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Let's talk about your neutral (natural) pelvis and its importance to pelvic floor exercises in yoga!
Your pelvic floor muscles control how well you poo and pee. As you know, these are important functions to keep you healthy. Yoga helps you strengthen and stretch these muscles, but you need to know how to position your hips. Finding a neutral position for the hips and spine helps you optimize your practice and tone your muscles "down there."
Here are the bones of the pelvis that you need to keep in mind when looking for a neutral pelvis:
Alright, here's your shirtless yoga teacher demo about positioning the pelvis. I know the internet can be mean when it comes to people and their bodies, but a neutral pelvis is SO IMPORTANT that I think it's worthwhile to demonstrate this in order to help you.
Pelvis Tilted Back (Tailbone Untucked):
Spine over-arches and can become fatigued and painful
Belly extends outward
Knees have extra tension and discomfort or pain
Breath my stop in the upper belly and won't extend into the pelvic floor
Pelvis in Neutral:
Natural curve of the spine
Organs are properly supported by the tailbone and pubic bone
Breath can extend into and fully relax the pelvic floor muscles
Pelvis Tilted Forward (Tailbone Tucked):
Tailbone is severely tucked and can cause back pain
Organs are not supported by the pubic bone
Breath can not fully extend into the pelvic floor
What does it mean to have a "straight back" in a yoga class for the pelvic floor?
If you ever take one of my classes and hear me cue you to keep a "straight back," I don't really mean this in the literal sense! In yoga for the pelvic floor, a straight back simply means that you should have a natural curve to the spine and your pelvis should be in neutral. I demonstrated a neutral pelvis while standing tall, but there are some wonderful methods to stay neutral when kneeling or lying on the back, too. I'll cover those another time.
If you're interested in learning more, check out the blog on the website www.yogabelowthebelt.com