When you’re looking to improve your movement, it’s really important not to miss out the Pelvis. It’s such an important part of us – attached to all the biggest muscles, and at the bottom of the spine. It’s really your motor centre. In many of the lessons I teach, I talk a lot about the skeleton, and finding skeletal connections in order to move more freely and efficiently.

This week and next in my longer sessions, I’m teaching lessons on the fascial connections of the pelvis, starting with the pelvic floor. I was teaching one to my Musicians groups on Friday. Their comments post-session were so demonstrative of how the pelvic floor connects to so many areas of yourself, I wanted to share some with you:

Connections between the pelvic floor and the jaw

Lois: “That was just wonderful. I can’t thank you enough for that lesson. I found I became aware of the amount of effort in the right side of my jaw that I was using when engaging various parts of the pelvic floor muscles.

I’m a singer and singing teacher, so I work with these areas consciously. In sensing a gentle engagement of the pelvic floor it was wonderful to be able to connect all the way up to the mouth. To feel that it’s not separate parts but one whole system. I love the idea of the fascia connecting as well. I wanted to put into words what you said:

“If we’re tightening the pelvic floor, we are tightening the diaphragm. It won’t work well to breathe”.  It seems obvious, but it’s not really. Because a lot of people are tightening too much, myself included, unless I become aware of it!” After your sessions, I’ve changed to releasing the muscles first, breathing in, and then gently engaging the pelvic floor.

Susan: “The stuff about the fascia was really useful. When you’re teaching young people, it’s very difficult to talk about pelvic floors. But if you’re talking about curling your toes and they can get the feeling of that instead…I just found that it was a bit like a bolt of lightning. I wish I’d thought of that, 20 years ago.”

Everything really is inter-connected throughout your body

The pelvic floor is an important part of a long fascial chain that starts in your mouth and ends in your feet. So everything really is connected throughout your body

Connecting tension with fear 

Luke: “Yeah, the bit about curling the toes was a bit of a revelation, actually.

I’m sort of aware of the pelvic floor and the diaphragm quite a lot from trumpet playing. But when the toes got involved and we did the “seahorse” bit, that really sort of softened it. Whilst the others were talking I’ve been thinking about what the difference is between when you’re just practicing at home, and when you’re in a gig trying to perform with a really good band. the amount of tension you add just because of that desire to be really good

I’m sort of aware of that happening, but to be aware of it when it’s not happening, and then get more onto the subtle level with it would be really useful. So this lesson feels like very important lesson to me.”

This was so great to hear as it really resonated with the work I do with in my course for musicians reducing stage nerves. It’s exactly these kinds of physical differences that it’s important to learn about so we can change how we perform under pressure. And with that, enjoy the experience more.