Thanks for watching! If you are struggling with pelvic floor dysfunction and would like to follow a structured program, click this link for my course: geni.us/Kk4eto
@@aounaibek5201 I think pelvic floor relaxation would be best. You should also try to see a pelvic floor physiotherapist as they can do an assessment to confirm the best approach 😊🌸
Thank you for bringing this very difficult topic up and provide instruction on how to help improve the pelvic floor. It does feel like a taboo or shameful topic, as you said more people need to talk about this openly and not feel ashamed. This may be why there has not been more comments, I know that I was apprehensive to comment since my name would be attached. Look forward to the book. Please keep up the videos. This does make a difference.
Thank you for the comment Serena, I really appreciate the feedback. I understand your apprehension, it takes courage to stand up and talk about these taboos. I will post some more videos this week 🙏🏻😊❤️
This is brilliant and should be taught to all people during public school health class relative to basic daily living skills around true prevention (not "prevention" the way the traditional medical system misinforms, disinforms, distorts the word; they ignorantly negligently use the word "prevention" to mean "early diagnosis."). Thank you Goddess Denise! I don't have leakage but do have high risk of hernias and pain, and even w/o any symptoms, true prevention is really important to creating a strong individual, family and society.
What a treasure you are!! Flower Empowering can change lives. Thanks to TH-cam for making the sharing of this important work possible. A delightful presenter, a soothing voice, sharing the love.
This is wonderful! I have pelvic floor issues and being able to visualize the different parts contracting and coming together is so helpful! It has changed the way I think about kegels and pelvic floor structure. Thank you!
I’m glad you found the explanation useful Emma Jane 😊 We are running a free 30 day pelvic floor challenge in March if you would like to join. I’ll be unloading some details on how to register in the next few days 👍🏻
This is great, thanks, Denise. I’ve been doing Pilates for over a dozen years now but it’s always so helpful to get back to basics. I’m going to try and do this daily for the next few weeks and get more consciousness. Thank you again.
These exercises make sense. I am really impressed that you actually respond to the questions and concerns of your followers. I have stage 1 rectocele and cystocele prolapse. I hope these help. I hate this!
Sorry to hear you are dealing with prolapse. These exercises should help. It can also be helpful to do Hypopressives, there’s a whole series of exercises on the channel. And thank you did the kind feedback 😊🌸
Thanks for the feedback Amelia. It's good to include this pelvic floor control work into your regular practice. Don't forget though that it takes more than just strength work to restore full function to your pelvic floor. Make sure that you are also doing relaxation and stretching (I have other videos on that). Also, in order to continuity approve, you have to use a variation of stimulus to provoke the muscles to grow stronger. I will make some new videos in the coming weeks and months to address this. Good luck with your journey and do let me know how you get on.
In which position did you do the exercises? Pain in the low back could be an indication of some weakness in the core muscles. You could try doing these exercises in hook-lying position instead, where you lay on your back with your knees bent. Put your feet wider than hip distance and allow your knees to rest against each other.
Is it ok to be achy after kegels? Tailbone area. Have spent a few weeks doing relaxation for pelvic tightness.(also have prolapse) PT suggested to try kegels now. But I'm sore? Not ready yet? Or do less? Thanks 😊
Thank you so much for this practice. It was quite emotional for me. After the birth of my 2nd child I ended up with a Levator Avulsion, nerve damage and a cystocele. Even after PT I struggle to hold a kegel (I just feel a twitch), or feel the mind muscle connection throughout my pelvic floor (particularly the area where the nerve damage is affecting.) As difficult as the exercises are I will be spending the 20 minutes every day to check in with each part of my pelvic floor.
I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having such a tough time with pelvic floor dysfunction. Breaking down the Kegels in this way should help immensely. Made a huge difference for me. Let me know how it goes for you. Good luck 🍀
Thank you so much for this video! I've been doing it on a regular basis in the last few weeks and I have definitely gained more control over my pelvic floor. However, a constant problem of mine is that other muscles like the glute or the inner thigh muscle participate in my exercises, so it is hard for me to focus only on my pelvic floor muscles. Also, I've caught myself compressing these muscles in my everyday life (while sitting or while having stress). Do you have any advice how I can keep them relaxed?
Hi Sarah, it is natural for other muscles to want to participate, in fact, one you have a decent level of control, you should start working to train co-contractions. Inevitably the business of your body’s movement is all about balancing the load of tension and pressure when you move. If you are finding that you hold tension in specific areas when you are sitting relaxing, try to send relaxation signals. Yoga nidra body scan meditations can be very helpful with releasing tension (and even helping you to see where you are holding subconsciously), I would suggest you try yoga nidra. I don’t have a nidra video but am planning to make one soon 💕
Thank you so much for your advice! I'll definitely give yoga nidra a go and I am excited for your future video on this topic :) I'm so glad I've found you on TH-cam, your videos really help me a lot!
