The Power of Embodiment: Reconnecting with Your Pelvis

In a society that often encourages us to disconnect and even disassociate from our bodies, particularly our pelvis, and particularly for women, it's no wonder that many of us struggle with awareness and embodiment. 

As little girls, and even babies, we are taught to avoid this integral part of our anatomy.  We are discouraged from even acknowledging it; given euphemisms to refer to parts of our bodies as "down there" or "private parts," creating disconnect and shame. And this often continues to be the language women use into adulthood. 

This cultural narrative has profound implications on how we experience our bodies and show up in the world.

The Societal Disconnect

Less than 10 years ago a survey in the UK found 65% of women 18-25 reported difficulty saying the word "vagina" even to their medical providers!  This hesitation reflects a broader societal discomfort that teaches us to turn away from our bodies rather than embrace them. When we disconnect from our pelvis, we are not just avoiding a body part; we are muting an essential source of power, intuition, and self.

What Happens When We Disconnect

Disconnection from the pelvis can have far-reaching consequences. When we are unaware of the changes in our bodies, we are more likely to disregard pain, discomfort, and other warning signs. We may:

• Dismiss Discomfort: Pain or irregular sensations are often seen as something to push through rather than a signal that needs attention.

• Live Muted Experiences: Our pelvis is connected to creativity, sexuality, and vitality. Disconnection can lead to a diminished sense of joy and self-expression.

• Experience Dysfunction: Muscles that are too loose may reflect a body no longer able to carry its burdens, leading to weakness or prolapse. Conversely, muscles that are too tight from stress, trauma, or jaw-clenching tension can cause pain and restricted movement.

The Road to Reconnection

Reclaiming embodiment is an act of self-love, empowerment and revolution! When we intentionally reconnect with all of our parts, we foster a deeper relationship with our bodies and a greater sense of wholeness and balance.

Some things to play with...

1. Call Your Body Parts by Their Names

Language matters. Learning and using correct anatomical terms like "vagina," "vulva," and "pelvic floor" removes shame and normalizes body awareness. Honoring our bodies with accurate language is the first step toward deeper embodiment.

2. Breathe into These Parts

Breath is the bridge between mind and body. Gentle breathing, directing your breath towards the pelvic bowl, can enhance awareness and relaxation. Breathing into these parts invites softness where there is tension and strength where there is weakness.

3. Gentle Movement

Movement helps us tune in. Cat-Cow pose on forearms is a great way to mobilize the pelvis and bring awareness to how it moves. This rhythmic movement supports flexibility and connection.

4. Self-Massage 

Our hips and glutes store tension from daily stress. Self-massage with gentle pressure or using a soft ball can release stored tension and improve circulation. Touch is a powerful tool for reclamation.

5. Practice Gratitude and Self-Love

Embodiment is not just about physical exercises; it is also about mindset. Regularly expressing gratitude for your body fosters self-acceptance. Write down or say aloud one thing you appreciate about your body each day.

Living Embodied

When we reconnect with our bodies, we reclaim our power. We become more attuned to our needs and more capable of addressing discomfort before it turns into dysfunction. We experience life more fully and authentically. Let this be an invitation to honor your pelvis, to listen to its messages, and to walk the path of embodiment with love and compassion.

Letting Go of Lazy and Embracing Loving

We often use the identity of laziness to hold ourselves back—not just from productivity, but from self-love and self-care. The label of "lazy" can become a comfortable but damaging narrative, reinforcing cycles of fatigue, regret, and self-doubt. But what if laziness isn’t the real problem? What if it’s something else—something we can compassionately work through?

Understanding the Different Types of "Laziness"

Many of us experience "laziness" in different ways, but often, it's a symptom rather than a cause. Here are some of the ways it can manifest:

• Fatigue: We get stuck in a cycle—neglecting self-care leads to exhaustion, which makes it harder to take action, which creates even more fatigue.

• Regret: Feeling like time has passed us by, that we’ve already "fallen behind," making it feel impossible to catch up.

• Shame & Embarrassment: Not taking care of ourselves leads to guilt, which ironically makes us even less likely to prioritize self-care.

• Social Fear: Worrying about how others will perceive us if we change our habits or prioritize wellness.

• Overwhelm & Anxiety: Not knowing where to start, feeling paralyzed by too many choices or expectations.

• Apathy: Sometimes mistaken for laziness, apathy can indicate deeper concerns like depression, which may require outside support.

• Self-Definition: Perhaps the most powerful of all—identifying as "lazy" and staying trapped in that belief.

 My Personal Experience

I dance between many of these types of "laziness," but the biggest one for me is self-identity. I’ve called myself lazy for years, reinforcing a belief that holds me back from self-care. But when I step back and question it, I realize: true laziness, as an inherent trait, is rare. Chances are, I’m not lazy—and neither are you.

