What it Means to Lift Your Pelvic Floor

The pelvic region of the body is an extremely important area to be aware of for not only the yoga practitioner, but also for anyone with the interest in maintaining or improving their physical health. Many people are incredibly unaware (by unaware, I simply mean that they pay no attention to it) of this functional region. The pelvic floor in men and women is the area where the anus, genital, and sex organs reside, as well as the muscles around this area. It can also pertain to the lower belly, below the navel.

In order to lift the pelvic floor, one must engage what is referred to as Mula Bandha in the yogic texts, such as BKS Iyengar’s Light on Yoga. This is an activation of those muscles and a feeling of pulling them up and in, just as if one were trying to hold in their urine, gas, etc. In fact, this is exactly what the instructor means when he or she asks the class to lift their pelvic floor. It is indeed the very same action. Using mula bandha to support the asana from the center of one’s body will enable the distal (outer) muscles to loosen or relax, and leave more energy for the body to hold the posture using this core strength. When someone is just beginning to discover this action, they will most likely engage the muscles around the anus, genitals, and urethra, but with practice, and over time, the idea is to relax those muscles as well, but keep what is known as the perineum (the space between the anus and genitals) engaged.

Engaging this region of the pelvis allows for the yoga practitioner to increase their stability and balance, as well as works those muscles, resulting in a healthier pelvic region. This is especially helpful for women, as pelvic floor strengthening can allow for healthier pregnancy and child birthing. For men and women alike, it can help strengthen the organs for elimination, resulting in healthier bowel habits.  This action helps build core/ abdominal strength, allows for longer holds in postures, and protects and cares for the lower muscles of the back.

In Light on Yoga ('the yoga bible'), as well as other texts, Mula bandha is said to amplify energy, strength, endurance, and vitality, as well as to expand one’s awareness and mental clarity. Mula bandha should be engaged in most yoga postures, but not strained while holding their breath. The contraction can be engaged anywhere between 15 and 100 percent (slight or full) and can be kept engaged for as long as possible, or can be pulsed with the breath over time. The postures that this action most benefits are back bending postures such as full wheel, cobra, bridge, up-dog, boat, king pigeon, and camel. It is also important in inversions such as head stand, hand stand, forearm stand, and shoulder stand. Livestrong dot com also mentions that these poses, performed in unison with the Mula Bandha engagement, can help strengthen and improve the health of the lower abdominal and pelvic region.

Next time you attend a yoga class, remember to lift your pelvic floor! Even if you forget, the chances are great that your teacher will remind you.

 If you notice anything different or have any insights, please feel free to share them with me.

 King Pigeon Pose: 

 

References:

http://www.mypelvicfitness.com/mula_bandha.htm

http://www.prajnayoga.net/2010/07/can-you-help-guiding-students-in-lifting-th...

http://www.livestrong.com/article/388590-pelvic-floor-yoga-poses/

http://www.thewomens.org.au/pelvicfloorexercises

http://www.livestrong.com/article/333399-yoga-poses-for-pelvic-floor-strength...

Melt Your Heart!

If you have ever been to a yoga class, you have probably (or should have) heared the teacher make one or more of these commands: 
“Melt your heart!”
"Inner Body Bright!"
“Melt in between your shoulder blades!”
“Press your chest forward, and move your shoulders up, and back!”

What do all of these commands have in common? You might find yourself asking the question: “what the heck does he/she mean by melting my heart?”

The answer is a muscle group located in between the shoulder blades, known as the rhomboids. The rhomboids are so named, because of their rhombus or diamond shaped structure. These are the main muscles which the instructor is referring to when he/she says something like “melt your heart”. The rhomboids are located on either side of the upper thoracic spine, in between the shoulder blades. Of course, all of our muscles work together in a general area, and the rhomboids as a muscle group need an antagonist group (one which works against) and synergist group (one which works with) in order to function properly. The main antagonists of the rhomboids are the serratus anterior (SA) and the pectoralis minor (PM). The main synergists are the levator scapulae (LA) and the more medial fibers of the trapezius. The SA is located below the rhomboids on both sides of the spine, and the PM is located between the rhomboid and the SA, under the armpit; these muscles work to pull the shoulder blades down. The LA is located on either side of the cervical spine (the neck), and the trapezius connects to it; together, these muscles help to pull the shoulders and shoulder blades up. Engagement of the abdominal muscles, as well as keeping the chin lifted away from the chest are also helpful and essential in improving shoulder alignment.

http://www.mece.utpa.edu/~rafree/all/IntroBioMech/ShoulderComplex/Human%20Arm...

We use the rhomboid muscle group an incredible amount in yoga asana practice. We use them in most asanas, and a few good examples would be: downward facing dog, head stand, hand stand, shoulder stand, back bends like full wheel or scorpion (also a balancing pose), arm balances like chaturanga dandasana (bottom of a push-up), the warrior postures, and many, many more. A few images have been included at the end of this post, if you are unfamiliar with any of these poses.

The openness of the shoulders has very much to do with the strength and flexibility of one’s rhomboid muscles, thus it is important to pay close attention to this area when practicing. Misalignments in the shoulders due to improper muscular engagement can result in injuries, such as shoulder dislocations, wrist and elbow issues, and so on. A great place for someone to start working these muscles is to be aware of their current posture. As you are reading this, are you hunched over your computer, iPad, or phone? Are you slouching when you are standing in line at the grocery store? What do you notice when you are walking to class? Is your backpack constricting your ability to stand up straight? We have the power to make a conscious decision about how we hold ourselves. We can choose to engage and hold ourselves tall and strong with an open heart, or to hunch over and hide in our insecurities. However we choose to be will manifest itself over time. By creating the habit of hunching over, we can expect to become hunch backed like grandma by the time we are 50. By making a habit of lifting our chest and pulling our shoulder blades to the back plate of our bodies, we can expect to reduce our chances of back problems later in our lives. All we need to remember is to be aware and to stay aware. It is a practice, which, like anything, is improved with time, patience, and persistence.

Warrior 3

Shoulder Stand

Full Wheel

Scorpion

 

 

Works Cited:

Ground Up Strength “Muscles: Rhomboid Location, Actions, Trigger Points”; GutStrength dot com, 2010; http://www.gustrength.com/muscles:rhomboid-muscles-location-actions-trigger-points

Wathen, Grace; “The Rhomboid Muscle and Yoga”; LIVESTRONG dot com, 2012; http://www.livestrong.com/article/501692-the-rhomboid-muscle-yoga/

WiseGeek; “What is the Rhomboid Muscle?”; WiseGeek dot com, 2003; http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-rhomboid-muscle.htm