@@ksi8011 If you have pelvic pain, you should wok on the relaxation video instead until your pain has subsided. Once the pain is gone, you can start working on this one to regain control. th-cam.com/video/2yx0_PK0Q-4/w-d-xo.html
Thank you very much for this! I could feel what you meant, just inhaling and exhaling sometimes gets mixed up. I believe this exercise can make a singer have much better control oh his/her voice through better breath control. What is your opinion? Thanks, Atheer
Yes! This is beneficial for singers. Singers have a lot of breathing exercises. Although they are not specifically focused on the pelvic floor. Singing is also a great way to control intraabdominal pressure when going for a poop if you strain 😄
I am recovering from vaginismus and due to covid have missed sessions with my PT. I thought this video might be a good practice in the meantime. PT has often triggered deeply emotional releases and in a way I am used to this also being part of my recovery. What I didn't expect was that just these gentle, mild exercises might also be as emotional. Just under 8 minutes in I had to stop and tears just streamed out for several minutes. I don't understand where it comes from, but I have learned over time to to be kind and gentle with myself and accept it, as it's most likely pain that I didn't even know I was holding that's finally finding its way out of my body. I'll do this again tomorrow and see if I can make it any further. So, thank you for your work and for putting this out for the world to receive.
A Dove, thank you so much for sharing your experience. Your words will be very beneficial to others who are experiencing similar difficulties. When it comes to emotional release around relaxing and releasing, it is actually very common. In yoga we call it “issues in out tissues” where emotional tension is held in the connective tissue and muscle. It is the nervous system that is managing this holding of tension. You could view this tension as “protective tone” which can produce conditions such as vaginismus. When you can relax and release an area that has been holding on to tension from trauma, particularly if it has a strong emotional connection, the resulting relaxation can produce a deep emotional release. In all of my yin classes, at least one person has an emotional release. Basically, the release of this long held tension is retraining the nervous system that the danger which first stimulated the protective tone is no longer present. Keep letting go until there is nothing left to let go of. Pay attention when in situations that are stressful and bring your attention into your body to see where you place that tension, and there and then in the stressful situation, begin to relax. This is something that has had a very profound impact on my life so I hope it is also helpful for you. Take care and let me know how you get on 💕
Thank you for leaving this comment, I too suffer with vaginismus although I have been too scared to seek treatment. And NHS waiting times have extended due to covid so even if I wanted to find help I would have to wait months. I am really hopeful that these videos can help me. I have suffered for years and it is the most frustrating thing I've ever experienced. I pray for a day I might no longer suffer from this, it just seems impossible! I hope you continue to recover and you have a full recovery before too long
Hello, Denise! It's my first time here. Thank you for your wonderful video and instruction. I am a bit confused however with the second half which starts around the 14:14 minute mark and goes to the 17 minute mark. This is the part where you instruct us to bring all parts together, starting front back, then side to side, like a cross, and so on, and so on, adding and feeling the sensation of all other parts, eventually bringing it all together. I understand what you're saying of course, but do we keep the contraction going for the duration (14:14 to 17 min) of all the parts for this whole time, as we are adding all the parts? It's just that you weren't saying to release at any time until the end (17 min mark). I'm sorry if this is a stupid question. I hope you even understand my question! Lol. Sorry if I am confusing! Thank you so much in advance for your reply!
Hi Tracey, this is a great question! When you start out with connecting to your pelvic floor using this method, there are a few things to take into consideration. First thing to point out is that this video shows how to layer all the parts of a proper pelvic floor contraction together- however, it’s not where you start. The reason for breaking the exercise down into these steps is to ensure that there is a good mind to muscle connection. Then you practice the parts in isolation until you can actually feel and move each part before trying to layer them all together Secondly, the rate of effort when doing the contraction isn’t as strong as you can possibly contract. If you try to contract maximally, you will also recruit other muscles (core, abductors etc). The contraction is more of a gentle feeling and movement. It is easier to hold the earlier layers when you first learn to do each part in isolation. Did you by any chance try the 30 day challenge? When you sign up, you will find a pdf that includes instructions on each step and how prepare for the challenge (which is a higher level of pelvic floor training than this). You can find the challenge here: geni.us/kM3m Let me know if that answers your questions! (And sorry for the delayed response!)
Hi. I just wanted to share I sat on my beanbag pouffe to do this today and it really helped me feel the muscles. 😃 I have arthritis do this was comfortable for me.
hi... thank you for videos like this, it is so useful . But I have some problem: since English is not my native language, I don't understand all body parts you are talking about. Some of them yes, but very few . could you please recommend some video or something, so I can learn all of them, because I can't fallow instructions, if I don't know where I have to connect and contract.....Thanks in advance :)
Thank you so much for the feedback Daila! What is your language? I can make a video showing the different parts of the pelvic floor that should be contracted. I will add that to my list.
Hi Denise! I have a hard time understanding instruction: upwards in inwards. I don't know how to explain my logic - but is this means that both of these moves (up and in) go towards the same direction but inwards mean that further movement to the inside? This is so hard to explain, my apologies.
That’s a great question! Upwards and inwards are the same. I generally say both because I want you to contract the deepest layer of pelvic floor muscles that are about 3 or 4 cm inside, so visualizing not just lifting the outside up but also lifting the inside up. Does that help?