Fatigue often plays a role, but I’ve found that once I build a rhythm of movement and self-care, I can break through. It’s not always easy, but when I make it a priority, my body responds. And that’s key—I want to live in this body for many more years, not just existing but thriving. Taking care of her is an act of love, not punishment.

Small Steps Toward Self-Care

I’ve found that what works best for me is setting bite-sized goals. Instead of overwhelming myself with long workouts or big commitments, I focus on:

• Moving for just 15 minutes a day—because a little is always better than nothing.

• Choosing movement I enjoy, so it doesn’t feel like a chore.

• Practicing alone or with a trusted guide, reduces anxiety about looking foolish.

• Letting go of shame and regret if I miss a day or eat something "unhealthy."

• Being gentle with myself, recognizing that self-compassion is one of the best tools for self-care.

Embracing Love Over Labels

Laziness isn’t a character flaw—it’s often a mix of fatigue, fear, and self-doubt. The real challenge is shifting our mindset: replacing shame with self-compassion, breaking cycles of exhaustion, and redefining movement and care as acts of love rather than obligations.

I may still yo-yo between motivation and stagnation, but I know that loving myself through the process is the key to lasting change. So let’s let go of "lazy" and embrace loving—starting with ourselves.

How do I reset my pelvis?

The pelvis is a crucial part of our structural body. It is the keystone that supports our spine, transmits the weight of the one torso to our two legs, and protects and holds the pelvic organs which include waste removal and reproduction. Because it is such a pivotal part of our body whenever muscle imbalances, structural misalignments, or injury to this part of our body it can lead to an array of dysfunctions that can affect a multitude of organ systems. Which will definitely create challenges to our health.

Let's explore what exactly a misaligned pelvis is and some things we might be able to do to prevent and reverse any of these symptoms.

What does a misaligned pelvis look like?

Our pelvis is made up of two dominant bones and they attach the spine at the sacrum. When one of these bones tilts, rotates, or shifts independently from the other or the entire structure may shift anteriorly or posteriorly misaligning how the spine sits and how the weight distributes from the spine to the two legs. Many factors can be considered when trying to find the source of this imbalance such as;

• Stagnation in the body - such as prolonged sitting or holding postures that misalign the pelvis from itself or surrounding structures

• Muscular weakness - the pelvic floor or surrounding pelvic muscles experiencing weakness leading to instability around the pelvis disrupting its alignment

• Trauma or injury- injury to this area would naturally cause new tension patterns or even shift the alignment of the structure itself

• Poor posture - prolonged poor posture and standing, sitting, or any activity can lead to tension patterns that are not favorable to the appropriate alignment therefore leading to imbalances and tensions within the pelvic structure

When there is an imbalance this can lead to pain, stiffness, limited range of motion, and can even start to affect the functionality of the organs within the pelvis.

How to reset the pelvis?

When dealing with a minor imbalance we can start to bring balance back into the body with some simple movements combining it with our intention and our breath to create stability.

• Cat Cow spinal waves- this can be performed in a tabletop position or even a seated position

  •  Inhale to lift the hips and allow the sitting bones to spread

  •  Drop the belly allowing it to stretch

  •  Shoulders roll back as the heart opens and lifts

  •  Exhale to scoop the tailbone

  •  Round the spine pulling the navel to the spine and the spine to the sky

  •  Drop the chin and look towards the navel

  • Repeat for 10 breaths

• Pelvic spirals- this can be performed in a tabletop position on the hands or forearms, or this can be performed seated

  •  Incorporating the spinal waves of a cat Cow

  • Inhale lift the hips to the right sweep around to draw a circle to the left

  • As you scoop on the left and sweep around to the right

  • As you inhale allow the hips to lift away and the lower back to Arch thinking about expansion between the sitting bones

  • As you exhale scooping the tailbone thinking about gently engaging the core pulling the navel to the spine

  • Repeat on both sides

  • Repeat for 10 to 20 breaths

Diaphragmatic breathing;

Diaphragmatic breathing or deep belly breathing is one of the most accessible tools to start massaging our pelvic floor.

• Either seated or lying down place your hands on your lower abdomen

• Inhale to allow your belly to surrender to the expansion of that breath

• Exhale allowing the belly to soften away from the hands

• Repeat this 10 to 20 breaths and see if you can even continue the awareness downward visualizing your pelvic floor dropping on the inhale and returning on the exhale, dancing with your diaphragm.

Setting yourself up for success and long-term pelvic alignment

• Practice good posture

• Stay active with activities like yoga

• Targeted deep core and pelvic floor strengthening exercises

If you continue to experience persistent pain and challenges with your pelvis it's always a good idea to talk to your physician to rule out any deeper underlying conditions. It can also be incredibly supportive to work with a pelvic floor physical therapist or work one-on-one with an informed and educated practitioner to help you develop the tools to support your body. Remember to stay in motion, stay hydrated and this can only help you stay happy and healthy.

How do you fix a weak pelvis?

How do you fix a weak pelvis?

