Does your own body make you uncomfortable?
You know…like your Vagina?
Well, you’re gonna have to get over it.
I’m gonna say it 2509823 times in this article.
What makes you uncomfortable about it?
VAGINA! VAGINA! VAGINA! VAGINA! VAGINA!
There! Did you survive?
What’s silly to me is all the crazy concocted phrases yoga teachers will come up with to avoid saying the word.
Now that’s awkward!
Pretending your vagina doesn’t exist is a mistake.
If you’re scared to even say the word, you probably don’t have a clue how to use it either.
That’s a problem. Especially if you’re trying to develop an otherworldly yoga practice.
Do you see where I’m going with this?
The Floppy Truth
If you’re insecure about your vagina, you’re allowing it to affect your yoga practice.
If you secretly believe your vagina is flappy, floppy and loose. You probably wish you didn’t have one so you didn’t have to go through all the mental trauma that owning a vagina brings.
Well, I’m here to tell you…..you can calm down.
I’ll make your insecurities vanish AND make your yoga practice amazing.
Your Lucky Day!
I’ll make you the queen you deserve to be.
But, before I begin, promise me one thing.
Hearing and saying the word “vagina” will no longer make you antsy.
Because let’s be honest, it is more awkward to say it than it is to touch it.
You aren’t 13 now are you?
Ok. Deal?
C’mon! Promise me. Reach out and shake my hand.
Deal.
Allow me to take you on a journey you’ll never forget.
Let Me Educate You about YOUR Vagina
Trying to learn to float without KNOWING your vagina is like trying to play basketball without the understanding the ball goes into the basket.
Do this now:
Find your favorite fall scarf (hopefully not too big) and your favorite pair of wool socks.
One sock will do.
Take the scarf and stuff it inside the sock.
Now put both your hands around the sock and squeeze.
Demystifying the Myth of “Tight” and “Loose”
The sock is your vagina. The scarf is the muscle tissue along your vaginal wall. And your hands are your pelvic floor muscles.
Make sense?
If your hands become weak they can’t squeeze the sock. If your pelvic floor muscles become weak, they can’t squeeze your vagina.
Your vagina doesn’t get loose and floppy, your pelvic floor muscles get weak.
Let me put your mind at ease.
Your vagina won’t get looser as you age. You’ll never lose control of that prized asset of yours, rest assured.
You are in full control!
At any time, you can “tighten” your vagina by strengthening your pelvic floor.
Exactly what’s my pelvic floor?
Your pelvic floor is the muscles that rest at the bottom of your pelvis.
Your pelvic floor DOES NOT include the muscles that make up the walls of your pelvis which includes your piriformis and your obturator internus muscles. These muscles attach to the heads of your femur bones, your pelvic floor muscles do not.
See the difference?
Your pelvic cavity is the area inside your pelvis.
Your pelvic floor separates your entire pelvic cavity (which is above) from your perineum (which is below).
Your pelvic floor consists of 3 parts:
- Pelvic Diaphragm
- Perineal Membrane
- Deep Perineal Pouch
No need to cover each individual part for now. Just know that these are the 3 parts to your pelvic floor.
Ok, You Promiscuous Lady You….
“Brian, I’ve had sex with 79245748 people 3879273 times 298749 ways. Now I think my husband thinks my vagina is loose.”
If you think that, you probably also feel unattractive, unworthy and unable to accept love and it probably makes for a pretty miserable marriage.
No need to pay thousands to a marriage therapist. I’ll fix this problem for you, with facts.
How to Spellbind Your Husband
Calmly explain to him that HIS MOUTH is like YOUR VAGINA.
Structurally, they’re built from the same material.
Wink at him slyly and tell him to put his finger on the inside of his cheek and pull. Then release.
Observe what happened? It snaps right back into place.
Your vagina does the same thing.
No matter how many times you do it.
Make him do it 100 more times just to prove a point.
Wait Wait Wait I’ve Had 10 Kids
You, have nothing to fear either, my dear.
Yes, the vagina canal stretches A LOT during child birth.
It’s the pelvic floor muscles that get weak while you’re pregnant which gives the illusion of a loose vagina.
Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and your vagina gets tight!
So you too, you can tighten that thing right back up no problem.
