The Female Pelvis

Kathleen Kenneally, LAc, LMP, LMHC
206-551-5558
July 2011

The female pelvis bones are exquisitely shaped. Think of a half of a walnut or, even more poetic, a butterfly with spread wings. The pelvis bridges our standing legs and has enough give and flexibility to let us run, jump, dance, stroll and swim. The pelvis provides us with much sensation everyday— sexual pleasures, urination, defecation, menstrual flows, and childbirth. Strength, flexibility and a great design allow for these multitude of functions to occur in this amazing area of the body.

In the Asian energetic field, much is made of the dan tien in the pelvis, the energy center below the navel that is said to be a battery for the body. The seat of the kundalini or “life force” energy, in the East Indian tradition, lies in the pelvis. The fact that humans have a low center of gravity is thought to promote an easy and effective way to ground through the pelvis. Archetypally, because of our capacity for reproduction, women are thought to be linked with the earth cycles and by virtue of our gender are implicitly initiated into the mysteries of creation. As a side note, in Chinese medicine men are thought to have uteruses and, with not much difference in appearance (only a slightly narrower pelvic bowl), much of what has been said of women can be said of men. Culturally, women make a strong statement by becoming aware of their own pelvis. Consider female clitoridectomy or ritual “female genital cutting” as an indicator that we as women make a bold and courageous statement about ourselves by learning about our pelvises and being as self-developed as we can be in our bodies.

The book The Female Pelvis by Blandine Calais-Germain offers a wonderful introduction to the structure of the pelvis. With beautifully hand-drawn illustrations, the bones, muscles and organs of the pelvis are show individually, and then as layers interconnected. Exercises are offered to begin to explore awareness of superficial and deeper muscular structures. Did you know the pelvic bowl has a layer of muscles near the surface of the skin, and then a deeper bowl that is much stronger that supports the weight of the abdomen? There are many beautifully angled bones with bumps and crevices and even a giant opening called the obturator foramen that allows for muscles, nerves and arteries to pass through.

So the function and the structure are quite fascinating all to themselves. Another wealth of information exists as we consider the actions we can take to nurture our pelvis. Relaxation that includes breathing and visualizing using the felt sense is a great way to assist with loosening the pelvic tissues. Tendinomuscular release methods like using a tennis ball on trigger points or tender points in the tissue is invaluable in assisting with pelvic energy flow. Some of these methods are outlined in the book, “A Headache in the Pelvis” by David Wise, Ph.D., and Rodney Anderson, MD. Other suggestions like listening and acting when we feel the urge to use the bathroom, using anti-inflammatory dietary approaches, spreading our “sits” bones when we sit down on a chair, and instructions for a kegel exercise are useful as we maintain our pelvic health.

Equal to the anatomical explorations, are the artistic---movement and visionary--- explorations of the pelvis. For a woman to really consider what her pelvis means to her often leads to profound insights. Using poetry and journaling, drawing, music or sounds, and idiosyncratic movement, a doorway opens into the realms where psyche and body come together. The reason this is so significant is that this is where we are in charge of our health and wellbeing. This is the land of opportunity, the kingdom of the keys. Each woman finds her own answers and forms new ways of seeing and experiencing herself. Energy flows where our focus goes.

There are many reasons to explore the pelvis. Taking a minute to notice if your breath reaches into your pelvis, is a great way to say hello and “welcome” to all of the sensations our pelvis provides us with everyday. Setting in motion healthy habits and attitudes, deepening into relaxation, movement, expression and creativity all support optimum pelvic functioning. Being as healthy as you can be in your body, including your pelvis, contributes to making a healthier world.