A weak pelvis, often caused by a weak pelvic floor and surrounding musculature can lead to a variety of challenges including pain, structural imbalances, and dysfunctions within the pelvis.

Let's explore what it is to have a weak pelvis, what exactly is the pelvic floor, and simple corrective actions we can take today to start improving our pelvic health.

A weak pelvic floor is instability or weakness within the pelvic girdle. This is often brought on by weakness either in inadaptability or insustainability in the pelvic floor and surrounding pelvic musculature.

Things that may cause weakening in the pelvis and supporting muscles:

• Trauma- physical or even emotional trauma can affect the muscles of our pelvis either creating excess tension reducing the dynamic adaptability in the muscles or misaligning the structures restricting the muscle’s ability to fully function

• Poor posture - having prolonged poor posture can train your muscles to function dysfunctionally

• Pregnancy and childbirth - the excess weight of a growing person inside of the uterus can cause a lot of strain on the pelvic floor muscles and the hormones also can affect the structure of the pelvic girdle. Childbirth can be quite strenuous on this portion of the body if you are not optimally prepared. Great ways to prepare are prenatal workouts, prenatal yoga, exercises and movements that are going to help strengthen and support dynamic movement within the pelvic floor.

• Menopause and aging- hormone changes as well as just general wear and tear can cause excess laxity and reduced muscle tone

• Chronic constipation or other chronic straining- constipation or even excessive lifting can cause excessive downward pressure onto the pelvic floor, therefore leading to excess stress and straining of these muscles reducing their functionality.

How can we support a weak pelvis?

The good news is you can always work these muscles and bring strength back to the pelvis. Just the way we would strengthen and exercise other weak muscles throughout the body the pelvic floor and other supportive pelvic muscles are no different and we can target them through specific movements and even breath work to optimize their functionality.

Set yourself up for success. Other tips you can carry with you on a daily basis to set yourself up for a successful journey to a healthy pelvis:

• Stay active - a body in motion stays in motion and motion means muscular contraction, contractions in the muscles mean strengthening the muscles

• Maintain a healthy weight - weight can be strenuous on the pelvic floor keeping yourself at a healthy body weight can take off any unnecessary stress

• Be mindful when lifting heavy - if you can avoid lifting beyond your natural capacity great, if you must be lifting make sure to lift mindfully from the knees and exhale as you contract and lift up

• Try to stay hydrated - hydrated muscles are healthy muscles also hydration helps prevent constipation and constipation as mentioned before can be strenuous to the pelvic floor

A weak pelvis could be the cause of many different dysfunctions including incontinence, lower back pain, and structural imbalances. However this is not the end, there's a lot that can be done to help bring that strength back into that musculature to help support this foundational part of our body.

Stay active and informed to keep yourself healthy and happy.

Does walking strengthen the pelvic floor?

Walking is one of the most successful forms of exercise. It is free, relatively easy, does not require special equipment, and can be done almost everywhere.

On top of being accessible, it is a wonderful way to improve your health including the health and strength of your pelvic floor. Walking is a weight-bearing exercise that also supports bone health, and increases circulation within the cardiovascular system as well as the lymphatic system, helping build stability in our legs all the way up to our pelvis and pelvic floor health.

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a network of muscles at the base of our spine like a hammock supporting pelvic organs, supports the sacrum and spinal alignment and regulates pressure within the body. The pelvic floor is responsible for bladder and bowel control and even sexual functions. Dysfunction in this group of muscles can lead to an array of disruptive symptoms including incontinence, constipation, lower back pain, pain with sex or even inability to orgasm. Keeping your pelvic floor healthy keeps you healthy in so many areas of life.

A strong and dynamic pelvic floor will support your entire body in being strong and dynamic.

So can walking strengthen the pelvic floor?

Yes! When we can unite intention, breath work, and the movement of walking we can maximize the benefits that walking has on our pelvic floor.

Although walking is not a pelvic floor targeted exercise it is a movement that does engage our deep core for support which includes the pelvic floor, muscles of our legs and hips that also support the pelvis.

How to maximize your walking to promote pelvic floor health

• Focus on posture keeping your rib cage above the pelvis and allowing your hips to naturally flow and swoosh as you walk

• Bringing in the breath- connecting with that dance between the diaphragm and the pelvic floor while walking allows you to help create dynamic movement within the pelvis. Remember as you inhale and your diaphragm drops allow the pelvic floor to also drop and when you exhale is when it naturally returns

• If you are not struggling from an excessively tight pelvic floor you can also add in pelvic floor contractions. Continuing to move with your breath on your exhale you may also gently contract into your pelvic floor and lower abdomen remembering to allow it to release and relax on the next inhale. Synchronizes breath and movement with every step almost making it into a meditation to optimize the benefits on your pelvic floor

How often should you be walking for your pelvic floor health?

