Relaxation postures

[Slow-low]

Dear Tasha,

After a lifetime of bad posture (slouching, tucking my tailbone under and using my abs to hold my belly in) I’m finding the new posture a real challenge! Can you suggest any postures to help me stretch out and relax my back muscles when they are stiff and aching? I’ve been doing a couple of yoga poses – crocodile twist, child’s pose and cat-cow pose – which seem to help. Are these OK to do? Cat-cow in particular seems to slide everything back in when my pelvic floor is tired. Is that OK?

Also can you give any advice on how to reach down to pick things up? I usually squat down but now I’m scared of anything that might make my prolapse worse. What is better? Kneeling down? Bending from the hips? Or is squatting OK?

Thank you so much for providing all this great information. I’ve only been doing your DVD for two days but it’s given me hope I may recover from this!

[Tasha]

Slow low- I want you to keep re-reading through any posture entries you can find. Your posture must turn into postioning vs muscle contracting. I was just explaining to a patient yesterday, that initially there is a lot of “conscious” effort to unlock your knees, keep your tail bone lifted, to breathe with chest elevation and expansion vs your belly, and to open your hands. Over time and consistent exercise to strengthen your TA with belly draw in and up, your multifidi to lift your tail bone, etc, these muscle will just be on. What once was a “conscious” effort will become a “good habit”, and just a set tone of your muscles that lift pressure off of your pelvic floor.

This takes time and consistency and is the reason why my Advanced Programs like Hab It Cardio continue to focus on glutes, adductors, TA, scapular adductors and depressors. We have to keep exercising these muscles that resist gravity throughout our lives. It is not just a pocket of rehab and we are good for life. It is a new life habit!

As far as Cat-Cow – great mulitifidi exercise on the cow part of the move. I love the multifidi lifts in hands and knees and prone that mimic this. So go for it.

As far as lifting – a wide leg squat to allow you to get closer to the object you are lifting is good. Just be sure to lift your TA befor you actually lift something and be conscious of no breath hold.

Tasha

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