Cougars Rejoice
Just like your child-baring compatriots, you have nothing to fear.
Believing you have a loose vagina could stop, even the most feisty of cougars on the prowl, dead in their tracks.
Aging doesn’t automatically loosen your vagina. However, like any muscle in the body, if you don’t use them consistently they get weak and shrink.
You, get to work on your pelvic floor.
Now carry on being a cougar.
Comparing Vaginas
So maybe you’re having a girls night, and you’ve had a drink or two.
Then you get embarrassed by your own thoughts.
“I wonder what my best friend’s vagina looks like”
“Is her’s tighter than mine?”
Again, It’s all in the pelvic floor.
Ok, have I sold you yet?
Crazy for Kegels
Now you know the importance of your pelvic floor.
Many women ignore this area all together because talking about the vagina is awkward and asking about it is even more weird.
Kegels are exercises that tighten your vagina but they have nothing to do with your actual vaginal muscles.
They strengthen the pelvic floor muscles which surround your vagina.
Meet Arnold Kegel
He’s the doctor that made these exercises famous. All the way back in the 1940s at USC (my alma mater, go Trojans!)
Now you know your history. Doing the exercises will have even more meaning!
The Most Effective “Kegel” Routine of All Time
The main reason why I’m writing this article is because women ask me all the time how to tighten their vaginas, but not in those words.
They always think it’s intricate, long, and complicated. So they keep putting it off.
Ready?
It’s not nearly as complicated as you think. All it involves is a yoga block! So you have no excuse!
You can see a video of it here:
1. Grab your yoga block
2. Stick it between your legs
3. Hold Plank, but only hold it for as long as you can squeeze your inner thighs
Either, hold the block in plank for as long as you can 5 of 6 six times OR (I recommend this one) every hour of the day, do this exercise.
By day’s end, you’ll have done it at last 9 or 10 times.
The repetitious nature of it’ll make you strong, fast.
This is the fast track to having pelvic floor muscles that squeeze like a Vise-Grip, and a tight vagina.
If Einstein Had a Vagina
That’s a thought, right?
But, in all seriousness, doing it throughout the day builds the brain-muscle connection.
When you learn to engage your pelvic floor, your Transverse Abdominis turns on. When your TvA is on, your core is engaged. Congratulations.
Do this Kegel and it’ll pay you back in spades.
Your goal isn’t to be able to do it. It’s to be able to do it WITHOUT thinking about it.
That’s how you get your core to engage in more complex movements.
Like floating into crow and pressing up to handstand.
Can you see?
Doing your Kegels (strengthening your pelvic floor) will not only spice up your sex life, but YOUR YOGA PRACTICE as well.
Amplify Your Orgasms
Yes, I said sex.
Let’s talk about it. Specifically orgasms. As your pelvic floor gets stronger, your orgasms will get more intense.
Why?
Your pelvic floor muscles contract during an orgasm. The stronger they get, the stronger your orgasms.
:::SMILES CHEEKISHLY:::
Unfortunately, I can’t teach you how to orgasm.
Strange Noises Coming From Your Vagina
Vaginal farts, queefs, or whatever you call them. They’re natural noises.
First, it’s YOUR body!
No need to be embarrassed over the noises it makes. Especially the ones that come from your vagina. If your vagina wasn’t making noises, I’d be worried.
Your vagina is simple. It’s made to have penises enter or babies go out. That’s it.
Air can easily enter your vaginal cannel when it’s empty.
When you move or do anything that changes the pressure in there, the air goes out and makes a noise.
The weaker your pelvic floor, the “looser” your vagina, the more air that can be let in.
Women with weak pelvic floors make more and louder noises.
So, if you want to minimize the noise, strengthen your pelvic floor.
Finding the G-Spot
Not that spot.
Did I just let you down?
The “Gravity-Spot”.
That magical spot in space that allows you to press to a handstand effortlessly.
It’s time to be gluttonous.
With this new found power of yours, what else can you do with it?
Handstands, Press Handstands, and other nifty tricks!
Not only can you have great sex, but great inversions. Your lucky day, again.
Here’s How You Can Use a Partner
to strengthen your pelvic floor, nail your press handstand, AND tighten your vagina all at the same time.
