Pelvic Floor

Leslie Howard Yoga in the News: Fit Yoga Magazine -December 2008 A healthy pelvic floor is more than doing Kegals.  Proper work of strengthening and stabilizing the pelvic floor helps to create the correct foundation of each movement in the body. It is a basic tool to avoid loss of energy from this important area. A strong pelvic floor helps keep the pelvic and abdominal organs healthy as we age. Think of your torso as "a tote bag" for your organs. The pelvic floor is the bottom of the tote bag. Someone with a weak pelvic floor has a tote bag that is about to have the bottom fall out! The female pelvis and the pelvic muscles are an under appreciated region of the anatomy.  Important not only for sexuality, the pelvic muscles are crucial for optimal functioning of the body.  The pelvic muscles begin at perineum and are complex arrangement of muscles that create a "bowl" for the lower organs.  Common problems that are related to the health of the pelvic floor are lumbar spinal problems, sacroiliac, hip or sciatic pain, bladder weakness, prolapse of the uterus or the bladder, and digestive, menstrual and sexual difficulties. This area can be too gripped, or too weak and sometimes both. Many women have a lack of tone due to age, life style, bearing children or hereditary tendencies. Also, there is a percentage of women that have a chronic holding and tightening of the muscles of the pelvic floor. Sometimes an unhealthy holding pattern can start in early age or perhaps develop as a result of a fall or accident. In my workshops you will learn how to distinguish the three layers of the pelvic floor and how to soften and strengthen these areas. If you are unable to come to one of my workshops ask your local yoga studio to host me or have a girlfriend house party. A number of students have gotten their friends together and invited me to teach the workshop in their home. And if that is not possible, don't fret. There are a couple of good books on the subject to get you started. A must have book for all women is The V Book by Elizabeth Stewart. Stewart addresses ALL kinds of disorders and demystifies vulvovaginal health. The Female Pelvis by Blandine Calais-Germain and Pelvic Power by Eric Franklin, are both a great introduction to pelvic floor work. If you suspect you might be a person that grips their muscles, or you know you have cystitis, vulvodynia etc, A Headache in the Pelvis by David Wise and Rodney Anderson is a brilliant book. Heal Pelvic Pain by Amy Stein also has some great advice for self massage. All are available at Amazon.com.