Ideally, spending just 15 - 20 minutes every day walking can create a huge difference. When doing your walking for pelvic floor health try to be mindful and in that moment. It is more valuable to give yourself 15 minutes of mindful intentional walking 5 - 7 times a week rather than an hour of careless walking once a week. We want quality and consistency. Even if you only have the opportunity to do 5 - 10 minutes a day of mindful walking, it will make a difference.

Walking is such a great low impact, accessible, and affordable way to start bringing pelvil care into your daily life. Especially when you consider proper posture, connective diaphragmatic breathing, and even gentle core engagement. So take yourself for a walk today.

What Does Vaginal Prolapse Feel Like?

What Does Vaginal Prolapse Feel Like?

Understanding the sensations and symptoms and starting to create solutions.

Vaginal prolapse also known as pelvic organ prolapse is when one or more of the pelvic organs or parts drop into the vaginal canal or in severe cases even out.

Let's explore the different types and severities of prolapse, what sensations accompany the condition, and what to do about it.

Before we start summing up the many sensations that could occur during vaginal prolapse, let's first talk about what exactly is happening in the body.

Our pelvic organs are held up and supported by a network of muscles called the pelvic floor and other supportive connective tissue such as ligaments. When these tissues become too laxed they are unable to support and hold the organs in their appropriate position. This leads to them starting to prolapse or fall into the vaginal canal- pressing into the walls of the vaginal canal or in the case of the uterus occasionally and in severe instances even out of the vaginal opening.

Depending on what organ is affected it will create some variability in symptoms. There are also different names for each type of prolapse:

• Cystocele: when the urinary bladder is unsupported and displaced leaning into the anterior wall of the vaginal canal

• Urethrocele: when the urethra the tube where urine passes from the urinary bladder to the outside world is unsupported and prolapses

• Rectocele: when the rectum portion of the colon is unsupported and starts to drop into the posterior wall of the vaginal canal

• Uterine Prolapse: when the uterus starts to drop into the vaginal canal and in severe cases even out of the vaginal opening

Prolapse can be brought on by a number of things often to do with excess pressure:

• Pregnancy - creating a lot of pressure on your pelvic floor as a new being grows within the abdomen

• Childbirth - the downward pressure and excess stretch that is called upon for the muscles of our pelvis can strain the structures that support our pelvic organs leading to possible prolapse

• Heavy lifting - bearing down with heavy lifting can create excessive pressure on the structures meant to support the pelvic organs leading to potential prolapse

• Chronic constipation - straining to try to empty the bowel with chronic constipation again creates that downward pressure and bearing down straining the supportive structures to the pelvic organs

• Chronic coughing or sneezing - coughing and sneezing creates higher inner abdominal pressure if our pelvic floor and abdominal muscles are not allowing for this pressure change it can cause excessive downward pressure on the structures meant to support the pelvic organs

• Hysterectomy - the removal of an organ that has supportive structures such as the uterine ligaments can change the orientation of the organs that are still remaining within the pelvis without the uterus to take up the space it once did this can occasionally lead to displacement and even prolapse in the other pelvic organs

• Menopause - with the change in hormones this affects muscle tone and strength throughout the body and this can lead to weakness in the pelvic floor and muscles that support our pelvic organs

With the different parts of the pelvis potentially affected by the condition our symptoms will vary.

Some general symptoms that can occur with any of the variations include:

• Heaviness or fullness in the pelvis - it is often to have a full or heavy feeling in the pelvic bowl when suffering from a prolapse

• Lower back pain - or almost a sensation as something pulling on your lower back from the inside

• Lower abdominal discomfort - similar to lower back pain a sensation as if something is pulling down on the lower abdomen from the inside

• Pain or discomfort with penetration - this could be painful sex or even pain or discomfort with the use of internal period products 

More specific symptoms when the bladder or urethra are involved:

• Difficulty emptying the bladder

• Incontinence or urine leakage

• Urgency and frequency - often feeling the intense urge to urinate with little fluid actually being emptied

• Difficulty to feel completely relieved

Symptoms more common with prolapse involving the colon:

• Chronic constipation

• The need to splint or press against the posterior vaginal wall to empty the bowel

If any of these, especially if multiples of these sound familiar and are part of your daily experience I highly recommend talking to your physician for an appropriate diagnosis. There are different levels of severity in prolapse and depending on that severity is going to depend on the course of action.

• Stage 1: a mild prolapse with minimal movement of the pelvic organ

• Stage 2: the pelvic organ has begun to significantly be displaced

• Stage 3: the organ can be seen at the vaginal opening

• Stage 4: the most severe where the pelvic organ is bulging out of the vaginal opening

Is pelvic prolapse treatable?

The good news is pelvic prolapse can be managed and potentially reversed.

Step 1 - Talk to your doctor get a diagnosis and start to understand the severity and what organs are involved. Once this information is gathered you have a much better idea what to do going forward.

Step 2 - Begin to see a specialist in movement therapy and the pelvic floor this could look like a pelvic floor physical therapist.