For a list of highly-effective pelvic floor strengthening (Kegels) exercises, see this post. All you have to is remember to squeeze your legs and use a block when applicable.
Partner L-Sit Press Handstand Exercise
Straddle Press Handstand Side Lift
Press Handstand “Toe Taps”
How to Pleasure Yourself
A press handstand is pretty damn satisfying.
Working on a press handstand with a partner is a great way to bond.
Not only are the above exercises fun, but they’ll help you hit the target.
Now that you’re doing your Kegels, you know FOR SURE your core is working.
This is where you start to makes excuses.
I need to quash this self-limiting belief:
Even if you’ve given birth to a baby or 3, you are still more than capable of learning how to do a press handstand and float around lightly. Stop using child birth as a cop-out!
You too, can be Super Mom.
Stop Believing Your Own Bullshit!
Now pay attention.
From Zero to Press
Meet Alison. My most recent success story.
4 kids later and now rocking’ her split press. (Currently, if you’re curious, we’re now working on the pike press)
And even more impressive, when she started, never mind handstand, she couldn’t even do crow. She accomplished all this AFTER DELIVERING ALL 4 OF HER BABIES.
You Can Do It Too.
I can help.
All you have to do is ask.
Step-by-Step Press Handstand for Mamas
Every person’s journey to press handstand is different.
Understanding circumstance is far more important than understating theory.
This is why many never learn it. The theory is right. But the approach is wrong.
As a mama, there’s a very specific order that you must follow.
1. Post Pregnancy Core Rehab
After you deliver a baby, your must rehab your core.
This is why women who’ve given birth say “I’ve lost all my core strength”.
Because they’ve never rehabbed it. Don’t be one of them.
Just like a broken leg, if you don’t start walking, the muscle will never come back.
Don’t think your pelvic floor is any different.
The Kegel exercise I gave you above does the trick.
2. Bulletproof Your Back
Because your uterus expands during pregnancy, it temporarily changes your anatomy.
The anatomical chances weaken your core and alter your posture.
Your lower back, spine and muscles, feel the brunt of this.
3. Arm Yourself to the Teeth
With a solid core, front and back, your arms will effectively be stronger.
How, might you ask?
Your back is more supportive and your transverse abdominis is actually on.
Now, your arms don’t need to work overtime to hold the same amount of weight. This extra boost allows you to start doing arm balances. Your arms ACTUALLY get stronger. Win!
4. Develop Spacial Awareness
By this point, you’ve got all the tools. And you’re probably stronger than your husband.
Now, it’s just connecting the dots and working step-by-step through the things that commonly hold people back from learning how to do a press handstand. Namely:
- Working on pulling the hips up and forward beyond the shoulders
- Opening up the hamstrings especially if they tightened up while you are pregnant
- Not over-emphasizing the forward shift in the shoulders
- Making sure your pelvic floor muscles can engage during the complexity of the moment
- Strengthening up your hips flexors to hold your legs mid-flight
And you’ll see, with consistent work and dedication, you’ll get it.
Reaching Your Climax
Yes, you can have it all.
A gluttonous yoga practice AND a gluttonous sex life. Because why not?
You Deserve it!
And all you had to do was overcome the awkwardness of saying the word “vagina”.
You never really wanted to live an ordinary life now did you?
Hell no.
This is YOUR LIFE!
And you’re free, baby.
Step out of the darkness of a lie. And step into the daylight of the truth.
It’s what you’ve always wanted.
It’s what YOU DESERVE.
You are beautiful.
You are strong.
So stop fearing the very thing that defines you.
You are powerful.
You’re a woman.
It’s time for you to start believing it.
Your Homework (choose one), in the comments below, please share:
- Something you’ve always wanted to know more about but have been afraid to ask (I’m fielding ALL questions).
- Something that you’ve always been embarrassed to talk about but would feel WAY BETTER if you let it out (Here’s your chance).
- Tell me which part of your body is holding you back from nailing your handstand or your press handstand.
I’m going to set myself a challenge. Your videos and blogs are just what I need
Thankyou ?
