Q: My question is regarding an asana to strengthen the pelvic floor. I have a prolapsed uterus (stage 1) and quite a bit of back and pelvic pain that involves the hip joints as well. I’ve been practicing yoga for many years and I’ve been rather distressed lately by this condition. I find it very difficult to do forward bends without pain and I find that my right psoas is painful. Do you have a specific asana for genital prolapsed conditions in your tapes and books?
A: Inverted poses are all ways of stimulating uterine support and enliven the pelvic floor. Between the healthy pelvic floor and the toned abdominal muscles, however is the important iliopsoas muscle. This core muscle flows through the pelvis supporting all the reproductive organs. The iliopsoas is the corresponding muscle to the pelvic floor muscles and the reproductive nerves embed through it.
Keeping your psoas supple increases blood flow and removal of toxins while counter balancing through toning the pelvic floor. The iliacus muscle (part of the iliopsoas complex) lines the inside of each ileum. When tight and narrow it can pull one or both ileums forward, torquing the pelvis and causing limited range of movement and pelvic dysfunction. I write about reproductive health in association to the iliopsoas in The Psoas Book and address the pelvis and iliacus muscle in Core Awareness, but I do not address specific exercises for prolapsed uterus.