Thank you for this video , it’s the best one I have ever watched on pelvic floor most just say squeeze an lift ! I was wondering, when you go through the build of the kegel, I can’t get a smooth hold, I tend to pulse and my breath disturbs my connection- does this improve with time or is there something I can work on ( other than simply doing it more often )? Thank u immensely
Hi Jen, I've only just seen your comment now, not sure how i missed it! Have you been working on building up your kegels? When starting out, it's good to focus on one thing at a time. If your breathing is interrupting your ability to do a smooth hold and lift, the reason is likely for a two-fold. Firstly, weakness in the pelvic floor - even when breathing is smooth, you can have a jerkiness to the contraction, almost like a flickering if your muscles are not used to putting in the work. Think of this like your legs shaking when you start squatting for the first time. With consistent varied practice over time, your contractions will become more solid. Secondly, if your breathing is restricted in some way (which is the case for many), you will need to practice breathing, freeing up the diaphragm (which is also a muscle that needs to grow strong. I am preparing to make some new videos and will make a few that specifically address your questions and offer some tips. Again, I apologise for the very very long delay in answering your comment! Secondly
Hi Denise, In the second round of this exercise, are we just imagining and sensing or physically participating together with breathing? As i got a bit lost in what to do. Thanks.
Hi Rose, great question! In this video you should breathe and work on contracting the different parts of the pelvic floor. The focus here is on relaxing the body completely while gently feeling that pelvic floor with your mind and contracting softly. It is an exercise to enhance the mind to muscle connection and can be tricky at the start. I’ll be making some more videos soon and will put a little more thought into my language to make this clearer. Hope that helps!
This is a really great place to start. The 20 minute practice begins to get all parts of your pelvic floor working. When it feels easy, there are more videos on the channel as well as a 30 day Challenge. The challenge is tough so you should probably not do it within 30 days if you are getting started but rather over many months. You can also add Hypopressive exercises. Really, really important that you check all exercises with your pelvic floor physiotherapist to see if there is anything you should be avoiding.
Hi Myma, in the video we are working on contracting the pelvic floor on exhale and relaxing on inhale. You don’t need to make the expansion happen, it should happen naturally. It’s not bearing down or pushing, just stop contracting the pelvic floor and allow the intraabdominal pressure to move without resistance. Does that help? This video explains a little more on the mechanics of breathing: th-cam.com/video/8uMiz1Zx1r0/w-d-xo.html
Your pelvic floor does affect your continence. Have your seen a pelvic floor physio to get checked? The exercises in this video should help. You can read more about incontinence here: theflowerempowered.com/knowledge-portal/urinary-incontinence/
Yes, I was completely incontinent and am now fully continent. You can overcome issues with leakage. I have written a book about it. You will find links in the video description 😊🌸
Wow.. that was amazing.. I made all the connections .. all felt distinctly different .. I hope this helps my stage 2 rectal mucosa prolapse.. will do every night.. thank you so so much🥰
Is it only me that is used to contract on inhale and release on exhale? Or is the case for everyone and this is the point, to learn doing it the opposite way? Right now I'm confused about this... I first need to learn to breath right and then work with all those muscles.
Traditionally pelvic floor exercises were instructed with contraction on inhale, but as research has developed over time, the relationship between the diaphragm and pelvic floor has been better understood. When you inhale, your pelvic floor naturally relaxes as the downward pressure creates expansion. As you exhale, the pelvic floor contracts as the upward pressure lifts the pelvic floor. When retraining the pelvic floor, it is good to take advantage of this natural lift when exhaling as it taps into a natural reflexive action. Of course, as you progress with your rehabilitation, you will practice in different ways, including taking multiple breath cycles while holding a pelvic floor contractions. My upcoming book offers a program of empowerment that teaches many ways to train the pelvic floor, breathing, movement and more. The focus is on optimising the patterns that are at play in body, mind and life. I'm so excited to share it. Just getting final edits done now!
Yes Abhishek, when starting out, you should perform the contraction on the exhale as the pelvic floor lifts with the diaphragm when you exhale so there is some extra help lifting from above. Once you build some strength, you’ll be able to contract with lift on both the inhale and the exhale.
Are these exercises good to balance hormones also would these help with irregular menstrual cycles ? Two years ago one of my PCPs told me my uterus was tilted then I went to gynecologist they said it wasn’t. So I’m confused but gynecologist did refer me I think to a urologist?
Your hormone balance is heavily impacted by stress. I would suggest you remove as much stress as possible from your life and focus on relaxing yoga to help you destress. This wee routine to regain control is quite relaxing and is good to do if you are struggling with pelvic floor control. Hope that helps!
The Flower Empowered yes thank you I’ve been trying to eliminate as much as I can setting more boundaries with family and toxic energies is a must for me these days slowly shaking off negative situations
It’s generally better to focus on relaxation with vaginismus, but sometimes maximum strength Kegels can help. Are you seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist?
👋 Thanks for watching! I get a lot of comments every day and at the moment, I am struggling to keep up with answering them all 😅 I will do my best to answer your question in good time. If you would like to ask me a question directly, you can book a short 1:1 zoom coaching call: geni.us/V8rJ 👩🏼💻
The body changes from day to day, but consistent practice over a longer time produces adaptations in the muscles that will result in more consistent and sustainable strength
Hi, Anything that impacts the alignment of the spine can have an impact on the pelvic floor. I would suggest you visit a physiotherapist for an assessment. Good luck!