Step 3 - Lifestyle changes. Leading a healthy lifestyle, keeping active, maintaining a healthy body weight, and optimizing the way you breathe can all help support the stability of your pelvic organs.

Step 4 - Your physical therapist or Dr might recommend the use of a pessary, this is something that would be inserted into the vaginal canal to help create more structural support nice to be used in tandem with your movement therapy to support the organ while you start to build back the strength to support it from within.

Step 5 - If the prolapse persists or is too severe to start with movement therapy, surgery might be the best solution. Make sure post-surgery to again work with a movement therapist setting yourself up for the best outcome.

Although not normal uterine prolapse can be common. Early intervention is one of the best ways to manage and even reverse this condition. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms, I encourage you to not hesitate and start discovering the best treatment plan for you.

What Weakens the Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is a hammock of muscles at the base of our pelvis supporting pelvic organs, bladder and bowel control, sexual function, and even structural support for our pelvis and spine.

When weakness occurs in this muscle group you can experience discomfort, pain, incontinence, and even prolapse.

Let's explore common causes of weakness and some easy mobility and breathwork tools we can use to bring strength back to these muscles.

Different things can affect the strength of our pelvic floor. This could look like prolonged problems that slowly create weakness or more rapidly on set scenarios.

• Pregnancy and childbirth:

In a rather short period of time significant growth occurs in the abdomen creating excess pressure on the pelvic floor potentially leading to weakness even if a vaginal birth does not occur.

Childbirth whether natural or cesarean greatly impacts the health of the pelvic floor. Natural childbirth or vaginal childbirth will create a lot of stretching and expansion and pressure on the pelvic floor which may lead to weakness if the pelvic floor is susceptible. This means if you were able to maintain a healthy pelvic floor and continue with some sort of movement practice throughout your pregnancy you have decreased your susceptibility to pelvic floor damage during vaginal childbirth.

With a cesarean, there is a trauma to your deep core connective tissue as there is a surgical incision to the abdominal wall. Although the abdominal wall is not your pelvic floor it has shared connective tissue therefore trauma to this region of the body directly affects the pelvic floor.

• Chronic coughing or sneezing:

Coughing and sneezing can often create excessive inner abdominal pressure. Pressure within the abdominal cavity to a point where it starts to exacerbate the muscles of our pelvic floor. When coughing and sneezing try not to contract and make your body smaller but instead extend and make your body larger allowing for the pressure to disperse and not bear down onto the pelvic floor.

• Heavy lifting:

This could be both over time or a sudden injury to your pelvic floor. When lifting incorrectly we often find ourselves bearing down and creating too much of that inner abdominal pressure. Always try to lift and exert your energy on the exhale to minimize the amount of pressure being forced down. Also, remember you can always ask for help.

• Menopause:

During the change of life our hormones are also changing. For the female body, estrogen is supportive to muscular health as menopause comes on our estrogen decreases which can lead to overall muscular health decline. Talking to your physician about diet changes, herbal supplements, and even hormone replacement therapy could be really supportive at this point in your journey.

• Chronic constipation:

When the need to go does not go as smoothly as we hope we often can try to rush things along and try to force it out. This downward pressure and bearing down again only exacerbates the pelvic floor leading to potential weakness. If diet has not been able to alleviate chronic constipation, other tools that might help are allowing yourself to take a few moments. Practice diaphragmatic breathing allowing your body to surrender to the expansion of the inhale, letting your pelvic floor drop as the diaphragm also descends. Even on clenching the jaw and trying to soften the cheeks with the exhale.

• Stagnation:

Whether this looks like a lack of exercise or excessive sitting not moving the body will create weakness throughout the body which does not exclude our pelvic floor.

Strategies to bring strength back to the pelvic floor

Movements

Pelvic tilts;

Gently rocking our pelvis allows us to start connecting intention, movement and breath creating a deeper awareness and relationship with this part of our bodies.

• Either:

• In a seated with legs crossed

• kneeling position or Heroes pose

• prone lying on the back with the knees pointed up and feet planted on the ground

• Inhale allowing the belly to expand, the pubis bone to spill forward and the lower back begins to arch

• Exhale to scoop the tailbone, pull the pubis bone to the navel, and allow the lower back to flatten

• Repeat for 10 to 20 breaths

Bridge pose;

Not only do Bridges extend our hips allowing for an opening in the front they also help support building strength and stability in the pelvis.

