Power to the Pelvis
Hello friends!
Here's your Power to the Pelvis newsletter for August! For most of you, you are getting your kids ready for back-to-school! This can be such a stress-inducing time of year, so I wanted to encourage you with a tip for relaxation using deep breathing.
* Tip of the Month: Diaphragmatic Breathing
We all breathe, in and out, thousands of times per day. But did you know the quality of your breathing might not be supporting your nervous system (or your pelvic floor!). Do you hold your breath? Does your chest lift up when you inhale? When we breathe into the chest we take more shallow breaths, which can activate the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight-or-freeze), leading to tension and stress, which can exacerbate pelvic floor issues. Alternately, when we focus on deep, diaphragmatic breathing into our ribcage this engages the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest), promoting relaxation and reducing tension in the pelvic floor.
As the image above shows, you can see how much deeper the movement int he ribcage is with the diaphragmatic breath. The following technique focuses on using your diaphragm, the muscle below your lungs, for deeper breaths.
- Find a comfortable position: Lie down on your back with knees bent, or sit upright with your back supported, legs uncrossed. Close your eyes if you like.
- Place your hands: Put one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
- Inhale slowly: Breathe in through your nose, counting to four. Your belly should rise, and your chest should remain relatively still.
- Exhale slowly: Breathe out through your mouth, counting to four. Your belly should fall.
Try to focus on the rise and fall of your belly, not your chest.
Visualization Technique: I like to imagine a jellyfish opening and closing as I'm breathing. As you inhale, imagine the jellyfish opening and stretching in a 360° pattern. Imagine feeling a wave of relaxation washing over your body, reaching your pelvic floor and releasing tension. As you exhale, imagine the jellyfish closing to swim upward, and allow any stress or tension to leave your body.
Though I will say if you've ever been stung by a jellyfish, this might not be so appealing, so you can visualize opening and closing an umbrella.
By using deep, diaphragmatic breathing, we allow the belly to rise and fall, which moves the breath downward and this movement of the diaphragm taps into the vagus nerve.
I've talked about it before, but the vagus nerve is often called the "wandering nerve" because it stretches from your brain down to your abdomen, connecting with many organs along the way. It's a crucial part of your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the "rest and digest" response.
Here's how deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve:
- Slowing down your breath: This signals to your body that you're in a safe environment, activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
- Diaphragmatic breathing: Engaging your diaphragm, which is connected to the vagus nerve, directly stimulates it.
Do you have a favorite breathing exercise? I'd love to hear about it!
* Podcast I'm loving
I just recorded my first podcast for the The Thriving Mama!!! It should be coming out in the next month or so, and I hope when it does you will take a listen. For now you can find more episodes to support and encourage moms in all seasons of life, from postpartum to raising teens to perimenopause/menopause. Dr. Stephanie covers it all!! Not only is she supporting moms through her podcast, she has also been a functional medicine doctor for nearly 20 years and is helping mamas thrive through her Thrive Mama Tribe! She is a wealth of knowledge, and I'm grateful to have been invited on her podcast!
See you next month!
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Started treatment in May and have been so grateful for Aleta. Her knowledge, support and care are above and beyond!
~KM
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