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02. Pelvic Floor Breathing

This is a wonderful PRI based technique to help you restore and reclaim your pelvic floor function and foundational base!

When you breathe, your respiratory and pelvic floor diaphragms need to work together to regulate the pressure in your abdominal and thoracic cavities. During inhalation both diaphragms lower/descend while during exhalation both diaphragms rise/ascend. 

Many of us unknowingly have dysfunction with our diaphragm’s ability to appropriately rise and fall. This breathing technique will teach you how to appropriately activate and synchronize your diaphragms to promote not only optimal breathing but also posture, pelvic floor function and even lymphatic circulation.

Equipment needed:

  • The lowest possible seat height you can comfortably sit in a squat position. The bottom step of the stairs typically works well.

Instructions:

  1. Position yourself in a squat position sitting on the lowest possible seat height, preferably the bottom step on your stairs. If this is not tolerable, move up a step or use some other low seat. 
  2. Place your legs together. You may wrap your arms around your legs. 
  3. Inhale softly, slowly and fully through your nose, while keeping your shoulders, neck and head relaxed, and then purse your lips to slowly and completely let every last drop of air out of your lungs. Pause until you feel a mild urge to breathe again. 
  4. Take another breath in by inhaling softly, slowly and fully through your nose and purse your lips on exhale. You should sense your front lower ribs folding into your belly and your abdominals drawing in as you blow all the air out of you. 
  5. Pause after you fully exhale, until you feel a mild urge to breathe again. Repeat this for about 3 more breath cycles. 

You are now going to direct your attention to your lower abdomen and pelvic floor by intentionally deeply breathing into them.

  1. Inhale softly, slowly and fully through your nose and sense your pelvic floor opening and expanding at the base of your body as you intentionally breathe into this area.
  2. Purse your lips and softly, slowly and fully exhale noticing that as your abdominals draw in, the front section of your pelvic floor also draws up into your body.
  3. Keep your buttocks relaxed and release any clenching. Just soften your body and breathe deeply down into your pelvic floor. As you exhale, sense your pelvic floor lifting up into your body as your abdominals engage.
  4. Pause after you fully exhale until you feel a mild urge to breathe again.
  5. Repeat this breathing again. Inhale through your nose softly, slowly and fully sensing your pelvic floor expanding. Exhale through pursed lips sensing your pelvic floor lifting up into your body while your abdominals draw in.
  6. Repeat this for about 3 more breath cycles.
  7. Complete ~ 3 sets of 3-5 breath cycles incorporating the pelvic floor.

Perform 2-4x/day, for the next 3-4 days. *Unless otherwise directed.

    • Optionally, use your testing technique to determine your optimal frequency and duration to perform.

 

Goal: Be able to feel the following with your neck relaxed:

  • Your pelvic floor expand/descend during inhale
  • Your pelvic floor lift/ascend during exhale
  • Abdominals engaging and drawing in during exhalation

 

 

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