THE POWERFUL CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR BREATH & YOUR PELVIC FLOOR
Yoga is breath practice first! Breath is the first & last thing we do in life, and it is powerful. Most of us know that our breath fuels and cleanses our body through our pulmonary and circulatory systems, but did you know your abdominal diaphragm and pelvic diaphragm work together as a team? If you are a woman who has had a baby, you might identify this link more than you even know!
Have You Ever Peed When You’ve Sneezed?
Although not an ideal outcome, that is the connection between breath & your pelvic floor (PF).
When you forcefully exhale, like a sneeze, and you don’t have full control of your pelvic floor muscles because they are too tight or lack muscular endurance, they release instead of actively holding everything inside.
How Are Your PF & Breath Linked?
·Quick Answer: Your diaphragm
As you INHALE your diaphragm drops to make room for breath & your pelvic floor relaxes down
As you EXHALE your diaphragm elevates to empty & your pelvic floor lifts back to neutral (want a picture click the link pelvicpainrehab.com)
Why is PF Health so Important?
Urinary Continence & Incontinence
Sexual Health & Dysfunction
Ease of Labor & Childbirth
Pelvic Pain & Discomfort
Constipation
Connection to Breath & Stress
3 Steps Start Building Your Pelvic Floor Health:
Step 1: First learn to breathe diaphragmatically.
Slow Diaphragmatic Breathing:
Place a hand on your belly and chest or along your lower ribs for feedback.
Take a slow deep breath in through your nose, allow your belly, rib cage and chest to open and expand for 4 seconds (shoulders stay soft and relaxed)
Slowly exhale and allow everything to soften for 4-6 seconds.
Step 2: Often the next step is learning to relax your PF in coordination with breath.
As you inhale, notice your PF relax & soften away from your body.
PF health is NOT just doing a bunch of pelvic floor contractions (aka Kegels)
Tight muscles are usually weak muscles.
Step 3: Begin linking breath with movement.
Try a simple yoga asana like child’s pose and add slow gentle movement by walking your hands to the right sinking into your left hip, back to center and over to the left sinking into your right hip. This is a great place to start learning to pair breath & movement.
Good News!
Mindfully connecting to your breath can help provide a better balance and health for your pelvic floor. It takes a little time, but we can all improve our breathing and our pelvic floor control. Remember, like life your PF needs balance, learning to relax the PF is as important as activation. Muscle will not have full strength without full length.
Try a post-partum or pelvic-health focused yoga class to build that healthy connection. However, if you have ongoing incontinence, pain or deeper pelvic concerns, like a prolapse, it might be time to talk to your doctor about visiting pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT).
Breath is life & your diaphragm and pelvic floor are forever bonded through your inhale and exhale. So, take some time to slow down & smell the roses… with a deep diaphragmatic breath of course.
Luck, Love & Light, XO Rachel