• Lying on your back with your knees pointed to the sky feet planted hip-width apart

• Exhale to scoop the tailbone and flatten the lower back to the mat/floor

• Press evenly through the soles of your feet as your hips lift to the sky

• Knees press forward and keep your thighs in line with your hips not allowing the knees to splay open

• Hold the hips in line with the shoulders for a deep breath in

• Keep your core engaged as you slowly lower the hips back down to the mat/floor

• Repeat for 10 to 20 breaths and reset the spine with pelvic tilts post Bridge

Breathwork

Diaphragmatic breathing:

This breathing technique allows you to connect with the full range of motion of your pelvic floor

• In a seated or lying down position place your palms over the lower abdomen

• Inhale and allow your lower belly to expand into your hands

• Exhale allowing the belly to drop and return to neutral

• With the next inhale try to not just tune into the expansion in your lower abdomen but even allow the pelvic floor to drop towards the sitting bones

• Again allowing the exhale to bring the tissue to neutral

• Repeat for 10 to 20 breaths encouraging yourself to explore how much of the movement within those muscles can occur.

Kapalabhati or Breath of Fire:

A pranayama from yoga practice creates rhythmic short forced exhales.

• Seated tall with a lengthened spine

• Fully exhale emptying the lungs

• Take a full breath in through the nose

• Take a count of 20 to 30 quick exhales out the nose forced by a gentle contraction in the abdomen and pelvic floor

• After you have finished your desired count completely empty the lungs and hold empty for a moment with a gentle engagement of the pelvic floor and abdomen

• When you fully inhale allow yourself to relax the abdomen surrendering to the expansion of the inhale and relax your pelvic floor allowing it to drop to the floor

• Repeat 3 to 6 times with the option to increase the number of Quick exhales. Finish with a few rounds of diaphragmatic breathing to reset the dance between the diaphragm and pelvic floor.

Setting yourself up for future success

• Stay active; a mobile body is generally a healthy body and movement is often medicine

• Be mindful of your posture. Try to keep your rib cage stacked over your hips, sit on the sitting bones, and allow the crown of your head to reach for the heavens

• Avoid straining or bearing down pressure onto your pelvis whether it is with exercise, heavy lifting, or just not being able to let that s*** go avoid creating excess pressure on the pelvic floor

• Stay hydrated. Hydration is one of the most important things for our body's health and our muscle health and this does not exclude the health of our pelvic floor.

Taking care of our pelvic floor is just another part of taking care of ourselves every part of our body is worth the time and the attention so make sure to give it.

Do Squats Help the Pelvic Floor?

Movement and exercise are two of the most crucial ingredients in any health and wellness plan especially when that plan is to improve the health of a specific muscle group such as the pelvic floor.

There are many different ways that we can move our body and many different exercises we can explore. Ranging from compound and complex to simple staples like the squat.

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a network of muscles at the base of our pelvis woven together to create structural support, support for the organs such as the bladder, bowel and uterus, as well as support and stop the flow from our pelvis such as urinary and bowel continence.

Pelvic floor weakness can lead to a number of dysfunctions in this region of our body, including structural imbalances causing pain in the lower back, hips and knees. Incontinence issues both stress-leakage during coughs and sneezing or urgency the inability to hold it in when you really have to go. And even sexual dysfunctions either painful or inability to climax.

Intentional strengthening exercises in our body can help prevent these dysfunctions and yes squats are one of those tools we can use to promote pelvic floor health!

How squats help support pelvic floor health

When we combine intention, breath, and movement we can maximize probably any exercise.

On their own squats are great exercises. They:

• strengthen the muscles in our legs which attach to our pelvis

• strengthen the muscles on the external hip like the glutes which help support our pelvis

• help strengthen stability and core muscles supporting our pelvis

Creating more pelvic support helps support the deep core muscles of our pelvic floor.

Squats are also a functional movement mimicking every day sitting down and standing up motions within our hips.

When we combine the foundational benefits of the squat with intentional breath work and movement we maximize our pelvic floor benefits.

When doing any exercise we want to maintain an optical inner abdominal pressure. Excessive bearing down or pressure within the abdomen can be strenuous on our pelvic floor. When we intentionally breathe during moments of contraction we actually support our pelvic floor and reduce that pressure.

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart

• Inhale to lengthen and bring your spine in line; rib cage stacked over hips and reduce any excessive curvatures either in the upper back or lower back

• Settle in here for a few breaths and try to tune into the dance between the diaphragm and the pelvic floor. As you inhale, allow the diaphragm to drop the belly to expand and the pelvic floor to drop.

• As you exhale gently engage your pelvic floor and your belly creating lift.

• Keeping your spine lengthened hinge at the hips to sit back and bend into the knees. Try to keep your knees above the toes not going far forward in front of them.

• Exhale to gently engage the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles; evenly press into the soles of your feet and press yourself back to standing upright

• Repeat until form begins to fail.

By allowing yourself to take time to connect with your breath, focus on core engagement you maximize the benefits from your squat ensuring the support to the pelvic floor.

Setting yourself up for success

• Listen to your body and go at the pace and depth that feels best for you; it is more important to do a smaller obtainable movement than overachieving past a healthy range of motion.

• Prioritize proper form. Echoing the previous points sentiment always prioritize form to depth and repetition. We rather go less frequently deep correctly then more frequently and deeper incorrectly.

• Create consistency. Doing 50 or even 100 squats once a month is far less beneficial than five every day or 10 three times a week.

