Most people know the importance of core strengthening for health and long-term well-being, but the pelvic floor is an important group of core muscles, which tend to get ignored.
“The torso is like a tote bag for your organs,” says Leslie Howard, a Bay area yoga teacher who conducts workshops nationally on pelvic floor strengthening to help counteract potential dysfunctions of the pelvic floor. “The pelvic floor is the bottom of the tote bag. If you have a weak pelvic floor (too loose or too tight) you’re likely to have the contents fall out!” Everyone loses muscle tone as they get older, and because our daily activities (and fitness programs) don’t usually address the pelvic floor, this part of the body is particularly vulnerable to problems. As a result, prolapsed organs, incontinence and pelvic pain are common to over fifty percent of women as they get older. Other problems that may be related to the health of the pelvic floor include lumbar spinal problems, sacroiliac, hip or sciatic pain, bladder weakness, prolapsed uterus or bladder, and digestive, menstrual and sexual difficulties.
Learning how to strengthen, stabilize, stretch and soften the pelvic floor is essential to create the correct foundation for each movement in the body. In this online yoga course, Leslie Howard explores ways to develop a strong pelvic floor and discuss why it is important to keep the pelvic and abdominal organs healthy as we age to avoid women’s health issues like incontinence and prolapse. Leslie also discusses why a strong pelvic floor isn’t enough, we must also keep this important part of the body flexible. She discusses why developing and maintaining a healthy and strong pelvic floor involves a lot more than just doing Kegel exercises and demystify mula bandha. These practices are undertaught, misunderstood and if done improperly can lead to more problems.
What you will learn:
- How to distinguish if you are lacking tone or have too much tone in the pelvic muscles and what you can do to start the road to recovery.
- What Kegels are and why they aren’t enough for total pelvic health.
- The relationship between the pelvic floor and the abdominals and posture.
- How to distinguish the three layers of the pelvic floor and how to soften and strengthen these areas.
You will learn that every pelvis has a story and how to start a conversation with yours.
This Course Also Includes:
- Yoga Practice Videos: Two online yoga video practices with yoga for the pelvic floor. In the two recorded lectures, Leslie guides you to assess which of the two most common pelvic floor issues may be relevant to you or individual students. Based on this, use each of these video practices, which offer yoga practices to strengthen and/or relax the pelvic floor.
- Two One-hour Lectures on Yoga for Pelvic Floor Health: In these two recorded lectures, Leslie discusses the importance of pelvic floor health and yoga approaches to preserve pelvic floor strength are included as mp4 files (videos showing slides with Leslie’s lecture as a voice-over). This is a great way to integrate the knowledge presented, as you can go back and review the sessions as many times as you like.
- Transcripts of Both Sessions: Even the best note takers miss a point every so often. With the transcripts of the sessions, you can go back and refer to particularly important passages or clarify sections you were in doubt about.
This course qualifies for 4 CEs with Yoga Alliance.
