What to Expect: Pelvic Floor Yoga
Look, I get it. For some people, the idea of doing anything related to the pelvic floor in public feels stressful. It’s a private area…and if you haven’t been to pelvic floor yoga before, you might be picturing one of those meetings in the 80s where everyone was practicing looking at their vulvas in the mirror together.
Don’t worry - that’s not what we do! Everybody keeps their pants on!
If the thought of attending a pelvic floor yoga class has you feeling anxious, let’s eliminate the mystery so you can know what you’re getting into - and see why it’s not as scary as you might think.
What do we do in pelvic floor yoga class?
This one is the simplest for me to answer, so that’s where we’ll start. Although the exact movements and themes differ a little every time, this is our basic class format:
Grounding - at the beginning of each class, we spend a few minutes getting in touch with our breath and calming our minds. This not only helps you to focus on your time in class, but our breath is intimately tied to our pelvic floor health! So that’s where we begin.
Warm up- next, we make gentle movements to begin warming up the joints and muscles of your body. We mainly focus on the neck, shoulders, spine, and hips here, and practice moving with mindful awareness.
Main Movements - this is where we get into bigger movements and sensations. On Tuesdays, we have a more active class with standing and gentle balance postures to build strength in the pelvic floor, hips, and core. On Fridays, we focus more on gentle, slow postures to release tension and relax areas of the body that are gripping or overly tight (including, of course, the pelvic floor). In both classes, we also work on building awareness of the pelvic floor - how it feels in different positions, how to engage or relax it when needed, and how to retrain our bodies and minds to work in harmony.
Cooldown - In our Friday class, there isn’t as much need for a cooldown as we are pretty cool and relaxed for the whole class, but on Tuesdays we approach the end of class with seated and floor-bound stretching to help relax the body and calm the mind. We help reset the body, counterbalancing the movements we did during the bulk of class so you leave feeling rested, balanced, and rejuvenated.
Savasana - all our classes end with a nice long resting pose where we focus on complete relaxation and release. Sometimes we will do a guided meditation or some simple breath work, and sometimes we just lie in quiet and rest. Its wonderful, and a perfect way to integrate the work we’ve done in class and prepare to reenter the “real world” while still carrying some of that calm with us.
Who is this pelvic floor yoga for?
I get a lot of people who are concerned that this class isn’t right for them because they aren’t mothers, or because they don’t really know whether they have pelvic floor issues, or they’ve never done yoga, or or or or. So let’s clear it up - this class is for anyone who has a pelvic floor. We’ve got people with no kids, people with grown kids, people in pelvic floor therapy, and people who aren’t sure about the whole pelvic floor thing but love the way the class makes them feel.
Everyone who has a pelvic floor deserves to know more about it, understand it, and build awareness of this part of their body. Everyone on this planet deserves to find a safe place in which they can invite healing of any kind into their lives. That’s what this class is meant to do.
No matter what stage of life you’re in or what your particular circumstances are, you’ll find something helpful in these classes - even if it’s just knowing that you’re not alone. And because I’m kind of obsessed with body awareness, there’s no pressure to do a certain pose in a certain way, or push yourself to do what your neighbor is doing. We practice listening to our bodies, we use props whenever we need to to, and do whatever we need to do to make the practice work for us. That’s what yoga should always be.
Life can be lonely…even more so if you’re struggling with pelvic floor issues, because it’s not often something we talk about in the open. You’re not required to share anything about why you’re in class, but you will find a community of incredible women who are accepting, non-judgmental, and uplifting. I know my regular students will agree - this class has become more than just a yoga class, but also a source of comfort, friendship, and support for people who may never have otherwise met each other.
How will this help me?
This class won’t solve all your pelvic floor problems - I’d love to say that it will eliminate leaking, pain, or prolapse, but that’s just asking too much of yoga. The body is complex, and there’s only so much we can do in a group class. But what I can promise is that this class will help you find the road to healing.
You’ll get the chance to learn and understand what’s going on in your own body, get a better idea of what you need to do to manage your challenges, and get the opportunity to support the healing work you’re doing with other medical professionals. You’ll be able to advocate for yourself if you choose to seek help elsewhere, and you’ll have the skills and body awareness to make that help more effective.
You might see a relief from symptoms, or you might simply get much better at dealing with them so they don’t affect your life as drastically. Either way, you’ll find solace and acceptance, which believe it or not, can make ALL the difference.
It can feel vulnerable to come into a space where the focus is on such a private part of your body. My hope is that by removing some of the mystery from class, you’ll see the truth: that this is just another yoga class. Only better, because it’s accessible, welcoming, and will give you the deep connection to your body that we all deserve.
We’re done being told that our symptoms are “normal” and to just deal with it. We’re done peeing our pants, feeling pain during sex, or just feeling stressed and disconnected. We’re done letting other people tell us what we should or shouldn’t be feeling. And we’re done feeling pressured or intimidated by the choices other people are making around us.
