Libido Boosting Herbs to Fire up Your Sex Drive
Maybe you’re freshly postpartum or have littles that run into your bedroom all hours of the night. It might be that you’ve been with your partner for a number of years and sex hasn’t been on the forefront of your mind lately. It’s also possible that you’ve been working more than you expected and simply tired. And while looking into why you’re not as interested in sex is on your to-do list, that list has collected a layer of dust over the last few months. As we power through the busy seasons of our lives, experience stress or illness, the libido can take a direct hit, and we’re here to tell you that it’s totally normal.
What causes changes to the sex drive?
The libido can be elusive, mysterious and powerful. Culturally, and especially as women, talking about the sex drive is something that we might not feel as comfortable talking about for a variety of reasons but hopefully, as we understand the ebbs and flows of the libido, we can start lifting the veil on the topic so that it’s less taboo and more accessible. Often times, a low sex drive can be categorized into the following: Loss of arousal, loss of libido, inability to orgasm, discomfort or pain with intercourse.
We’ll we get into the specifics of each of these categorize in a moment but let’s first discuss how Chinese Medicine views and treats sexual health. The kidneys and the liver contain life force energy so ultimately, the goal will be to increase circulation to these organs so that your reproductive system has a channel of energy to work with. And because Chinese Medicine is a tonic herb medicine, herbal formulas are designed to supplement and rebuild your reserves.
Loss of arousal is most often related to weakened kidney energy, or kidney yin. Because yin is the lubrication of the body, it’s important to be treated with a formula that will balance the kidney. Shou Wu Formulation is fantastic for nourishing the kidney yin, and revitalizing the reproductive tissues in both men and women, while also maintaining the blood.
On the other hand, when we’re looking into loss of drive or libido, we’re looking at a combination of your kidneys and your heart. We already know that the kidneys hold space for your sexual energy, but it’s the heart that contains love energy. Sometimes the pathway between these two channels is blocked which can create a disconnect that looks like being in love with your partner but not necessarily feeling that hot and heavy, sexual heat. Our favorite herb to boost your libido naturally is Love Goddess Elixir. Packed with herbs like schizandra and polygala, this tonic will strengthen your heart and kidneys while also relaxing the mind and spirit. It’s a natural herbal aphrodisiac and created specifically to boost your sex drive.
We’ve talked a lot about the kidneys so far but we haven’t mentioned the liver yet. And when you’re failing to orgasm, the liver is where we zero in on. Although it’s also busy detoxifying the blood, the liver is also responsible for smoothing over and calming down our emotions and energy. When you have liver stagnation, you’ll often experience anger, irritability, depression, discomfort along the sides of the body and a slew of other physical symptoms like inability to orgasm. To help dislodge this channel, we suggest Women’s Balance by Dragon Herbs. This formula calms the nervous system and regulates the flow of your Qi so that the liver is balanced and functioning properly.
If you’re finding yourself in pain or discomfort when you’re having intercourse, it’s likely that you’re experiencing stagnation again, but this time, within the blood. In Western medicine, painful intercourse can be linked to conditions like fibroids or endometriosis and in TCM, the source of the pain is linked to an actual blockage. One of our favorite formulas to nourish the blood and create a natural flow is Natural Women by Dragon Herbs. In addition to folding this herb into your diet, be sure to see your midwife or gynecologist so that you can understand further why you may be experiencing pain during intercourse.
Most of this blog post has been directed toward women but let’s not forget the men in our lives who may be experiencing low libido. We’ll be diving into herbs that boost testosterone in a few weeks but here’s are two our favorite male libido boosting herbs.
Libido Herbs for Men
Super Yang Jing Drops
Best for the athletic men in our lives, this tonic is potent. It’s warming, energizing and fast acting.
TomKat
This formulation boosts testosterone, increases libido in men and provides ejaculatory support as well. As a bonus, this tonic is immune boosting and restorative.
more resources on TCM + the libido:
If you have any questions about these herbs or if you’re interested in speaking to one of our Master Herbalists about your libido, send us a note at hello@magnoliawellnessoc.com.