My brain doesn't control bowel movements as it used to when I was a kid. I even have to pay very close attention to fart. When I try to let go I instead hold back in, it's getting hard control. I don't know if these will help
Hi Masuba, you are not alone! Most of us lose connection with our reflex’s due to busy stressful lives. We don’t poop when our body sends the message. We hold and then struggle to force the poop out when we want to (even though by then the body isn’t sending the signal). Your reflexes are a superpower! (theflowerempowered.com/2018/08/07/have-you-lost-control-of-your-superpower/) I suggest that rather than trying to add more tension with pelvic floor exercises, you instead work to release tension. Relaxation of the anal sphincter is required in order to fart/poop. When you hold a lot of tension in the pelvic floor, it can be harder to relax. Stretching exercises stimulate little sensory organs in your muscle tendons that trigger relaxation of the contractile muscle fibers so you are better trying these relaxation exercises: th-cam.com/video/2yx0_PK0Q-4/w-d-xo.html Do let me know how you get on 💕
@@TheFlowerEmpowered thanks so much am going to try those. But also I notice that apart from the tension I also have a rectocele condition. What exercise can I do for that
masuba brenda the rectocele should be less symptomatic when you can relax your pelvic floor. Excessive straining can make a rectocele feel symptomatic. You need to make sure your poop is a good consistency (around 3 on the Bristol stool scale: theflowerempowered.com/bristol-stool-scale/ ). Also make sure to optimize your sitting position when you poop as that changes the anorectal angle to aide an easier exit: m.th-cam.com/video/NSL01gjVAJY/w-d-xo.html What you eat can plays a major role. If you relax your pelvic floor muscles, elevate your heels when pooping and make sure you poop is not too hard to pass, this will reduce straining and should actually alleviate the symptoms of rectocele. After that, you can add pelvic floor exercises if needed, but they might not be needed.
Hi, your sitting bones won’t actually come together. I say to draw them towards each other as I want you to contract the muscles in between these bones. If you lay down with you knees up and find your sitting bones with your index fingers. Move your fingers towards the center either side of the perineum, you will feel the muscles that we are targeting in this step. Just imagine those muscles trying to pull the sitting bones towards each other and notice if you can focus your contraction on that area. Does that help?
You have to feel your sit bones first. Once you are aware of them you can move them. It's not like moving your leg. It's an inner movement, but it is do-able.
Thanks for the video! I have a question. I'm a male beginner with these exercises and I have pretty good control over the area around the anus, but the more I try to move towards the front the harder it gets. Is it normal to bairly be able to contract the Bulbospongiosus muscle for example?
Hi Daniel, touch can help when you struggle to establish the mind to muscle connection. Just touch gently with your finger and use that feeling of your finger to help your mind find the muscle. Let me know if that works. Otherwise, we should think of some different cues that could lead your mind to the right muscle. It is fairly common for it to be easier to contract the external anal sphincter than the more anterior muscles. Good luck!
![ปฏิเสธไม่ไหว (Crush on you) - LIPTA feat. No One Else [TEASER MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VC689EgdSIw/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for watching! If you are struggling with pelvic floor dysfunction and would like to follow a structured program, click this link for my course: geni.us/Kk4eto
Thank you very much. I suffer from pelvic pain, constipation and frequent urination, should I do Kegel exercises or relaxation exercises
@@aounaibek5201 I think pelvic floor relaxation would be best. You should also try to see a pelvic floor physiotherapist as they can do an assessment to confirm the best approach 😊🌸
Thank you for bringing this very difficult topic up and provide instruction on how to help improve the pelvic floor. It does feel like a taboo or shameful topic, as you said more people need to talk about this openly and not feel ashamed. This may be why there has not been more comments, I know that I was apprehensive to comment since my name would be attached. Look forward to the book. Please keep up the videos. This does make a difference.
Thank you for the comment Serena, I really appreciate the feedback. I understand your apprehension, it takes courage to stand up and talk about these taboos. I will post some more videos this week 🙏🏻😊❤️
This is brilliant and should be taught to all people during public school health class relative to basic daily living skills around true prevention (not "prevention" the way the traditional medical system misinforms, disinforms, distorts the word; they ignorantly negligently use the word "prevention" to mean "early diagnosis."). Thank you Goddess Denise! I don't have leakage but do have high risk of hernias and pain, and even w/o any symptoms, true prevention is really important to creating a strong individual, family and society.
Thank you so much for the very kind feedback Heather. It really means a lot to know that my work is helping someone 💕🌸
What a treasure you are!! Flower Empowering can change lives. Thanks to TH-cam for making the sharing of this important work possible. A delightful presenter, a soothing voice, sharing the love.
Thank you for the very kind words 😊💕🙏🏻
Wow! I've never broken mula bandha or kegels down like this. Thank you very much for taking the patience and time to walk us through it.
So glad you found it helpful! I learned that technique from Kino McGregor, she is awesome 🤩 @kinoyoga
Wow this is one of the best pelvic floor exercise videos that’s I’ve ever seen. Thanks for your very instructional and accessible video!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊🌸
This is wonderful! I have pelvic floor issues and being able to visualize the different parts contracting and coming together is so helpful! It has changed the way I think about kegels and pelvic floor structure. Thank you!
You are so welcome Heather, so happy you found this method useful 💕
That’s great at explaining all the different areas of my pelvic floor and how to bring them together! 😃👍
I’m glad you found the explanation useful Emma Jane 😊 We are running a free 30 day pelvic floor challenge in March if you would like to join. I’ll be unloading some details on how to register in the next few days 👍🏻
Thank you Denise! I'm going to do this now for 2 weeks before progressing - I'm on my 3rd day now. Thanks again😚
Fantastic! Stick with it, consistent practice gives the best results 😊💕
Thanks for the exercices
My pleasure!
