Are you afraid of sneezing without crossing your legs?

Yoga for Pelvic Floor

Have you ever felt a loss of control on your bladder? It could be more than just a goofy leak. Most of us barely know how pelvic floor functions, let alone how to care for it. That’s a shame because our pelvic floor does a lot for our body on a daily basis. Isn’t it only fair to return the favor once in a while? Unlike working on your bicep and tricep muscles, working on your pelvic floor is a little more complicated. Now you may wonder, what does a weak pelvic floor have to do with my day to day life! A LOT, I say. A weak Pelvic floor can lead to several issues, few of which are :

• Incontinence

• Flatulence (Uncontrollable Passing of Wind)

• Painful Sex

You may have heard of the word — ‘Kegels’

Kegels are one way to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, but Yoga provides a holistic approach to your floor muscles. Practicing yoga cultivates self awareness and sensitivity towards your body. Studies prove that Regular practice of the following Asanas, Kriyas and Pranayama have long lasting impact on strengthening of pelvic floor muscles.

Asanas

1. ) Tadasana- Mountain Pose

2. ) Utkatasana- Chair Pose

3. ) Veerbhadrasana II- Warrior II

4. ) Salabhasana- Locust Pose

5. ) Bird Dog

6. ) Ananda Balasana- Happy Baby Pose

7. ) Setu bandhasana- Bridge Pose

Pranayama, Kriya and Bandhas

1. ) Kapalbhati

Seated in a comfortable position, bring your awareness to your lower belly. Inhale through both nostrils deeply. Contract your lower belly as you exhale sharply. Inhalation should be automatic and passive — your focus should be on exhaling.

2. ) Agnisar Kriya

Take a deep breathe in and exhale completely. Suspend your breathe in Shoonyak (Bahya Kumbhak). While in Shoonyak, pulse your abdominal muscles. Continue for 10 seconds and release by inhaling. Be careful to not perform this Kriya right after your meal.

3. ) Moola Bandha

Moola bandha is the yogic practice of drawing the root chakra up and in. The root chakra is said to be located at the base of the torso, or the perineum, which is the area between your anus and genitals. Hold the bandha for 10 seconds and then release slowly. You can repeat this 4–5 times.

If nothing works, laugh out loud and pretend like the water is just tears running down your legs.