This mental exercise doesn't just help with stress — it could also spice up your sex life

Columbia Pictures

• A study published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy asked 450 women about their experiences with meditation, libido, awareness of bodily sensations, health, and mood.
• Many who meditated regularly had higher scores for sexual function and desire.
• "Improvements in mood associated with meditation may contribute to the women's better sexual functioning."

I once tried to meditate and three minutes in I had to give up because my mind would not stop chattering. That experience didn't exactly make me jump to try it again, in spite of everything I'd heard about the benefits of a calm mind and deeper inner-understanding. But after finding out about new research that meditation can lead to better sex for women, I'm starting to rethink my stance on meditation — and you should, too.

If you're already gung-ho about meditation, this research is further proof your practice pays off, and might be a way to finally convince your friends to do it, too. The study, published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, asked 450 women between the ages of 17 and 70 about their experiences with meditation, libido, awareness of bodily sensations, health, and mood. Of those the 193 who meditated regularly had higher scores for sexual function and desire, regardless of exactly how long they meditated.See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump tried to cut a secret deal with Planned Parenthood — here's what happened

See Also:

• What it's actually like to have an STD, according to people who have one
• How to know if you're dating a commitment-phobe — and 9 ways to handle the relationship in a healthy way
• Why it's more important to have casual sex than you think