• Combine with other pelvic exercises and mobility. Whether that looks like joining us for some pelvic floor Yoga practices or incorporating this into your regular exercise routine keep adding variety and movement to your body.

Conclusively, squats inarguably support pelvic floor health and the overall health and wellness of our pelvis not just through supporting and strengthening the deeper muscles but also creating more stability in the surrounding musculature and structure. The key is to be intentional with our movement, consistent, and always allow ourselves to take the time to invite and unite with our breath.

How to Tell if Your Pelvic Floor is Tight or Weak

The pelvic floor muscles are key players in supporting bladder, bowel, and uterine health. Making them crucial for not just their health but functionality in many different facets.

But here's something incredibly important to remember whether or not a muscle is tight or laxed it is still in a state of weakness. Whether it is that the muscle is incapable of fully contracting or fully relaxing it is not reaching its full range of motion and therefore unable to access its full capacity for Balance and Health. So either excessively tight muscles or excessively relaxed muscles this can lead to discomfort, misalignment, instability, poor balance, poor posture and even pain and further dysfunction.

Let's start to get familiar with our pelvic floor and see if we can tune into if they're experiencing weakness from excessive tension, laxity or some sort of combination.

Indicators of a tight pelvic floor

If these muscles are tight it might have the sensation of a constant grip or clench which could lead to additional symptoms such as

• Pelvic pain or discomfort that can go into the lower back

• Difficulty in relaxation creating challenges with fully eliminating your bladder or bowel

• Pain with penetrative sex tight muscles around the vaginal opening and vaginal canal can create a lot of discomfort when attempting penetration in extreme cases this could lead to something called vaginismus where penetration is not even possible

• Frequent urination and urgency with urination even though it seems that the bladder does not get rid of a lot of fluids when in the bathroom

• Muscle cramping or even spasms in the pelvis, have you ever had a charlie horse just imagine that in the vagina - agony

• Stress incontinence and minor urine leakage under coughing or sneezing could also be an indicator of laxed pelvic floor muscles however, it can also be with the muscles being too tight when the muscles are too tight they are not allowing for that Dynamic movement and adaptability for pressure within the inner abdominal cavity. When there's too much pressure in this area it needs to find some way to release and this will go for the weakest point which could be at the urethral opening or where pee comes out of causing a slight leakage when coughing or sneezing

Vindication of laxity in the pelvic floor muscle

When the muscles of the pelvic floor are laxed and overstretched they're no longer capable of fully supporting the pelvic organs and the structures of the pelvis this could lead to

• Incontinence difficulty in controlling and preventing the leakage of urine or even stool

• Pelvic organ prolapse which often feels like a heaviness within the pelvis this is when the organs of the pelvis are displaced and start to drop down because they are not properly held and supported within the body

•  Lower back pain and weakness

Getting to know your pelvic floor

A lot of the symptoms can be interchangeable low back pain can be from the muscle being too tight and clenching or from it being two laxed and unsupportive so how do we assess for tension or laxity?

You can always go see a pelvic floor physical therapist or a healthcare provider to ask them to help with this assessment but if you want to start to get to know this part of your body and become more familiar with your own Anatomy there are some simple assessments you can play with to get started.

Step one start to become aware of and connect with this muscle group.

The pelvic floor is located at the base of our pelvis so this is going to be between our sitting bones and between the pubis bone and the tailbone. In women externally this is that entire vulvar space.

These are the muscles we engage when we want to stop ourselves from peeing or passing gas and the muscles that we allow to relax when we are okay with that happening.

In a relaxed position try to just breathe into this space and notice if you can notice the sensations there. Can you feel the movement of your breath into your pelvic floor? If we are breathing diaphragmatically and optimally for our body we should be able to feel it there but it might take a few rounds of breath to tune in.

Once we have started to connect with this space notice if it feels tense or like it's clenching, familiarize yourself with what it feels like to be tense or clenching in other parts of your body to make a reference.

If while breathing you're able to feel a nice range of motion within this part of your body this indicates a healthy Dynamic pelvic floor if you feel that there is resistance to your inhalation that could be excessive tension in your pelvic floor.

Next, you can start playing with actually activating this muscle group, see if you can fully clench your pelvic floor as if you are trying to stop yourself from peeing or passing gas can you take a full contraction and what does it feel like? Afterward, can you let yourself completely relax and what does that feel like?

If during the contraction you feel any pain or only a small movement this could be due to excess tension if during the relaxation part you find it difficult to relax and there's not a lot of movement this would indicate excessive tension.

If when trying to contract these areas it feels weak, this may indicate a LAX pelvic floor.

Next, try an endurance hold try clenching these muscles and hold for 30 to no more than 60 seconds. If it feels like it's starting to get crampy and spasm this may indicate excessive tension. If it starts to feel fatigued and tired and your glute muscles get sore this is going to indicate LAX to muscles.

