Meditation For Pelvic Floor Health: How, Why & Where to Start
Meditation can mean a lot of things to different people.
It can involve prayer, or not.
It can be with movement, or not.
It can be done for 5 min or hours.
It can be guided, or not.
It can be with a mantra, or not.
It’s nearly always described as being “too difficult” to calm the mind to a place of meditation.
Well, friend, I’m here to tell you that if your mind feels too busy to be able to sit and focus on breathing. It probably means that you need it all the more.
Any way you tackle it, the mountain of research is there to support that meditation can have dramatic positive effects on both your physical and mental health. Meditation for pelvic floor health, included.
When I recommend meditation to my patients, I’m generally referring to:
Sitting in stillness
Breathing slow and into belly and ribs
Feeling the pelvic floor relax (See post on Flower Bloom Breath)
Meditation for pelvic floor: Why?
The pelvic floor muscles are like any other group of muscles in your body and they need to fully relax and fully contract to become efficient. Allowing everything to relax with your breathing is a great way to do this.
Yes, you can also just breathe deep and low throughout your day, walking, working or playing with the kids. That is the beauty of pelvic floor exercises, they can be done nearly anywhere.
Listening to your body while you rest in stillness, however, can help you to notice what you are actually feeling.
Is there tension you’re holding somewhere?
Does it feel the same side to side?
If you sit slightly more forward can you achieve a deeper breath?
Is your butthole loose or could it undoubtedly cut diamonds?
Even 5 min with yourself to decompress while you focus on your breathing can make a big difference.
Where do I start?
I’m going to share with you some great meditation resources that can help demystify meditation and encourage implementing it into your every day.
Meditation Apps:
Insight Timer - my all-time favourite
Books on Meditation:
The Untethered Soul by Michael A Singer - the book I always come back to and have the hardcopy, audible and kindle versions
Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment and Your Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
Unplug: A Simple Guide To Meditation For Busy Skeptics And Modern Soul Seekers by Suze Yalof Schwartz, Debra Goldstein
Real Happiness: A 28-Day Program to Realize the Power of Meditation by Sharon Salzberg
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
10% Happier by Dan Harris
My favourite meditation props:
Meditation cushion like this one
Mala - you can purchase ones made of crystals and customize as you like
Air pods for a guided meditation or ear plugs if I’m around the kids (IYKYK)
Next time you’re sitting in stillness for a moment, I want you to think of (and even try!) meditation for pelvic floor health. Step into your new favourite practice and make sure you let me know how it goes … loose butthole and all.
Here for you, (your mind) and your hive,
Laine
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Tseng AA. Scientific Evidence of Health Benefits by Practicing Mantra Meditation: Narrative Review. Int J Yoga. 2022 May-Aug;15(2):89-95.
Ponte Márquez PH, Feliu-Soler A, Solé-Villa MJ, et al. Benefits of mindfulness meditation in reducing blood pressure and stress in patients with arterial hypertension. J Hum Hypertens. 2019 Mar;33(3):237-247.
Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, et al. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Mar;174(3):357-68.
Basso JC, McHale A, Ende V, et al. Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Behav Brain Res. 2019 Jan 1;356:208-220.
About the Author: Laine Wall
If you are looking for a pelvic physio, I would love to help you on your pelvic health journey.
I work out of, and own, a pelvic physiotherapy clinic called The Hive Pelvic Health Co. in Millbrook, Ontario and also offer virtual appointments if you reside in Ontario, Canada.
Have more questions? Get in touch with me.
The Hive Pelvic Health Co. is located in the township of Cavan-Monaghan, in Peterborough County; and is less than 20 minutes from the city of Peterborough and 30 minutes from Durham region.
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