The Gifts of a Neutral Pelvis

The pelvis is composed of the right and left hip bones and your sacrum, the triangular shaped bone at the base of your spine. Take a moment, to reach under your seat and palpate the bony landmark of your sit bone, or ischial tuberosity, on both the right and left side. Are you sitting directly on top of your sit bones? Or is your pelvis tipped forward or is it tucked under you? Do you notice more weight on one sit bone versus the other? These are important questions to consider when getting curious about the neutrality of our seat.   

When we chronically tuck the pelvis under us, in a posterior tilt, the muscles of the pelvic floor along with the hamstrings shorten, while the natural curve of the lower back is reduced. The overly tucked position of the pelvis can result in a restricted respiration, constipation, neck, hip or lower back pain and pelvic floor dysfunction. Conversely, habitually rocking the pelvis forward in an anterior tilt, exaggerating the natural lumbar curve results in lower and mid-back pain, weak abdominal tone and pelvic floor dysfunction.

The pelvis is the foundation of our spine and, in many ways, the seat of our lived experience. Many cultures place specific importance on the pelvis as being the home to vital energy centers. Taoist philosophy credits the Laozi zhongjing, penned in the early 3rd Century, with the first description of the lower Dantian as the elixir-of-life field where Essence and Spirit are stored. The Vedas, ancient texts from India dating between 1500-500 BC, first described the chakra system, spinning disks of energy located within and around the human body. Of the 7 “main” chakras identified along the spine, 2 of these spinning disks of energy reside within the pelvic bowl. As the root of our physicality and the filter of our emotional and energetic experiences, the pelvis is a powerful place to reclaim, honor, navigate and cultivate neutrality. The gifts are boundless!

To cultivate the gifts and explore the neutrality of your pelvis, contact me to schedule a conscious movement session using the tools of yoga therapy.

Gentle Back Care Exercises

Take care of your back with these gentle exercises. You’ll need a swim noodle or a rolled towel, a blanket and
a pinky ball on a stick or tennis ball. Exercises include: pelvic tilts, passive chest opener, blanket roll & pinky ball. Let your breath guide you and enjoy!

Is our breath a magic Bullet?

Breathing is a continuous, and necessary, activity we perform day-in and day-out without much more than a thought, yet this seemingly mindless act has tremendous impact on our overall health and wellbeing. We know that acute respiratory dysfunction can have insidious impacts on our health, yet most of us chronically have less-than-ideal breathing patterns and are also completely unaware of how we breathe. Abnormal breathing patterns can contribute to back and neck pain, midnight muscle cramps, tension, fatigue, anxiety and depression. Shallow and rapid chest breathing is a common abnormal breathing pattern linked to high stress levels, poor desk posture, trauma and the cultural conditioning for women to have flat stomachs and men to have broad chests. Chest breathing over-utilizes accessory respiratory muscles such as the scalenes, levator scapulae and pectoralis minor contributing to chronic neck, shoulder and back tension. Shallow breathing also sends stress signals to the body triggering a sympathetic “fight or flight” cascade of hormones.

Thankfully, the breath is the only autonomic function in the body that we have control over and as the ancient yogic tradition of Pranayama instructs we can learn how to optimize our breath. Ideal or optimal breathing is often referred to as “three-dimensional diaphragmatic breathing,” which means there is a synchronized motion between the rib cage, diaphragm, abdomen and pelvic floor. During inhalation, the diaphragm flattens, creating a vacuum that draws air into the lungs, the ribcage expands, the abdominal muscles soften and the pelvic floor relaxes. There are no flat tummies or barrel chests during diaphragmatic breathing, but the overall pressure within the thoracic and abdominal/pelvic cavities are maintained leading to greater overall stability and stamina.

Are you a chest breather?
Stand in front of a mirror. Breathe in and observe what happens. Your torso should expand slightly, but your chest and neck should stay fairly relaxed.
If, during inhalation, all of the muscles your neck contract and your chest rises before your torso expands, you are probably chest breathing (and probably breathing too aggressively).

 Optimize your breath and "relearn" how to breathe:
Lie on your back with a support under your knees.
Place a light book on your abdomen.
Cup one hand around the side of your waist, so that your fingers reach slightly under your lower back, and place your other hand on your upper chest and neck.
Breathe in a “downward” motion into your diaphragm, soften the abdomen and aim for your midsection to expand in three directions like a well-functioning umbrella.
The book should rise slightly but the hand on your chest should not move, or if it does, it should rise last. You should not feel your neck contract or tighten.

Set aside 5 or 10 minutes to explore diaphragmatic breathing slowly and mindfully with patience and compassion. Notice how you feel. If you find yourself getting anxious or stressed, take a break. It will take a few weeks of dedicated practice to shift your breathing pattern but it’s well worth the effort! Gift yourself this time of rest, reflection and self-care.
Once you can breathe properly on your back, practice breathing in more functional positions. Try diaphragmatic breathing while on all fours, standing, sitting, walking and even running.

Inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose

References:
1. Evan Oscar: Forward Shoulder Posture and Scapular Retraction Exercise. Visited 2021 https://www.otpbooks.com/evan-osar-forward-shoulder-posture/?ref=19
3. Howard, L. 2017. “Pelvic Liberation, Using Yoga, Self-Inquiry, and Breath Awareness for Pelvic Health.”
2. Trotter, Kathleen. “Four ways to ‘relearn’ your breathing technique for improved overall health” Visited 2021

Levaotor scapulae

Pectoralis minor