Correct Alignment of the Pelvis: Third in a Series

The first post on the alignment of the pelvis was Relax Your Butt which is a fundamental concept of the work I do. The second post on the alignment of the pelvis and a second way to feel that your pelvis is in its proper position was Give Your Butt a Room of its Own. Here is a third way to sense if your pelvis is properly aligned. This exercise is a very subtle way to feel where the pelvis wants to be.

We are going to do some pelvic lifts, a gentle engagement of the pelvic floor that ideally moves the tailbone a tiny bit forward towards the pubic bone. At the very base of the spine we have the coccyx bone connected to the sacrum, the triangular shaped bone between the hip bones that is both part of the pelvis and part of the spine. The coccyx, or tailbone, should move independently of the sacrum. The tailbone can be pulled in different directions by the muscles connected to it but for this exercise you just want to think that it moves forward towards the pubic bone. The muscle of the pelvis floor that we are talking about is called the levator ani and it connects the tailbone to the pubic bone and the two sit bones on either side at the base of the pelvis.

The exercises described below are easy for some and difficult for others. And difficult doesn’t always mean hard to do. Sometimes it is just that you don’t have a physical sense of the muscles I am asking you to engage. If this is the case you want to be patient and take your time until you bring awareness to this key part of the anatomy.

• Start by standing with your pelvis tucked under. Exaggerate it a little and tuck under some more for a heightened effect.
• Gently lift the pelvic floor and feel what happens.  Feel if you can that the pubic bone stops the easy lift of the pelvic floor.
• Stick your butt out too far in the other direction. Again, gently lift the pelvic floor and this time the sacrum at the back should stop the lift.
• Now split the difference and find the place in the middle where the lift up is free and clear. The tail moves forward and energetically the lift goes clearly up through the pelvis to the lower belly and up the central channel of the spine.
• This is the perfect placement of the pelvis, displayed in the balance of the tailbone, pubic bone and the two sit bones.
• Return to your natural posture or your idea of standing up very straight. Either way, do a pelvic lift and feel what happens with the movement of your tailbone.

Getting to know the correct alignment of your pelvis will have long lasting effects on your general health. The body is a machine designed to be used very specifically. Learn the instruction manual and staying healthy and pain free gets a lot easier.