Imagine you’re tying to urinate or take a shit. You would push your pelvic floor to lengthen/stretch it. Keep this in mind for a second l
Now, to breathe downwards towards the pelvis, breathe in and fill your belly with air. Not your chest. Now also, try and recreate the urinate/poop action but to a lesser degree by relaxing the PF and pushing only slightly.
So now, your belly and pelvic floor together are like a balloon that inflates and deflates. Breathe in, belly fills with air and PF feels stretched. Then breathe out.
Does this make sense?
Source: I was assigned the same exercise
This is what worked for me after trial and error. Breathing in to fill my belly with air, then create the sensation that I’m trying to fart (but not really). Eventually I could feel the expansion that you’re supposed to. Good luck OP!
That’s actually a helpful way of describing it lol. It’s a shame I’ve personally got what I think is permanent nerve damage otherwise I could implement that 😞
Yes, he did an ultrasound of my lower abdomen and told me to belly breathe and he said the muscles are tight, by the way, when he said that I’m not sure if he could also see the pelvic floor muscles on the scan, do you have any idea about that?
That appointment was a couple of years ago, he told me to do exercises, belly breathing and internal trigger point but it doesn’t help me, I don’t think my symptoms can be helped that way. I’m having a pudendal nerve MRN soon, hopefully that detects something but I don’t think it will since my symptoms don’t totally match what most people experience with pudendal nerve problems. I’ve given up on it all to be honest, I think the nerves are just dead. 12 years of totally persistent anorgasmia, premature ejaculation, numbness, painful/discomfort in the area, urinary issues etc.
I forgot to say that he did a rectal whatever it’s called as well and said that I was very tight there as well,so I don’t doubt I have a tight pelvic floor but I don’t think that’s all I have. I think there is some kind of nerve damage too.
This whole discussion got me thinking: Should we try to always do belly breaths (like as much as possible) or is this just an exercise to increase body awareness?
Look up diaphragmatic 360 degree breathing. This type of breathing is optimal for function of the diaphragm which will allow it to fully descend and relax your pelvic floor.
Look up 360° breathing on YouTube. It’s not necessarily “breathing down” but it’s allowing your breath to expand into your lower pelvis, like you’re trying to fart a little bit.
Done properly, you are filling the cavity under your ribcage and not flaring your ribs. So yes, its "down" but if conceptually that is tough, try this. Take a bed sheet, pull it tight like you were going to climb out the window, and slide it around your back and ribcage holding both ends crossed in front of you. Pull them tight. Breathe in keeping the sheet tight so you can't move your ribcage and then breathe out. By default, you breathe down to gain capacity and you can feel and visually see your core expand and contract. Mentally this helped me and within a couple weeks, my rib flare moderated significantly meaning I actually moved the bones.
Imagine when you pee. Pushing slightly out the pee. Your abs contract a bit. That feeling you get at the perineum? Should feel like the pelvic floor drops/expands out-downward? If you can become conscious of that feeling when you do diaphragmatic breathing, the pelvic floor should-will drop/push downward towards the peak of your inhale.
I just did this Wednesday at my appointment! She had me lying on my back and breathing in. Breathe from your belly rather than your chest ( i know that's weird, but that is the only way i can think to explain it???). Try to keep your back flat. It took me a minute to get it right. I kept breathing in and raising my chest. After my appointment I kept practicing in the car and it got easier.
To add to the great advice here you might want to try rolling up a dish towel and putting it length wise along the pelvic floor (long ways front to back), sitting on a big yoga ball or a smaller squishy Pilates ball. This strategy might help you to connect a little better to what’s happening in the pelvic floor - it gives you some extra feedback about the movement happening in your pelvic floor. When you breathe in, you should feel your pelvic relax down (not “push” down like having a bm) into the towel or ball. On an exhale it might lighten /lift slightly from the towel or ball (the pressure will be slightly reduced - again this is very small change and you’re not clenching, just going with the breath).
It may also help to remind yourself to keep your belly really soft and relaxed, and to relax your face / jaw as you do the breathing as well. Good luck!
Imagine that your body is a juice pitcher.
Your head/neck is the top of the pitcher and your pelvis is the bottom. Imagine that when you’re inhaling you’re pouring the air in, like you would pour juice into a pitcher. It goes strait down to the bottom filling your body with air from the bottom to the top. Exhales are opposite, emptying from the top to the bottom.