This is great, thanks, Denise. I’ve been doing Pilates for over a dozen years now but it’s always so helpful to get back to basics. I’m going to try and do this daily for the next few weeks and get more consciousness. Thank you again.
You are very welcome. Let me know how it goes 🌸
Thank you for your encouragement,this was my first time using this video . I will be back tomorrow 😊
You are most welcome Doris, good luck with your rehab 💕
These exercises make sense. I am really impressed that you actually respond to the questions and concerns of your followers. I have stage 1 rectocele and cystocele prolapse. I hope these help. I hate this!
Sorry to hear you are dealing with prolapse. These exercises should help. It can also be helpful to do Hypopressives, there’s a whole series of exercises on the channel. And thank you did the kind feedback 😊🌸
Thank You so much for this video! I’m going to use it to regain control for the next 6 weeks and keep it up every day after!!!
Thanks for the feedback Amelia. It's good to include this pelvic floor control work into your regular practice. Don't forget though that it takes more than just strength work to restore full function to your pelvic floor. Make sure that you are also doing relaxation and stretching (I have other videos on that). Also, in order to continuity approve, you have to use a variation of stimulus to provoke the muscles to grow stronger. I will make some new videos in the coming weeks and months to address this. Good luck with your journey and do let me know how you get on.
Thank you. Great video and really well explained. Best p floor video I've seen
Thank you for the kind feedback Lisa 🌸💕😊
Denise, it’s so easy but at the same time it’s quite difficult. By the end I really felt my lower back 😳 thank you 🙏🏿
In which position did you do the exercises? Pain in the low back could be an indication of some weakness in the core muscles. You could try doing these exercises in hook-lying position instead, where you lay on your back with your knees bent. Put your feet wider than hip distance and allow your knees to rest against each other.
So happy to come across your video. You are a beautiful person. So relaxing and connecting. Amazing.
Thank you Marshallah21 😊
How can I message you privately? X
Very useful exercises .
I’m glad you found them helpful 😊🌸
Thank God I found this!
🙏🏻💕
Is it ok to be achy after kegels? Tailbone area. Have spent a few weeks doing relaxation for pelvic tightness.(also have prolapse) PT suggested to try kegels now. But I'm sore? Not ready yet? Or do less? Thanks 😊
Exercise can make muscles feel tired/achy, but if it persists, ask your physio if they can recommend a different approach.
Thank you so much for this practice. It was quite emotional for me. After the birth of my 2nd child I ended up with a Levator Avulsion, nerve damage and a cystocele. Even after PT I struggle to hold a kegel (I just feel a twitch), or feel the mind muscle connection throughout my pelvic floor (particularly the area where the nerve damage is affecting.) As difficult as the exercises are I will be spending the 20 minutes every day to check in with each part of my pelvic floor.
I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having such a tough time with pelvic floor dysfunction. Breaking down the Kegels in this way should help immensely. Made a huge difference for me. Let me know how it goes for you. Good luck 🍀
wow great job you are like Kegels whisperer good stuff thanks
Kegels whisperer... I like that! Thanks 😁
Thank you so much for this video! I've been doing it on a regular basis in the last few weeks and I have definitely gained more control over my pelvic floor. However, a constant problem of mine is that other muscles like the glute or the inner thigh muscle participate in my exercises, so it is hard for me to focus only on my pelvic floor muscles. Also, I've caught myself compressing these muscles in my everyday life (while sitting or while having stress). Do you have any advice how I can keep them relaxed?
Hi Sarah, it is natural for other muscles to want to participate, in fact, one you have a decent level of control, you should start working to train co-contractions. Inevitably the business of your body’s movement is all about balancing the load of tension and pressure when you move.
If you are finding that you hold tension in specific areas when you are sitting relaxing, try to send relaxation signals. Yoga nidra body scan meditations can be very helpful with releasing tension (and even helping you to see where you are holding subconsciously), I would suggest you try yoga nidra. I don’t have a nidra video but am planning to make one soon 💕
Thank you so much for your advice! I'll definitely give yoga nidra a go and I am excited for your future video on this topic :) I'm so glad I've found you on TH-cam, your videos really help me a lot!
Can we do this for pelvic pain please tell me it's hurt
@@ksi8011 If you have pelvic pain, you should wok on the relaxation video instead until your pain has subsided. Once the pain is gone, you can start working on this one to regain control. th-cam.com/video/2yx0_PK0Q-4/w-d-xo.html
Can you please tell me why our pelvic pain and thanks for your videos 😍
Thank you very much for this! I could feel what you meant, just inhaling and exhaling sometimes gets mixed up. I believe this exercise can make a singer have much better control oh his/her voice through better breath control. What is your opinion? Thanks, Atheer
Yes! This is beneficial for singers. Singers have a lot of breathing exercises. Although they are not specifically focused on the pelvic floor. Singing is also a great way to control intraabdominal pressure when going for a poop if you strain 😄
I am recovering from vaginismus and due to covid have missed sessions with my PT. I thought this video might be a good practice in the meantime. PT has often triggered deeply emotional releases and in a way I am used to this also being part of my recovery. What I didn't expect was that just these gentle, mild exercises might also be as emotional. Just under 8 minutes in I had to stop and tears just streamed out for several minutes. I don't understand where it comes from, but I have learned over time to to be kind and gentle with myself and accept it, as it's most likely pain that I didn't even know I was holding that's finally finding its way out of my body. I'll do this again tomorrow and see if I can make it any further. So, thank you for your work and for putting this out for the world to receive.
