Figuring out Whole Woman Posture -- Headwork

Ha! For those women who have my original video (First Aid for Prolapse on VHS) I gave that very instruction and demonstrated carrying a large pot on my head.

Here in my studio at the WWCenter I have several large photographs of women doing their traditional work. These zuni women demonstrate WW posture so well, highlighting the fact that more weight from above simply pushes them further into the posture: chest lifted, shoulders down, chin pulled in. You can’t balance effectively any other way!

We already move a tremendous amount of gravity-induced pressure through our system simply by walking and breathing. It is that gravid pressure that created the shape of our spine and position of our organs. When you add more weight to the system, it simply intensifies all aspects of these dynamics and this original shape.

Thanks for pointing this out - it’s a great experiment.

Women around the world carried weight on their head, unlike men who are more comfortable carrying on their back. Men have a greater thoracic curve higher in their spine, giving bulk and brawn to their upper body. Women have a genetically more pronounced lumbar curve, which balances the huge weight of pregnancy and anything else we want to include from the top!

Thanks, Monica, and happy International Women’s Day (wish we had planned a party!)

Christine

Hi mamp,
D'you know I was thinking along the same lines myself the other day. I was watching a movie called 'We'lll Take Manhatten' based on the famous (in the UK) 60's photographer Daivd Bailey and model Jean Shrimpton. Their style was a radical deparure from the 50's fashion style of modelling. In it you saw pre 60's models walking around with books on their heads as part of preparing for their professional life. In the movie this was seen as very old fashioned and stuffy. But actually... the fashion model role models have done women's health and development no favours since then...
wholewomanuk

I love to see ladies like Princess Mary and Kate Middleton with their beautiful posture ... even the Queen is very upright for her age.
I now notice when women walk proud and tall and think - I bet they don't have POP lol.

I think this thread is missing an important point, and might mislead someone who is still trying to figure out WW posture.

Standing up tall with something balanced on your head doesn’t necessarily mean you are in Whole Woman posture. It’s quite possible to do this while standing the wrong way (stomach pulled in, butt tucked under). I'm sure that's what those pre-60's models were doing, as WholeWomanUK pointed out. The difference is, WW posture holds your pelvic organs toward the front, and having something on your head will intensify this. The heavier is the object, the more you will feel your pelvic organs stabilizing, if you are standing correctly. It isn’t so much about balancing, but about “weight-loading from above”, as Christine would say.

My experiments this morning included going from bad posture to WW posture, with various objects on my head. I could definitely feel the difference in stability, and the heavier the object, the better I felt. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out how to incorporate this move into my day……..(ha)

Kate Middleton is def tall elegant and beautiful but every time I see a clip where she is standing or walking, I think to myself, that with all that tucking and holding in, I'll bet even royalty have to deal with prolapse!

Last year I walked around a shopping mall with an outdoor chair balanced on my head for a couple of hours. It was Christmas time, and very crowded. The legs hanging down made it balance more easily. Lunchtime was easy. No seats at the food stall. I brought my own! :-)

Louise

Hey ladies, thanks!!!!! The WW womens posture is exactly what I am struggling with. This is my first week. I'm still waiting for the book by Christine Kent "Saving the Whole Women." I think I'm trying too hard to keep in posture all the time. When I sit is the hardest part for me. I will experiment with the balancing things on my head and see if that will help. I'm sure it will if it has helped you. I need to buy the video soon. I just want to read the book first. I'm anxious for it to get here. I believe it is on the was from Amazon. I am so very grateful that this web-site was found. It is amazing and my symptoms have lessened since I have been doing the WW Posture.
Thanks all.

Hi Jaylove

It is more important to get your body arranged correctly than to balance chairs or dwarfs or anything else on your head. :-0 Just concentrate on doing your posture correctly as much as possible. Practice makes perfect, just like dwarf balancing. The more you do it the easier it gets. You just need to be patient, and be gentle on yourself when you need a rest from it. Overdoing it will just give you pain.

Louise

ps I just did my chair balancing trick because a chair is a very cumbersome object to carry out front in a crowd.