Awesome MJ, set a challenge for yourself and write it here, I’ll motivate you and help you stick to it! 😀
As a physical therapist, I absolutely LOVE that you addressed the pelvic floor and its importance. Too many woman complain after having babies that they “leak” when coughing, sneezing, and/or jumping and accept it as their new “normal” when in fact, this should never be normal. This is the kind of information woman need to know and I’m so glad you touched on it, Brian! After just having a baby myself, I’m definitely going start using these exercises to get my pelvic floor/core back in shape and hopefully get my yoga game back! Miss you as a teacher, Brian, and so wish I was still in the area to work with you!
Kelly, good to hear from you and I had no idea you were a physical therapist! And what you state is exactly the same problem in the yoga world. Just not enough education and too much misinformation. Surgeries, pills, and other gimmicks don’t have to be the fix for everything. Congratulations on having a baby, you’re welcome back anytime. Go Trojans!! 😀
I loooove your tutorials and all the info you are putting out there for everyone! Thank you so much. I have been practicing yoga for twelve years and love it when theres something that a teacher says and it just clicks. Amazing how that happens!
Brandy, thank you! My goal is to make an impact and help as many people as I possibly can! This really makes me smile reading this. Please let me know if you ever have questions, no need to be a stranger! 🙂
Haha couldn’t resist looking at this article. I think even as a dude reading this article I found value ( and the colorful vaginas were great). I like the details you described; I often here teachers just do simple cues like “squeeze the perineum tight” or “imagine your scooping up between your pee pee and poo poo.” I like the point you made though that when your pelvic floor is activated your TvA is activated, and then your core is engaged. I think that and the simple vag examples are key because I noticed it’s hard for some people to know if it’s the pelvic floor they’re contracting or are overwhelmed but using that or the anatomical jargon that gets thrown out there these days. Good to bring up the simple vagina that we all shamelessly came out.
True story Jonathan, never mind speaking anatomy it’s boring and no one listens (because they’re bored to death!). It’s easier to just talk about the vagina. Having a background in Electrical Engineering I understand how difficult it can be for most people to conceptualize or understand something if they physically can’t see, think circuits: voltage, current flow vs. power flow, capacitance vs. inductance. They’re difficult to understand since you can’t see it, the pelvic floor or the entire hip region for that matter is like that. And that’s why students struggle. Just speaking about the vagina not only makes it more entertaining, but everyone knows what one looks like so it’s easier to understand. Make sense?
Great article! I’ve been working on strengthening my core/pelvic but I keep running into the same issue. Every time I flex those pelvic floor muscles I feel an uncomfortable tugging on my tailbone. Any ideas on why this keeps happening and how to correct it? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, I have heard of this before. It’s sometimes referred to generally as PFD (Pelvic Floor Dysfunction) and one of the symptoms is pain in the tailbone. But what if PFD really? In *most* cases its just pelvic floor muscles that are weak, tight, or just don’t know how to engage. Tell me a little bit more about yourself, injuries, babies? ect. ect. Glad you enjoyed the article! 😀
Two children, but no other injuries 😉
Tightness wouldn’t really surprise me as my adductors are also tight.
I’m pretty active, despite the demands of two elementary aged children in a myriad of activities. I practice yoga 1-2x a week and run sprints + calisthenics 2-3x a week.
I’d really love to fix this issue as its holding back my inversion progress big time!
I think your key is finding some solid core exercises that you actually do without feeling the pain. And then working on those consistently. I would bet as your pelvic floor gets stronger, the pain you feel will start to get less and less, but you have to take it slow and patient!
Hi Sarah,
I specialise in teaching yoga to postnatal women. Some of my clients have had their tailbones stuck in a position where they were angled back after giving birth. Are you able to do boat pose without feeling like you are sitting on your tailbone? Personally, I experienced having my pelvis stuck in a tipped forward position for over a year after giving birth.
Bottom line, I would highly recommend talking to your doctor about this. I am going through physical therapy now to sort everything out. The physical therapist does small manipulations of my pelvis to move in back in place. Then I do targeted exercises to strengthen my pelvic floor and core muscles. It’s best to have these things checked out by an expert, just to make sure that there aren’t any underlying causes to the pain.
Happy practicing!