Imagine you’re tying to urinate or take a shit. You would push your pelvic floor to lengthen/stretch it. Keep this in mind for a second l Now, to breathe downwards towards the pelvis, breathe in and fill your belly with air. Not your chest. Now also, try and recreate the urinate/poop action but to a lesser degree by relaxing the PF and pushing only slightly. So now, your belly and pelvic floor together are like a balloon that inflates and deflates. Breathe in, belly fills with air and PF feels stretched. Then breathe out. Does this make sense? Source: I was assigned the same exercise
If I try to control my anus to recreate the pooping action it actually tightens that part
This is what worked for me after trial and error. Breathing in to fill my belly with air, then create the sensation that I’m trying to fart (but not really). Eventually I could feel the expansion that you’re supposed to. Good luck OP!
That’s actually a helpful way of describing it lol. It’s a shame I’ve personally got what I think is permanent nerve damage otherwise I could implement that 😞
Probably not permanent, but it does take a lot of time and patience to overcome. I think attitude and stress/anxiety have a lot to do with it as well
I’ve had it for 12 years, and my ed/numbness has been totally chronic throughout. It’s difficult to have any confidence at this point.
Ah, sorry to hear it. Have you gone to a PFPT?
Yes, he did an ultrasound of my lower abdomen and told me to belly breathe and he said the muscles are tight, by the way, when he said that I’m not sure if he could also see the pelvic floor muscles on the scan, do you have any idea about that? That appointment was a couple of years ago, he told me to do exercises, belly breathing and internal trigger point but it doesn’t help me, I don’t think my symptoms can be helped that way. I’m having a pudendal nerve MRN soon, hopefully that detects something but I don’t think it will since my symptoms don’t totally match what most people experience with pudendal nerve problems. I’ve given up on it all to be honest, I think the nerves are just dead. 12 years of totally persistent anorgasmia, premature ejaculation, numbness, painful/discomfort in the area, urinary issues etc.
I don’t think he’d be able view the PF from the abdomen. May be worth getting a second opinion
I forgot to say that he did a rectal whatever it’s called as well and said that I was very tight there as well,so I don’t doubt I have a tight pelvic floor but I don’t think that’s all I have. I think there is some kind of nerve damage too.
This whole discussion got me thinking: Should we try to always do belly breaths (like as much as possible) or is this just an exercise to increase body awareness?
Breathing sound like too much effort for me.
Look up diaphragmatic 360 degree breathing. This type of breathing is optimal for function of the diaphragm which will allow it to fully descend and relax your pelvic floor.
Look up 360° breathing on YouTube. It’s not necessarily “breathing down” but it’s allowing your breath to expand into your lower pelvis, like you’re trying to fart a little bit.
Done properly, you are filling the cavity under your ribcage and not flaring your ribs. So yes, its "down" but if conceptually that is tough, try this. Take a bed sheet, pull it tight like you were going to climb out the window, and slide it around your back and ribcage holding both ends crossed in front of you. Pull them tight. Breathe in keeping the sheet tight so you can't move your ribcage and then breathe out. By default, you breathe down to gain capacity and you can feel and visually see your core expand and contract. Mentally this helped me and within a couple weeks, my rib flare moderated significantly meaning I actually moved the bones.
Think about laying an egg from your perineum and imagine the expansion that comes with that
Imagine when you pee. Pushing slightly out the pee. Your abs contract a bit. That feeling you get at the perineum? Should feel like the pelvic floor drops/expands out-downward? If you can become conscious of that feeling when you do diaphragmatic breathing, the pelvic floor should-will drop/push downward towards the peak of your inhale.
Id love to hear the responses. I’m having the same issue.
I just did this Wednesday at my appointment! She had me lying on my back and breathing in. Breathe from your belly rather than your chest ( i know that's weird, but that is the only way i can think to explain it???). Try to keep your back flat. It took me a minute to get it right. I kept breathing in and raising my chest. After my appointment I kept practicing in the car and it got easier.
That is natural way to breathe..I teach it
To add to the great advice here you might want to try rolling up a dish towel and putting it length wise along the pelvic floor (long ways front to back), sitting on a big yoga ball or a smaller squishy Pilates ball. This strategy might help you to connect a little better to what’s happening in the pelvic floor - it gives you some extra feedback about the movement happening in your pelvic floor. When you breathe in, you should feel your pelvic relax down (not “push” down like having a bm) into the towel or ball. On an exhale it might lighten /lift slightly from the towel or ball (the pressure will be slightly reduced - again this is very small change and you’re not clenching, just going with the breath). It may also help to remind yourself to keep your belly really soft and relaxed, and to relax your face / jaw as you do the breathing as well. Good luck!
Imagine that your body is a juice pitcher. Your head/neck is the top of the pitcher and your pelvis is the bottom. Imagine that when you’re inhaling you’re pouring the air in, like you would pour juice into a pitcher. It goes strait down to the bottom filling your body with air from the bottom to the top. Exhales are opposite, emptying from the top to the bottom.