I am also struggling with the WW posture. How do I know if my lower belly is relaxed? also do I lift up from the rib cage with shoulders lowered? I hope I don't sound too dumb about this but I want to get it right. Any advice is appreciated.

Hello Allix

The habit of holding in the stomach is so engrained into us that it is very difficult to let go! I've been doing the posture for nearly a year now but still need to keep checking as sometimes, even when I think I've relaxed my (unfortunately rather ample!) stomach, I'm still secretly holding it in a bit, from the habit of many years of trying to look slimmer than I actually am! To check, I hold my hands around my lower stomach and then consciously let go of the muscles allowing the stomach to fall forward into my hands. Somehow it's easier to let go of the muscles if the hands are there to catch the stomach!
The shoulders should be relaxed and lowered when you're in posture, I think I do this after pulling up from the chest.
The posture really does become quite automatic and comfortable over time, and I have found other benefits from it, such as my previously very painful hip, which is now never any trouble and my whole spine feels very healthy and strong.
Best wishes

Tintgel

Thanks, Tintgel! After only a few weeks I find my lower back feeling better. I have to think about the posture often as I'm new to this. As for the relaxed stomach, I'm very thin; basically have no stomach so it's difficult to tell if it's relaxed. I'm getting a bit better at fire breathing & even giving nauli's a go. I'm sure over time I'll see results. I tend to get frustrated, but I don't give up on exercise. I'm very disciplined there. I appreciate the advice. I don't feel so alone with this when I can reach out here...

Hi everyone, I'm going in to have my first colonoscope ( over fifty now everyone has this ) because I have rectocele I'm worried I won't clean our properly in the rectum area, and then they will say " well we can't do it, you didn't clean out properly, ", that's my worry, sorry for the TMI, but that's my worry in a nut shell, has anyone had colonoscope with rectocele and am I worrying needlessly?

Wise owl, I have had one of these, and I don't think you have to worry about the prep not getting everything out. I found that whole thing to be quite nasty. And I was definitely cleaned out. I "discovered" my rectocele not long after this procedure. I'm not saying there was a connection, but the whole prepping thing was an awful bathroom experience that I don't wish to repeat. And heaven knows what that instrument might have done to my innards. - Surviving

Dear wise owl,
I had one a few years back & was very careful to drink lots of water during the prep & the comment I received was that the colon was very clean, & I have rectocele...

Aussie Soul Sister

Thanks so much, you set my mind at ease, I am a worry wart about this, not looking forward to it but then who would!!!!

I have hesitations for certain about this procedure but I am at risk so on this I feel I need to accept the procedure. I will get back to you and let you know, lol, I hope my experience is not as memorable as yours!! Take care,

Wise owl, I had mine a number of years ago, and I was given a sodium phosphate solution for the prep. Since then, this practice has been discontinued (at least in the US, I don't know about elsewhere) due to the risk of kidney damage. I will be interested to hear what they have you take, and how it all goes. - Surviving

I had two colonoscopies five years apart years ago and they took out some polyps. I think this was the most horrible experience I ever had. Of course if you think you have cancer get something done. I'm sure now we don't have to have colonoscopies because we get a kit sent out from the Government and we scrape our business on there and then give it to a chemist who then sends it away to check for cancer. It would be less invasive. Also the horrible mixture is so nasty most people wouldn't have anything done. It also costs a lot for a plumber after all this. I'll do mine the new way now or forget it.I have a rectocele. I've had one for eleven years now and I feel ok but I'll never have surgery to make it worse.

Oh my, oh me. Now I'm kind of afraid about my next colonoscopy. I have a "grade 4 rectocyle", enterocele, cystocyle after 20 year old slipping uroplasty (Bladder lift they did before slings were done) and a family history of Colon Cancer. Last colonoscopy they found "pre-cancerous polyp". Both my gyn and gastro-intestinal doctors have told me that they do colonoscopies on women with rectocyle all the time and that it is not risky and the prep works fine with everyone. It will be my first colonoscopy since prolapse. I've just been trying not to think about it because it's not till October, so I'll be checking in here to see how it goes for some of you.
And:
Many thanks also for the discussions above about the Whole Woman Posture. My mom used to try to make me walk around with a book on my head…but she also told me to suck in my gut. I am so grateful for this forum.

