E arlier most male reproductive problems were related to age factors. However today other factors are found to play culprits too: the most common ones being stress, poor or a nutrient deficient diet and irregular eating habits, certain chronic ailments like diabetes and high blood pressure, certain medications used to treat problems like insomnia, depression, high blood pressure and diabetes can also cause these issues.

The treatment for this has to be clearly multi-pronged and yoga must be part of this therapy. In classical yoga, there are several spiritual practices used to sublimate one's sexual energy that are also, intriguingly, used to treat problems in the uro-genital system.

To ensure the results are sustained, one needs to keep certain factors into account. The main one, being regularity of practice, and inclusion of pranayama or breathing practices, and meditation. Important poses like the vajrasana, the thunderbolt pose, must also be regularly practiced, with increased duration of time in the pose, to enhance the results further.

And once this pose is mastered, you must attempt variations of this pose and series created with this pose as the base. Focus on poses that stretch or apply pressure at the pelvic region. These work by improving the area of blood circulation, plus gently massage contracted muscles back to a state of normalcy and health.

Other poses that are well known and not included here are the butterfly (titali), fish (matsyasana), forward bend (paschimottanasana). In the advanced poses, you may include the headstand (shirsasana) also. Pelvic tilts, standing twists, lunges and their variations should be part of the deal.

Shameem Akthar, yoga acharya trained with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, shows you five poses that can help you overcome this issue. Some poses require expert guidance.

For more of Shameem's yoga writings visit http://jaisivananda.blogspot.com. Shameem's second book Yoga in the workplace, with photographs by ace photographer Fawzan Husain, is now available at online shops and bookshops across the country. It is also available as e-book, with Kindle, Amazon.

Disclaimer: This column just shares the columnist's passion for yoga which is ideally learned under the guidance of an expert.