been looking at meditation and erectile dysfunction for decades, though the research is still early. In one 1977 study, Dr. Gérard V. Sunnen, MD wrote that “individuals will invariably describe sensations of fullness and warmth with their attention on their genitals.” In his view, being able to experience this sensation is a first step toward more satisfying erections.
Erectile Dysfunction Meditation: Step-by-Step Guided Practice
There isn’t a singular way to practice ED meditation. A great place to start is a body scan, like the meditation below. The goal is not to control or change anything, but to raise awareness. You want to ask questions like “What do I feel here? What happens when I touch X?” Approach it with curiosity and openness. With time and consistent practice, many people find their mind and body reconnect.
Get a sense of what erectile dysfunction meditation offers by practicing this body scan.
Guided meditation for erectile dysfunction
Set a timer for 15-30 minutes. It’s helpful to have a set container for this practice; a private, quiet and comfortable space where you won’t be disturbed or distracted.
- Begin by finding a comfortable position to relax in. Perhaps you’re sitting, perhaps lying down. Find an optimal position for a centered presence.
- Bring your attention to your breath. Feel the air as it passes through your nose on the inhale, noticing how it’s warmer on the exhale. Becoming aware of the sensations in your lungs, belly, nose, and throat as you breathe. If you can, get specific about the sensation that you are feeling. Is it hot or cold? Is it heavy or light? What’s the quality?
- Bring your attention down to your feet and notice where they meet the surface beneath you. Feel the support here. Observe the sensations in your feet and toes. If you can’t feel anything, you can wiggle your toes and notice what that feels like. Keep your observations neutral.
- Next, one at a time, move up the body in a gentle progression. From your feet to your ankles, then calves, then knees, then thighs. Notice the sensations that arise when you place your attention on each of these places. Continue to breathe in a consistent rhythm, and release any judgment. Spend as much time as you need to feel connected with and aware of these places.
- Place your attention on your genitals. Again, notice if there are any sensations that arise. Refrain from labeling them good or bad, just notice from a neutral space. You may experience emotions as you put your attention here. Allow yourself to slow down in this area of your body and take your time.
- We’ll return our attention here later, but for now, continue scanning your awareness up the body. Place your attention on your lower back and spine. Notice if there’s any tightness or tension after spending time in the genital area. Notice if anything feels stuck. Or, perhaps there’s something else. What’s true for you and your body? Focus on that objective connection.
- Next, focus on the sensations in your stomach, then your heart, then your chest. Take your time in each place, noticing the quality of sensation and any differences between the places in your body.
- Now bring your attention all the way up the body. Notice what arises in your neck, then your face, and finally your head. How does this feel unique from the rest of your body? Are there similar sensations? What are they?
- Allow yourself to take a moment to feel your whole body in the space. What does it feel like to notice individual body parts versus your whole body? Feel the connection with your body through your increased awareness. Feel your breath filling every cell at once. Feel the cohesion this practice has created.
- Return your attention back to your genitals. With this increased awareness and connection to your body, notice if the sensations here have shifted. If not, that’s okay. The goal is just to notice, not to force or change anything. Awareness is the goal.
Let this practice be enough, even if nothing shifts for you right now. Continue this practice often to increase awareness and connect more to your body. This can help you feel more grounded, calm, and present, easing stress and increasing relaxation.
Guided Imagery for Erectile Dysfunction
If you prefer visualization, guided imagery meditations may also help men with psychological ED. In this practice, you rehearse a positive experience through visualization.
Guided imagery for ED works through visualizing a positive sexual experience. The more you picture yourself in a positive outcome, the more familiar it may feel when the real thing arrives. It also lets you practice accessing the feelings and sensations that arise with that outcome. The mind plays a large part in sexual response.
A 1984 clinical report from Professor K. Kuruvilla, Head of the Psychiatry Department at Christian Medical College in Vellore, described a behavioral program for single men with psychological ED and reported that 70% of men treated with guided imagery and sexual re-education overcame it. It describes one program, so read it as an early signal rather than proof.