I have been attempting to stand,sit and walk in the whole woman posture. The instructions are quite precise and I think I have it right. I check in the mirror and try aligning my body in accordance with the images displayed on the internet and the You Tube. The most difficult part for me is to always remember to hold up by pulling from the lower rib. I find myself slumping particularly when working on the computer. I relax my stomach ,that took some unlearning .One can't always tuck the chin in particularly when looking at a display on the screen. When reading in bed I tend to support the back with pillows and stretch my legs in front of me.. That does not seem like the whole woman posture because it obliterates the natural curve along the back. How can I adapt that? I was also wondering whether there is a beneficial position to adopt when sleeping so that the pelvic organs get cradled in the lower belly? I feel empowered by the postural change since I am experiencing some relief from discomfort. I am really very grateful for having discovered this forum and the wealth of information I happened upon.

Kittu's Collie,
If you live in WWPosture during the day, it doesn't really matter so much about sleeping positions at night.

Having said that, there are many discussions on the forum, as to how people position themselves mainly for comfort, and I have done much reading on the subject myself.

I do put a pillow between my knees if I wish to sleep on my side if I wish, which isn't often as I am mainly a back sleeper, with a not too high pillow.
When reading in bed I use two pillows.
I was sleeping without one for a while, however am using a pillow at the moment.

Slumping while sitting is something I did for many decades, and it still can creep back in if I am tired or a bit down, so I have to be mindful of the posture.
It is a matter of retraining ourselves, to sit unaided as we learned to as infants.
Over time, your torso will strengthen and you will be able to hold the posture better, and for longer.

Learning and being in WWPosture does become freeing and somewhat relaxing, grounding through the feet, and energy saving compared to the tension and contortion of constant pulling in the belly, tucking in the bottom, and upper chest breathing of our old posture.

Have fun,

Aussie Soul Sister

Thank you for your prompt response. I sleep curled in the fetal position which in itself presents no challenge at the moment. I will also go through the other posts to see if there are any more cues I can pick up. I have ordered the Prolapse First Aid (?) DVD and book which will give me a more concrete idea about what to strive for. Meanwhile I am putting to practice the Whole Woman posture as understood from Christine's You Tube and online images.

Although I mainly agree with Aussie Soul Sister on this I wanted to share that I've found that sleeping on my side in a "traditional" fetal leads to a more symptomatic morning than if I sleep on my side with my legs tucked in a bit, but the upper half of me stretched out into posture. I use a pillow between my knees too.

Snapcracklepop

SCrackle I find the same thing on my side as you do. I feel like I need to pee (when I don't) if I don't have my upper body in posture when on my side. I have to have my lumber curve. I do sleep on my side so have learnt to manage this. I don't get the urge to pee other times, just when I lie down on my side. I am fine on my back or tummy.

Me too - I find I need to have my upper body 'in posture' when on my side. I put a pillow between my legs but my hip on the up side still usually aches the next day. I'm better off being mindful of posture during the day, doing fire breathing, especially just before bed, and then lying on my back to sleep.

After going through Christine's book I am incorporating her suggestion about keeping a pillow between my knees while sleeping on my side. Gets a little uncomfortable after a bit . Will try to see if I can learn to sleep in posture on my side.What seems to help is for me to get on all fours . The bulge then kind of slides in and disappears. Then I gently move on to my side. Even without that I am generally not symptomatic on waking up until the force of gravity takes over. LOL.

I woke up this morning to a stiff back.I think this is because I repeated a number of exercises in the First Aid to Prolapse DVD so as to get them right. Since the majority require you to bend over it may have been too much of strain on the muscles of my back. With my new found confidence I also went for a 5 kms walk which felt really good. While my POP is no worse my back tells me to back off for a bit(pun intended).

It's very easy to overdo in the beginning, especially with the exercises. Concentrate on the posture itself - these nice mindful walks are the best! And I wouldn't worry too much about sleeping position. Many of us have preferences, but as Christine says, the important work of prolapse management is done when we are on our feet, using gravity and belly breathing and correct posture to pin the organs into position. Sounds like you're doing great - but maybe you need to pace yourself a bit. - Surviving

I was getting a sore hip when I first had the pillow between my legs too. I have changed to a cot blanket (size) folded and had no more issues. I assumed it was because the pillow I was using was too big. Worth a try??