A Dove, thank you so much for sharing your experience. Your words will be very beneficial to others who are experiencing similar difficulties. When it comes to emotional release around relaxing and releasing, it is actually very common. In yoga we call it “issues in out tissues” where emotional tension is held in the connective tissue and muscle. It is the nervous system that is managing this holding of tension. You could view this tension as “protective tone” which can produce conditions such as vaginismus. When you can relax and release an area that has been holding on to tension from trauma, particularly if it has a strong emotional connection, the resulting relaxation can produce a deep emotional release. In all of my yin classes, at least one person has an emotional release.
Basically, the release of this long held tension is retraining the nervous system that the danger which first stimulated the protective tone is no longer present.
Keep letting go until there is nothing left to let go of. Pay attention when in situations that are stressful and bring your attention into your body to see where you place that tension, and there and then in the stressful situation, begin to relax. This is something that has had a very profound impact on my life so I hope it is also helpful for you.
Take care and let me know how you get on 💕
Thank you for leaving this comment, I too suffer with vaginismus although I have been too scared to seek treatment. And NHS waiting times have extended due to covid so even if I wanted to find help I would have to wait months. I am really hopeful that these videos can help me. I have suffered for years and it is the most frustrating thing I've ever experienced. I pray for a day I might no longer suffer from this, it just seems impossible! I hope you continue to recover and you have a full recovery before too long
Vanessa Hicks same! I’m also quite young compared to all the people I’ve seen talk about it so I’m scared I’ll get judged. I wish you the best!
Hello, Denise! It's my first time here. Thank you for your wonderful video and instruction. I am a bit confused however with the second half which starts around the 14:14 minute mark and goes to the 17 minute mark. This is the part where you instruct us to bring all parts together, starting front back, then side to side, like a cross, and so on, and so on, adding and feeling the sensation of all other parts, eventually bringing it all together. I understand what you're saying of course, but do we keep the contraction going for the duration (14:14 to 17 min) of all the parts for this whole time, as we are adding all the parts? It's just that you weren't saying to release at any time until the end (17 min mark). I'm sorry if this is a stupid question. I hope you even understand my question! Lol. Sorry if I am confusing! Thank you so much in advance for your reply!
Hi Tracey, this is a great question! When you start out with connecting to your pelvic floor using this method, there are a few things to take into consideration.
First thing to point out is that this video shows how to layer all the parts of a proper pelvic floor contraction together- however, it’s not where you start. The reason for breaking the exercise down into these steps is to ensure that there is a good mind to muscle connection. Then you practice the parts in isolation until you can actually feel and move each part before trying to layer them all together
Secondly, the rate of effort when doing the contraction isn’t as strong as you can possibly contract. If you try to contract maximally, you will also recruit other muscles (core, abductors etc). The contraction is more of a gentle feeling and movement. It is easier to hold the earlier layers when you first learn to do each part in isolation.
Did you by any chance try the 30 day challenge? When you sign up, you will find a pdf that includes instructions on each step and how prepare for the challenge (which is a higher level of pelvic floor training than this).
You can find the challenge here: geni.us/kM3m
Let me know if that answers your questions! (And sorry for the delayed response!)
Hi. I just wanted to share I sat on my beanbag pouffe to do this today and it really helped me feel the muscles. 😃 I have arthritis do this was comfortable for me.
Thanks for sharing Emma Jane, the beanbag pouffe is a great idea! 😁💕
This is the first clear & concise exercise to begin & gain focus on this area. I will continue for 2 weeks then progress 🙏🏻
Thanks Zena! Do let me know how you get on 💕
hi... thank you for videos like this, it is so useful . But I have some problem: since English is not my native language, I don't understand all body parts you are talking about. Some of them yes, but very few . could you please recommend some video or something, so I can learn all of them, because I can't fallow instructions, if I don't know where I have to connect and contract.....Thanks in advance :)
Thank you so much for the feedback Daila! What is your language? I can make a video showing the different parts of the pelvic floor that should be contracted. I will add that to my list.
@@TheFlowerEmpowered Thanks, I would really appreciate (probably not just me 😊) that kind of video.
P.S. I'm Latvian... so language is Latvian 😉
Hi Denise! I have a hard time understanding instruction: upwards in inwards. I don't know how to explain my logic - but is this means that both of these moves (up and in) go towards the same direction but inwards mean that further movement to the inside? This is so hard to explain, my apologies.
That’s a great question! Upwards and inwards are the same. I generally say both because I want you to contract the deepest layer of pelvic floor muscles that are about 3 or 4 cm inside, so visualizing not just lifting the outside up but also lifting the inside up. Does that help?
@@TheFlowerEmpowered , yeees! Thank you so much for the answer and the amazing content you share with the world!