I didn’t want to embarrassingly admit this but, most men are nowhere near evolved enough to even remotely understand us women. But you seem to understand women better than us women do! This is a truly fantastic article and just reading it made me feel so good about myself (and that’s something I’ve struggled with over the years). Your words were like I was being spoon fed self-confidence directly from you. I’m truly amazed an article this insightful and delicate came from man. You’ve got a fan for life.<3
Allie, thanks so much for the kind words. Cynics tend to turn emotional issues (i.e. love) and delicate issues (i.e. sex) into gender battles and deflect real issues into a struggle for gender superiority, which doesn’t work. From my perspective, as a man to woman, if you want to see the best of a woman, you must give your best as a man. And that means displaying characteristics that aren’t necessarily considered manly (thanks to the media) like patience, understand, and transparency.
And not to sound like I’m high on my horse, but for men to have more success with women? Try being genuine and helpful WITHOUT expecting anything in return.
I had a cesarean section 15 years ago & read somewhere that it could be impossible to engage TvA now. I’ve tried kegals but give up because they never seem to be working. Is it common for a c-section to permanently destroy brain to TvA communication pathways ? Do I have to just deal with having a weak pelvic floor?
Hi BM, I have read of surgeries in general destroying neural connections and sensations in the body, but I wouldn’t take it as %100 truth. I’m sure that with the right plan and consistency you could build it back up. Did you do any active rehab after the C-section?
No rehab after the C-section. Maybe I should try using a block for planks and see if that helps.
Hi Brian,
I really appreciate your posts and have gotten much stronger through using your recommended strengthening exercises. I am a dance teacher currently, and in the middle of my first teacher training for Power Yoga. I am aware of how important that Kegel Pelvic floor lift is to certain postures, but my question is, how do you bring this up in a more corporate, conservative style yoga class? I know from my own experience that engaging these muscles is what finally enabled me to do crow, but the students and fellow “teachers in training” that I study with are not so comfortable with my telling them to imagine a straw in their vagina sucking up and holding a golf ball. What language, if any, do you recommend to describe this engagement for this type of crowd? Also, I am being held back from press handstand by my wrists. I know to press into the webbing between my forefinger and thumb, but I find this difficult to do. I am small-boned, with child-like wrists, and no matter what I do, I feel like I have to come out of an inversion posture quite often to avoid injury. How can I reframe my alignment or strengthen this area?
Thanks so much for your article. It’s about time someone mentioned the vagina!
Namaste,
Kimberly
Kimberly, in that type of an environment the wording is so difficult! In this case it’s easier to show them the feeling rather than describing the feeling to them. Just skip talking about the hip region all together and show them exercises like squeezing a block between their legs (that should teach them the proper feeling without descriptively describing how).
Oh, and for the wrists, often times focusing on developing back strength plus the combination of training yourself to actively push away from the floor does the trick! 🙂
I was working with a yoga teacher and trained physio recently who suggests that you should imagine putting on quite tight gusset /corset/big underwear as a way of activating pelvic floor, tva and then by default the deep back core muscles which are activated by the same nerve. I quite like that image as its a simple way to start working with these muscles.
Agree with what your saying about not being embaressed about speaking frankly but as a teacher you have to acknowledge that not all your students will be that open and comfortable if you talk like that. I guess im advocating a middle way.
Katy, fair point. If I’m around a group of more “uptight” students I tend to shy away from talking about the hip region all together and focus on talking about the inner thighs and what you can do with there to get your core to engage correctly. Glad you enjoyed the article and I like your analogy!
Brian I just discover you a few days ago and you are the perfect combination of inspiration to me. I love to push my boundaries and this article is awesome!
Not only have I decided to give myself a 99 day challenge to do a press handstand but also a 99 day challenge to have daily orgasms (you did say we could be honest right??).
So come on ladies we can do this, lets build our strength inside and out and have fun in the process!!