This is my first time on forum, I have been reading posts for about 2 years, and here I am. Dealing with prolapse is not for the fainthearted for sure. Thank you everyone for your posts. Sure helps especially when I am having a bad day. Some days are much better than others. I am working on whole woman posture. Any suggestions. I have the book and the DVD.

Hi Gramakeys,
Can you tell us a little bit more about your situation? What kind of prolapse and symptoms you are having? Maybe let us know what problems you are having with the posture work and how long you have been working on it, so we can better help you.

Hi all,
Further to the discussion of side sleeping, I have the pillow between my legs, however I try to sleep with my limbs lengthened, knees only bent a little and my lumbar curve in place.

I alternate during the night if I wish, and usually sleep on my back, however being able to have the choice to sleep on my side after years of not being able to because of hip pain, is a welcome change, and wonderful!

Christine's Save Your Hips book and DVD has healed my hip dysfunction.
Just starting the Posture alone, stopped the painful crunching that I had started to have, after years of instability.
I can do the Hips DVD once or twice weekly to maintain this.
I did the DVD almost daily for some months, added other DVDs and walking and now can do so much more pain free, like sleep on my side....

Aussie Soul Sister

I now find a comfortable position on my side with a thin cushion to start with but wake up to find myself partly on my stomach on my right side with the left leg straight and the other curled. Sigh! Sleeping on my back is something I am not comfortable with. In deep sleep one cannot really position oneself ideally . I accept what I think Surviving says. If you hold the posture all day long it , sleep time posture does not matter .

I am not able to afford ordering any matireals for a couple more weeks but I am trying to improve posture now! I have a few questions:

1. The curving of the lumbar, do you get that from tilting the hips?

2. Is it best for my cystocele to sit in posture or stand in posture? At work I often have the option to do either throughout the day.

3. My knees sometimes ache after I've attempted to stand in posture much of the day. I think I'm locking them, but I'm not sure the best way to keep them loose.

4. Should my stance feel pretty wide?

I apologize, I am sure this info is in many places in the forum but I have been reading so many interesting threads, and I'm afraid if I keep on reading I will keep getting distracted and never go to sleep!

Hi quiet_mind and welcome to the forum. Yes there is quite a bit of helpful information here, and throughout the site and blog. Be sure to check out the first couple of videos on the Resources page. At a bare minimum you will need to get the basic First Aid for Prolapse dvd and/or the book. There are great bundles and on-line courses, but if funds are limited, you can do as I did, and acquire your materials one at a time.

The lumbar curve comes from relaxing the belly and lifting the chest. You are probably helping your prolapse more when you are standing and moving in correct posture. Sitting correctly sometimes takes more effort because of the limitations of any given chair or seat. If you think you are locking your knees, I'm not sure what to say, except, try not to. Your stance should be natural with feet pointing ahead for normal walking; the exercises often call for a wider stance with more hip turnout.

Sounds like you are off to a good start! - Surviving

I am embarrassed that it has taken me this long to come back to this site. I don't think I am doing the posture correctly, things are not falling forward. I have a tipped uterus, could that cause a problem. The prolapse seems to be getting worse, not better. Any suggestions what I need to to to begin to reverse my symptoms? I know it is in the posture, but how do I know whether I am getting it correct?

Hi GramaKeys and welcome back to the forum. If you have Christine's book (blue cover, 2nd edition) and the First Aid for Prolapse DVD, then you will find very clear explanations of the elements of correct natural posture. That being said, there's no way of knowing whether you are doing things correctly or not. If you are not feeling any difference, and you have been steadily doing posture as well as firebreathing, safe exercise in posture, safe toileting, correct lifting, etc. for all this time, it might be good to consider a consult with a practitioner to check up on things. These can usually be done on Skype if you are not within traveling distance of a practitioner (check the tab above). I think that a "tipped uterus" is just another way of referring to a certain degree of prolapse. - Surviving