When we hear "pelvic floor" it's usually with regard to women who have had children and how their pelvic floors become weak or distended. Years go by and then there's a new wave of pelvic floor awareness with prostate issues or pelvic organ prolapse. Based on my work with clients, I find tight pelvic floors to be super common due to stress and prolonged hours of sitting which contribute to lower back and hip pain/tightness.
What is the pelvic floor, exactly?
I see it as more than just our elimination muscles. If you were wearing brief underwear as in the photo, your pelvic muscles are in contact with fabric. So, there's three main sections:
- Front-lower abs, the little triangle between your hip sockets and pubic bone
- Undercarriage-elimination muscles and connective tissue
- Back-hip rotational muscles, gluteals
How does the pelvic floor tighten?
Sitting, feeling stressed and holding our breath. I wrote more about this in detail here. If you're prone to sucking in your stomach or have suffered from digestive issues, these muscles would also become chronically tense.
In addition to stress-holding, we can also have some unresolved emotional issues that can cause these muscles to restrict and hold.
What the heck is a 'root chakra'?
You can look at chakras as being areas of the body that emotionally (energetically) represent certain things we all face in life. In the case of the root chakra, it correlates to things that are foundational to our being--safety, security (including financial), family/clan identity and physical health. Issues here can come from not just our personal experience, but from the experiences of our family members. SO, pretty much everyone has crap to work through in this chakra.
Fear is a big factor in holding patterns here including, pelvic floor tightness. If we're constantly bracing for something to happen or afraid that there won't be enough, the muscles of the pelvis respond to that emotional outlook. Origins of that fear can include:
- Abuse, including abandonment or neglect
- Poverty, war
- Major personal illness or in your family
- Not having good personal boundaries so we're constantly at the whim of others' actions
- Inherited trauama and issues from our families
How can you shift these patterns?
Physically, you can practice relaxing these muscles.
In my one-on-one sessions with clients we discover where you're holding physically and emotionally and then intentionally create space there. I construct a series of exercise sequences to reinforce a new pattern in your body that doesn't involve bracing or restriction. With repetition, your body generates a new neurological pattern via flow instead of holding. To reconnect with your root chakra and maintain a relaxed pelvic floor day-to-day, try these tips.
- Breathe and feel the breath connect down to your pelvic floor. I wrote more about that here.
- Do things that honor your body and its health.
- Celebrate what you already have in your life--these things may not be material or tangible.
- Find and connect with a community to feel a sense of belonging.
- Go outside and put your bare feet in the ground. Feel how you are a living being!