Hi Tiggy, yes, honesty is a good thing! Have fun with that one. Track your results, might bring you on the podcast to talk about it. 😉
I am having fun already, thanks 🙂
Finding this site is going to be the best thing I could’ve done for my yoga practice for sure! I love the posts and all the information that you provide. I def have a weak pelvic floor. I’ve never had kids but as you mentioned have had a lot of sexual partners. Therefore, it was way too easy for my mind to go to “oh my god my vagina must be loose as a goose for me to experience leakage when I do jumping jacks, etc”. I’m no dummy, I know the vagina is elastic, but it didn’t stop my from thinking the worst of myself. So thanks for clearing that up! Also thanks for the block exercise approach to strengthening the kegels. I’ve found the usual method of just squeezing them like you’re trying to stop the flow of urine was always really hard for me to do. It almost felt like I had to get my whole body involved in order to accomplish it ha! I’m def trying this block approach today! I really want to be able to float, do crow pose, handstands etc. it’s empowering to accomplish those things!
It’s funny how the mind can play tricks on you, huh? They are all linked keep me updated on the status of your floating. And did you get the Press Handstand Master Checklist? 😀
Thank you for the wonderful tips. I’ve been working on handstand for quite some time and I will use these exercises to strengthen my body to enhance my yoga practice. I practice my kegels daily and it has already helped my sex life. I can’t wait to get my handstand press. Thank you.
Cecelia, yes! Your sex life is a good sign the kegels are working. And, if you stick with them and practice consistently, you’ll see enormous improvements in your press handstand! What’s there not to love about kegels? 😉
Hi Brian! I am the girl who had babies & never got her core/pelvic floor back. I really did think it was gone forever until I stumbled upon you. I’ve been working hard the last couple weeks, using your advice/exercises & I can finally feel my body getting stronger. Yay! Thank you!!! ☺️ Lindsey
Lindsey, I’m SO HAPPY to hear that! With the right plan, ANYTHING is possible. 😀
Hi Brian thanks so much for this post I’ve loved all your posts I’ve read so far – my next goal is to master a press stand I don’t care how long it takes… you have touched on a lot of topics I have been struggling with for a while with this post… After having twins I didn’t pay any attention to my abdominals but see that it’s never to late to work on my core (and the rest). I have a question. I do resistance work pretty regularly and find sometimes when deadlifting heavy that I ‘leak’ a little. This is the only time it happens. So I guess my question is would focusing on my pelvic floor help here? Does anyone else experience this when lifting heavy weights or is it just me!?? Thanks so much Brian ?
SB, I do know that a little leaking is normal and that I’m sure lots of women experience this. But, I also do know that women who have a hard time engaging their pelvic floor also leak more and more often (this is associated with a weak overall core). And also consider, you really don’t want to hold stuff inside you that’s meant to get out. In summary, a little is okay and NORMAL. Based on what you’ve told me, this sounds like the case. glad you enjoyed that post! 😉
Loved the article. I was definitely a little weirded out with the word vagina in the title but I’m so glad I read this. Hit the nail on the head for everything I was thinking. I had my doubts with a guy telling a woman about her own vagina! Very brave, very smart and informative article. I plan on trying the kegels asap not only for a stronger pelvic floor but that press handstand! I now see a light where I thought was dark! Thank you for this!
Megan, glad you found the article helpful! With consistent work, you’ll get your press, no doubt. And thanks for the kind words. Cheers! 🙂
Brian: Loved the article! I practice Kegel as much as I can. When I’m doing the warrior pose or the downward dog for example with each breathe in I squeeze and hold and release on the exhale for a minimum of 5 breathes per pose, then I change sides and do it again. Will try the plank with the block. I love doing unassisted headstands but handstands I need the wall for assistance. I love the idea of having my husband assist in the handstand. Just turning 54 and a grandmother, I LOVE sex and I know that yoga has a lot to do with it!
Sheila, that’s great to hear! You’ll get your handstand, stick with it. 😉
Hi Brian,
This might sound silly, but I’m able to hold the block in place for awhile while doing plank, which makes me feel like I’m doing the exercise wrong (I don’t have a strong core). I can feel my core muscles working, but I’m having trouble determining if my pelvic floor is actually doing any work — it seems like my inner thighs/adductor muscles are doing the bulk of it. Am I doing this incorrectly?
Meera, it’s a bit hard to describe but think about it this way. Do you feel like your stomach and your legs are working independently of one another or almost against each other. Generally, that’s a sign the pelvic floor isn’t engaged. When it feels like all parts of the stomach, hip, and leg region are working seamlessly together, that’s how you know your pelvic floor is engaged! No such thing as dumb questions! 🙂
Do you suggest anything g differently for women that have had C-sections?