Next, you can start to invite some gentle movement into the pelvis, this can be done either seated or lying on your back with your knees up and feet flat.

• Pelvic tilts rocking your pelvis forward and back with your breath noticing if there are any restrictions in the movement any clenching or holding even if that is more specific to the left or right side

• Pelvic circles start trying circles with your pelvis almost like you're trying to draw a circle with the tailbone go in both directions and notice how that feels if you're able to let your pelvic floor relax fully on your inhale ideally spilling the pelvis forward and how it feels as you gently contract on the exhale

All these assessments and movements are geared to help create a better connection between you and your pelvic floor. The better relationship we have with our body the more we are aware when things are out of balance and potentially progressively getting worse.

Many things with our muscles we can breathe through and bring back to balance with intentional movement and practices however there are times where medical intervention is needed.

If you are experiencing persistent pain, limitations, and movement or challenges with continents it might be valuable to seek a pelvic floor professional to support you in your assessment and approach to bringing back balance.

That may look like working with a pelvic floor physical therapist or even joining us for some private yoga therapy sessions.

Working one-on-one with someone who can help either do an assessment on you or guide you through deeper assessment tools can truly help you understand what's going on in your own body. And once that assessment comes to its conclusions the best course of action is to bring back balance.

Connecting with our body and understanding what is going on will only strengthen our ability to take care of ourselves. Understanding that weakness is not just overstretching and lack of muscle but excessive tension, too, is a type of weakness will help us understand and approach pelvic health in a much more comprehensive and supportive way.

Why Kegels May Not Be Right for You

Why Kegels May Not Be Right for You

When it comes to pelvic floor health, Kegel exercises are often presented as the go-to solution. And yes, they do have their place in pelvic health, but they are not a one-size-fits-all approach —and in some instances, they might even exacerbate the issue.

Let's explore the history of Kegels, why they might not help everyone, and alternative ways to support your pelvic floor.

What Exactly is a Kegel?

An exercise designed to isolate and contract the pelvic floor muscle group. They were created in the late 1940s by Dr. Kegel (hence the name), an American gynecologist. Originally, Kegels were introduced to help women strengthen their pelvic floor muscles, particularly after childbirth. Dr. Kegel’s original method involved using a biofeedback device, called the perineometer, to help patients track their progress. This tool would be inserted into the vaginal canal, so, as well as taking measurements on the strength of the contraction, this also provided sensory neural feedback, allowing the individual to feel the part of the body they were meant to be contracting. 

Women showed more relief and had more success when Kegels originated. In large part to this accompanied tool, both for supporting women in connecting with the area and also in measuring the pressure and existing tension.  

Fast forward to today, and Kegels have become a household name. Often recommended as a catch-all for urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction, and general pelvic floor weakness. And women are kegaling in the car to work, while they brush their teeth, even disrupting the free flow of urine to try and bring strength to the pelvis. But here’s the catch: pelvic floor dysfunction and weakness is not only caused by muscle laxity —it can also be a result from muscle tension or overactivity.

Why Kegels Might Not Be Right for You

If your pelvic floor muscles are already tense or overactive, doing Kegels can exacerbate the problem leading to 

1. Increased Tension: Contracting already-tight muscles can lead to further tightness, discomfort, or even pain.

2. Restrict Adaptability: A healthy pelvic floor needs both strength and flexibility. Overloading tight muscles can compromise their ability to adapt to movement.

3. Encourage Pressure Imbalances: The inadaptability creates unregulated pressure within the abdomen and pelvis, increasing the risk of hernias, herniated disks, prolapse, stress incontinence. 

Understanding the root cause of your pelvic dysfunction is crucial. Jumping into Kegels without assessing your baseline can lead to worse symptoms, new tension-based symptoms, and frustration with yourself and body.

Rather than Kegels, start with some other movement for your pelvis

• “cat cow" this can be done traditionally on hands and knees or try it seated, standing, or even on your back with knees up and feet flat. In this movement allow your awareness to be on your pelvis and the motion there. 

• hip/pelvic circle: same as the above movement it can be done in all those position, just draw circle with the tale bone. If in a table top position, try resting on forearms rather than hands to isolate the movent and target the pelvis more

• Diaphragmatic breathing: take time to be with your breath and feel its journey in the body. Notic if you can allow the belly to a\expande on the inhale and maybe even feel the pelvic floor gently drop and how they all return on the exhale 

Understanding where your body is at

Before jumping into any treatment plan—Kegels or otherwise—it’s essential to understand the underlying cause of your pelvic floor weakness. Weakness due to muscle tension requires a different focus than weakness caused by laxity or underuse.

Next week we’ll dive deeper into how to identify whether your pelvic floor is tight or lax and practices we can use to support our pelvis. 

Pelvic health is complex, but with the right knowledge and approach, you can make informed desitions for your body. If you’re unsure where to start, consider consulting with a pelvic health specialist for personalized guidance.