Pelvic Floor Revisited: Spiraling In - 5 - More Glute, More Kiss (The Half Ass Lesson)
Pelvic Floor Revisited: Spiraling In - 5 - More Glute, More Kiss
Spiraling into the pelvic floor system - an exercise for more power in the glutes while keeping it soft in the lips
Based on “AY 508 On the Right Ischium” (The Half Ass Lesson) as taught by Alan Questel, GCFT®, and Deborah Bowes, GCFT®/PT, and “The Cork Lesson” by Mara Fusera, GCFT®
Resurrect your inner cowgirl with this familiar lesson - though it’s been a while since we gave it a whirl. Commonly known in the Feldenkrais world as the “Half Ass” lesson, this one is about strengthening the pelvic floor system one side at a time. And, just to keep it fun, keep that cork softly resting between the lips to help engage the circle muscles on the exhale. Strength and softness - that’s what we are seeking.
The glutes provide hip stability, effect movement and balance and are thus key to posture. We continue matching corks to glutes to both explore how the glute contractions can coordinate with all the sphincters.
As we have in this series, we pair the power of core muscular contraction with the contraction of the sphincter muscles that control the movements of the digestive track, breath, pelvic floor, hands and feet.
You’ll want a stool or low chair for this lesson. The lesson explores leaving the comfort of the seat, one '‘cheek’ at a time. How do you strengthen one side of the pelvis - glutes, abs, and pelvic floor, by lifting and lowering one hip? If dropping one side of the pelvis off a chair is too scary, an alternative is to have a small lift on hand to support and raise one side of the buttocks: the moving side pivots on the lifted sit bone. You’ll see.
Science Nerd Candy Bowl:
How Breathing and The Core Influence the Pelvic Floor, Kinetic Labs: (first 45 seconds most useful) A balloon demonstrates how the diaphragm and pelvic floor interact during breathing
The Glutes Series Part 3: Gluteus Maximus (Tensor Fascia Latae and it Band) (3D Animation)) , Anatomy Lab, (3:16) Traces the glute connections to pelvis and down the leg
How the Gluteus Medius Stabilizes Your Body During Hip Abduction | Hip Abduction Exercise Tips., Anatomy Lab (3:06) How the deepest glute connects the femur and outer pelvis
""The Gluteus Minimus: Key to Hip Internal Rotation"", Anatomy Lab (0:36) The muscle that adds to turning the femur
Keep your cork on hand for this one
Set Up for Seated lesson:
(Optional) Bring a clean cork that you don’t mind holding between your lips
Sitting on a sideless chair or stool so that knees and hips are level; able to sit with one sit bone on the chair and the other ‘in the air”
Or - seated on chair with some kind of lift for one sit bone: a folded blanket or towel, or 1” yoga block to support the working sit bone
How you might feel after this lesson: Tuned into your root chakra/pelvic floor, New sense of the coordination of breath and pelvic floor contraction and release; Stronger glutes/abs/pelvic floor muscles; Sense of the pelvic floor as a muscle group; New information on side-to-side balance, and an exercise to build up the non-dominant side; Connected from pelvic floor up the center line to the head; Softer lips!; Better understanding of how timing the exhale and glute grab enables tremendous core power; Sense when the pelvic floor is relaxing.
If you have a link for Wednesday 9:30 am or 6:30 pm class registration, keep using it. $40/month; $15/single lesson. PayPal or Venmo to jackisue@aol.com. Or check to Jacki Katzman, PO Box 116, Bethlehem, NH 03574
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