Thank you for this video , it’s the best one I have ever watched on pelvic floor most just say squeeze an lift ! I was wondering, when you go through the build of the kegel, I can’t get a smooth hold, I tend to pulse and my breath disturbs my connection- does this improve with time or is there something I can work on ( other than simply doing it more often )? Thank u immensely
Hi Jen, I've only just seen your comment now, not sure how i missed it! Have you been working on building up your kegels? When starting out, it's good to focus on one thing at a time. If your breathing is interrupting your ability to do a smooth hold and lift, the reason is likely for a two-fold.
Firstly, weakness in the pelvic floor - even when breathing is smooth, you can have a jerkiness to the contraction, almost like a flickering if your muscles are not used to putting in the work. Think of this like your legs shaking when you start squatting for the first time. With consistent varied practice over time, your contractions will become more solid.
Secondly, if your breathing is restricted in some way (which is the case for many), you will need to practice breathing, freeing up the diaphragm (which is also a muscle that needs to grow strong.
I am preparing to make some new videos and will make a few that specifically address your questions and offer some tips.
Again, I apologise for the very very long delay in answering your comment!
Secondly
Thankyiu for teaching how to draw up and in on the EXhale, id been clenching on the inhale which is not a good feeling
You are welcome, I am glad your found it helpful 😊🌸
Hi Denise,
In the second round of this exercise, are we just imagining and sensing or physically participating together with breathing? As i got a bit lost in what to do.
Thanks.
Hi Rose, great question!
In this video you should breathe and work on contracting the different parts of the pelvic floor. The focus here is on relaxing the body completely while gently feeling that pelvic floor with your mind and contracting softly. It is an exercise to enhance the mind to muscle connection and can be tricky at the start. I’ll be making some more videos soon and will put a little more thought into my language to make this clearer.
Hope that helps!
Thank you 👍
problem with bladder prolaps which pelvic floor exercises you rekomended and what shouldnt do! need some guideline! pls need help
tnx
This is a really great place to start. The 20 minute practice begins to get all parts of your pelvic floor working. When it feels easy, there are more videos on the channel as well as a 30 day Challenge. The challenge is tough so you should probably not do it within 30 days if you are getting started but rather over many months.
You can also add Hypopressive exercises.
Really, really important that you check all exercises with your pelvic floor physiotherapist to see if there is anything you should be avoiding.
@@TheFlowerEmpowered tnx for respons:). i live in sweden, could you please recomend any therapist. pls
Where in Sweden are you?
You can search here: specialists.theflowerempowered.com/
@@TheFlowerEmpowered in Farsta, Stockholm
Thank you. I have a doubt, when you inhale the pelvic floor goes down a little expanding or just I have to relax it?
Hi Myma, in the video we are working on contracting the pelvic floor on exhale and relaxing on inhale. You don’t need to make the expansion happen, it should happen naturally. It’s not bearing down or pushing, just stop contracting the pelvic floor and allow the intraabdominal pressure to move without resistance. Does that help?
This video explains a little more on the mechanics of breathing: th-cam.com/video/8uMiz1Zx1r0/w-d-xo.html
@@TheFlowerEmpowered Yes it helped. Thank you very much !!
You are so beautiful inside and out. thank you for sharing and caring🌹
Thank you for the kind words Lorie 💕🌸
Does it affect my urinary incontinence?
I am struggling with it for a month now.
Your pelvic floor does affect your continence. Have your seen a pelvic floor physio to get checked? The exercises in this video should help. You can read more about incontinence here: theflowerempowered.com/knowledge-portal/urinary-incontinence/
@@TheFlowerEmpowered
I haven't seen one yet . Can it go permanently? it is giving a lot of stress. 😞
Yes, I was completely incontinent and am now fully continent. You can overcome issues with leakage. I have written a book about it. You will find links in the video description 😊🌸
@@TheFlowerEmpowered
Thank you so much for your advice.
I will update about it .
Wow.. that was amazing.. I made all the connections .. all felt distinctly different .. I hope this helps my stage 2 rectal mucosa prolapse.. will do every night.. thank you so so much🥰
Most welcome, good luck with your journey of empowerment 😊💕
God bless you
Pratiksha Pundir thank you 🙏🏻
Is it only me that is used to contract on inhale and release on exhale? Or is the case for everyone and this is the point, to learn doing it the opposite way? Right now I'm confused about this... I first need to learn to breath right and then work with all those muscles.
Traditionally pelvic floor exercises were instructed with contraction on inhale, but as research has developed over time, the relationship between the diaphragm and pelvic floor has been better understood. When you inhale, your pelvic floor naturally relaxes as the downward pressure creates expansion. As you exhale, the pelvic floor contracts as the upward pressure lifts the pelvic floor. When retraining the pelvic floor, it is good to take advantage of this natural lift when exhaling as it taps into a natural reflexive action. Of course, as you progress with your rehabilitation, you will practice in different ways, including taking multiple breath cycles while holding a pelvic floor contractions.
My upcoming book offers a program of empowerment that teaches many ways to train the pelvic floor, breathing, movement and more. The focus is on optimising the patterns that are at play in body, mind and life. I'm so excited to share it. Just getting final edits done now!
I have to exale when lift and inhale while release.....is it right way.....I m suffering from week pelvic floor muscles.....pls help me out
Yes Abhishek, when starting out, you should perform the contraction on the exhale as the pelvic floor lifts with the diaphragm when you exhale so there is some extra help lifting from above. Once you build some strength, you’ll be able to contract with lift on both the inhale and the exhale.
