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.