Pelvic floor relaxation through Yoga
We hear a lot about how to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, but how often do we hear about how to release, lengthen, and relax them, which is just as important.
Many people experience overactive or hypertonic pelvic floor muscles which is where the muscles are gripped causing symptoms like:
Pelvic pain
Painful sex
Urge incontinence
Constipation
lower back / hip pain
Sacroiliac joint pain
And at times, we see symptoms of stress incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse caused by hypertonic muscles of the pelvic floor.
An hypertonic pelvic floor can develop for several reasons. Some of these reasons can be how we stand, sit, move, breathe, and our emotional well-being, as well as our life experiences, all of which can influence the health of the pelvic floor.
Yoga is a highly effective practice that helps us see what is happening, when it’s happening.
Through the practice of yoga, we can begin to see habitual patterns that no longer serve us. We are given the opportunity to discover a way of moving or breathing that supports us where we are, now.
Through my years of teaching & practicing yoga for pelvic health, I’ve discovered that relaxing the pelvic floor is more than stretching. Inviting ourselves into a place of relaxation asks us to feel safe, wholeheartedly welcomed & completely supported.
Yoga postures are exceptionally effective not only in stretching & strengthening the pelvic floor but also activating the body’s relaxation response through breathing, supported yoga postures & meditation practices.
It’s well-researched for its ability to regulate the body’s relaxation response & cultivating a balm of ease while fostering a reconnection with movement and breathing patterns that support the pelvic floor, both during practice and in everyday life.
The pelvic floor is simply a webbing of muscles that support the bowel, bladder & uterus (in some). It expands & lifts in coordination with our breath. When we inhale, the pelvic floor descends; when we exhale, the pelvic floor tones & lifts. However, through life experiences, the coordination between the pelvic floor & breath can become out of sync, and tightness & tension can appear.
Through yoga practices, we can reconnect the pelvic floor with the breath while relaxing & building support in the pelvic floor & surrounding muscles.
I hear a lot about strengthening the pelvic floor; however, if the muscles are already gripped, practicing only strengthening exercises can make them tighter & possibly exacerbate the problem.
A healthy, strong pelvic floor has a full range of motion, and to find this balance, yoga and movement are great places to start.