Are these exercises good to balance hormones also would these help with irregular menstrual cycles ? Two years ago one of my PCPs told me my uterus was tilted then I went to gynecologist they said it wasn’t. So I’m confused but gynecologist did refer me I think to a urologist?
Your hormone balance is heavily impacted by stress. I would suggest you remove as much stress as possible from your life and focus on relaxing yoga to help you destress.
This wee routine to regain control is quite relaxing and is good to do if you are struggling with pelvic floor control.
Hope that helps!
The Flower Empowered yes thank you I’ve been trying to eliminate as much as I can setting more boundaries with family and toxic energies is a must for me these days slowly shaking off negative situations
I have tight pelvic floor muscle and suffering from chronic constipation. Is this one beneficial for me?? Let me know madam🙏
Narendra, I would focus on pelvic floor relaxation rather than exercises.
@@TheFlowerEmpowered can you please attach the link for that video in the comment section? It would be very helpful🙏
Ha ha. This morning I thought there’s no way I can do the second round but it was actually easier than the first round 😄
That's brilliant! Often the first exercises are activating and letting the nervous system know that these muscles are needed. Keep it up :)
does this help with vaginismus also?
It’s generally better to focus on relaxation with vaginismus, but sometimes maximum strength Kegels can help. Are you seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist?
👋 Thanks for watching! I get a lot of comments every day and at the moment, I am struggling to keep up with answering them all 😅 I will do my best to answer your question in good time. If you would like to ask me a question directly, you can book a short 1:1 zoom coaching call: geni.us/V8rJ 👩🏼💻
What to do when one day your kegels are more powerful then the other day? This makes it hard for me to hold on doing kegels 😞
The body changes from day to day, but consistent practice over a longer time produces adaptations in the muscles that will result in more consistent and sustainable strength
Mam can herniated disc tighten the pelvic floor muscles
Hi, Anything that impacts the alignment of the spine can have an impact on the pelvic floor. I would suggest you visit a physiotherapist for an assessment. Good luck!
My brain doesn't control bowel movements as it used to when I was a kid. I even have to pay very close attention to fart. When I try to let go I instead hold back in, it's getting hard control. I don't know if these will help
Hi Masuba, you are not alone! Most of us lose connection with our reflex’s due to busy stressful lives. We don’t poop when our body sends the message. We hold and then struggle to force the poop out when we want to (even though by then the body isn’t sending the signal). Your reflexes are a superpower! (theflowerempowered.com/2018/08/07/have-you-lost-control-of-your-superpower/) I suggest that rather than trying to add more tension with pelvic floor exercises, you instead work to release tension. Relaxation of the anal sphincter is required in order to fart/poop. When you hold a lot of tension in the pelvic floor, it can be harder to relax. Stretching exercises stimulate little sensory organs in your muscle tendons that trigger relaxation of the contractile muscle fibers so you are better trying these relaxation exercises: th-cam.com/video/2yx0_PK0Q-4/w-d-xo.html Do let me know how you get on 💕
@@TheFlowerEmpowered thanks so much am going to try those. But also I notice that apart from the tension I also have a rectocele condition. What exercise can I do for that
masuba brenda the rectocele should be less symptomatic when you can relax your pelvic floor. Excessive straining can make a rectocele feel symptomatic. You need to make sure your poop is a good consistency (around 3 on the Bristol stool scale: theflowerempowered.com/bristol-stool-scale/ ). Also make sure to optimize your sitting position when you poop as that changes the anorectal angle to aide an easier exit: m.th-cam.com/video/NSL01gjVAJY/w-d-xo.html What you eat can plays a major role. If you relax your pelvic floor muscles, elevate your heels when pooping and make sure you poop is not too hard to pass, this will reduce straining and should actually alleviate the symptoms of rectocele. After that, you can add pelvic floor exercises if needed, but they might not be needed.
@@TheFlowerEmpowered Thank you so much!
🙏
😊🌸
I’m very confused.... how in the world do you draw the two sits bones together. I simply cannot figure out how to get my body to do this.
Hi, your sitting bones won’t actually come together. I say to draw them towards each other as I want you to contract the muscles in between these bones.
If you lay down with you knees up and find your sitting bones with your index fingers. Move your fingers towards the center either side of the perineum, you will feel the muscles that we are targeting in this step. Just imagine those muscles trying to pull the sitting bones towards each other and notice if you can focus your contraction on that area. Does that help?
You have to feel your sit bones first. Once you are aware of them you can move them. It's not like moving your leg. It's an inner movement, but it is do-able.
Thanks for the video! I have a question. I'm a male beginner with these exercises and I have pretty good control over the area around the anus, but the more I try to move towards the front the harder it gets. Is it normal to bairly be able to contract the Bulbospongiosus muscle for example?
Hi Daniel, touch can help when you struggle to establish the mind to muscle connection. Just touch gently with your finger and use that feeling of your finger to help your mind find the muscle. Let me know if that works. Otherwise, we should think of some different cues that could lead your mind to the right muscle. It is fairly common for it to be easier to contract the external anal sphincter than the more anterior muscles. Good luck!
I can't even sit like she's sitting without getting incontinence.
I show a few different sitting options in the video. You don’t have to sit in the way I am sitting, especially not if it triggers your symptoms.