How to Incorporate Meditation Into ED Management
Adding meditation to your ED management plan, alongside any medical care your doctor recommends, is simple. First, decide on which type of meditation for ED to practice. What feels right to you? Be willing to try out a few different techniques for a well-rounded effect. Next, make time in your schedule when you can be alone and relaxed for meditation.
Types of meditation for ED
Body Scan
The body scan (like the one above) will help you become aware of your body as a whole. It can help your body relax and may increase sensation. The increased presence coupled with a stronger connection to your body can help you feel grounded, connected, and confident.
Guided Imagery
This option is great for people with a strong visual mind. By walking through a specific scenario, you can practice the feelings and sensations a positive sexual experience offers, which may make it easier to access them later.
Meditation with Self Touch
Mindfully touch your genitals to connect awareness with physical sensation. This will help connect your mind with physical interactions. Let there be no goal, no expectation. Just approach this meditation with the intention to know yourself better, to feel what arises naturally, and gain deeper awareness.
Tips for starting a meditation practice
Start small
Choose a goal that is small and easily doable… like 2-5 minutes per day. You can work up to longer periods of time when it’s accessible and feels right.
Create consistency
Pick an accessible time of day and specific practices that resonate with you. The less wiggle room you give your mind, the more likely you are to show up. In a small pilot study by Dr. Lori Brotto and her colleagues, ten men with situational ED took part in a 4-week mindfulness-based group program, and the early results suggested it may improve erectile function. With no control group, it is a promising first step rather than proof. As we’ve always heard, consistency is key!
Create a space
Have a space set aside that is specifically for meditation. Ideally one that is comfortable, private, and allows you to fully relax. Ensure there are no distractions and minimize electronics. Incorporate things like plants, lighting, and colors that feel soothing to you. Set and setting matter, especially when you are learning to relax into new sensations.
Conclusion
Erectile dysfunction meditation is the practice of using mindfulness to ease the stress that often contributes to ED. Your modern lifestyle may be driving stress and sex anxiety, which can contribute to erectile dysfunction. As you strengthen the connection between your body and mind, you may ease the experience of ED. Commit to slowing down and applying mindfulness to your sexuality, and you may notice changes within weeks, though results vary. If ED continues, talk with your doctor.
REFERENCES
- Bossio JA;Basson R;Driscoll M;Correia S;Brotto LA; “Mindfulness-Based Group Therapy for Men with Situational Erectile Dysfunction: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Analysis and Pilot Study.” The Journal of Sexual Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 15 Oct. 2018, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30297094/.
- “Erectile Dysfunction (Ed).” Erectile Dysfunction (ED): Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment – Urology Care Foundation, www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/e/erectile-dysfunction-(ed).
- Fighting Anxiety with Mindfulness for Better Erections | Podcast | Erectile Dysfunction. Erection IQ, 15 Nov. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIvH5gSoKeI.
- Lehmiller, Justin. “Men’s Most Common Sexual Problems (Infographic).” Sex and Psychology, 13 Oct. 2021, www.sexandpsychology.com/blog/2014/6/12/mens-most-common-sexual-problems-infographic/.
- “Mindfulness Meditation Training Changes Brain Structure in Eight Weeks.” ScienceDaily, Massachusetts General Hospital, 21 Jan. 2011, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110121144007.htm.
- Mitchell, Marilyn. “Dr. Herbert Benson’s Relaxation Response.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/heart-and-soul-healing/201303/dr-herbert-benson-s-relaxation-response.
- Robert Sapolsky: Why Stress Creates Erectile Dysfunction. Greater Good Science Center, 20 Mar. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mnOGe_DYhk.
- Sarah McEwen, PhD. “Meditation & Mindfulness for Stress Reduction.” Pacific Neuroscience Institute, 24 Nov. 2020, www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/blog/brain-health/meditation-mindfulness-for-stress-reduction/.
- Sunnen, Gérard V. “Meditative Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction.” Meditative Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction, Pergamon Press, www.triroc.com/sunnen/topics/erectiledysfun.htm.
DISCLAIMER
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other materials contained in this article is for informational purposes only. No material in this article is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment before undertaking a new healthcare regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.