I know a lot of this is helpful for women who have already given birth, but are there any yoga postures you can recommend for women who are trying to get pregnant? And also for menstrual pain? Thanks in advance!
Hi Lita, thanks for the question, all poses that effectively strengthen your pelvic floor and the rest of your core are great for helping to deliver the baby. As for poses that you can use to get pregnant, I’m haven’t seen any research that proves any specific pose will increase your chances of becoming pregnant. Cheers!
Thank you so much for this. Getting back to yoga after pregnancy was a little embarrassing at first. I’ve strengthened my pelvic floor enough now to where it only seems to happen in one pose. I’ll keep working on these, so I won’t have to worry about doing that pose either. Great info. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it, Lori!
Wow, I had just assumed that things like a press handstand were just out of reach for me – a million excuses why – but you have given me the tools, the inspiration and motivation to pursue it. I’m amazed, inspired and extremely appreciative. I see the steps to get there clearly from what you’ve shared – and the benefits of doing it. Thanks a million! 🙂
Glad you found it article helpful, put it to good use! 🙂
Hi Brian,
I have been listening to your podcast and LOVING it. This article is basically what my entire business model is built around, helping women rebuild their pelvic floor and core muscles after having babies. After every sentence I basically said “YES!”.
I am working on updating my website now, but will definitely be linking to this article in a future blog post. I also do ongoing challenges on my blog, where I focus on one yoga challenge at a time and then update my readers on how I do. I will definitely add the Press Handstand challenge into my cue of challenges to do.
Carrie
Carrie, nice to meet you! And great to hear on press handstand, it’s a fun one. 🙂
Dear Brian- I can’t thank you enough for this article. It’s really an answer to my yoga prayers! I’m a yoga teacher and I’ve had three children and after the last one two years ago it’s like I’ve lost all relation to the midline and esp. in downdog it’s like my vagina sucks in air and then it’s comes out again (loudly!) the rest of my practice (thanks in advance for speaking candidly and encouraging us to do so as well! I don’t even speak to many women about this problem and here I am writing to a man and on a public forum no less! But I hope others can relate, so I’m being open). It’s quite humiliating and so I only really practice at home. But I’m ready to wake up my core again from it’s long slumber. Going to begin the plank with block holds every hour right away and going straight for that press handstand (no matter how long it takes!)! I’m very very grateful for this! Thank you so much!
B, glad you enjoyed the article. And yes, core core core! 🙂
Thank you for such a wonderful piece. Your post is almost as amazing as my vagina!
I can hold crow, side crow, handstand (one armed as well as two) but only against the wall. I’m 48 and a power yoga instructor. Refuse to define myself by labels or numbers. And wanna nail press handstand and scorpion. I’m working on your ‘how to press handstand’ series. Determined to get it. Will keep training and practicing til I do. Yell at me? Daily? Lol. And…. Scorpion???? ?
Christine, keep me updated on your progress!
It’s my tight shoulders that are holding me back, not only from handstands but almost all inversions. ?
I just found this article. I hope I’m not to late to ask a question.
I have had 4 children. The youngest is 18 yrs old and was over 10 lbs. During the birth my pelvic floor was torn and caused prolapse. I have found that some poses and movements, like boat pose, cause my organs to descend more. any advise for strengthening without doing more damage?
Julia, focus on doing exercises with the knees bent at first, like holding half boat with the knees bent for example. You want to challenge your core muscles consistently without over exerting. Also, avoid crunch like movements that could “squish” and move the organs. Hope that helps!
After my first baby I had stitches and when I healed was very tight with no issues. Mysteriously about 5 years later I noticed my top and bottom pelvic muscles didn’t touch anymore and I felt loose. 4 more kids later and same problem. It’s almost as if my top muscle sits way up and my bottom all the way down with a big pocket of air in between. What happened?
Nicole, what I would work on doing is core exercises that challenge you to about 30-40% of your max and work on holding them for 45-60 seconds. It’ll help to teach the muscles to stay engaged consistently which is what you’re going for. You want to work on rebuilding that brain connection as much as possible!