When I first “cracked the code” on stabilizing and reversing prolapse, and wrote and published Saving the Whole Woman, I set up this forum. While I had finally gotten my own severe uterine prolapse under control with the knowledge I had gained, I didn’t actually know if I could teach other women to do for themselves what I had done for my condition.
So I just started teaching women on this forum. Within weeks, the women started writing back, “It’s working! I can feel the difference!”
From that moment on, the forum became the hub of the Whole Woman Community. Unfortunately, spammers also discovered the forum, along with the thousands of women we had been helping. The level of spamming became so intolerable and time-consuming, we regretfully took the forum down.
Technology never sleeps, however, and we have better tools today for controlling spam than we did just a few years ago. So I am very excited and pleased to bring the forum back online.
If you are already a registered user you may now log in and post. If you have lost your password, just click the request new password tab and follow the directions.
Please review and agree to the disclaimer and the forum rules. Our moderators will remove any posts that are promotional or otherwise fail to meet our guidelines and will block repeat offenders.
Remember, the forum is here for two reasons. First, to get your questions answered by other women who have knowledge and experience to share. Second, it is the place to share your results and successes. Your stories will help other women learn that Whole Woman is what they need.
Whether you’re an old friend or a new acquaintance, welcome! The Whole Woman forum is a place where you can make a difference in your own life and the lives of thousands of women around the world!
Best wishes,
Christine Kent
Founder
Whole Woman
Surviving60
August 6, 2012 - 7:27pm
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Tense in the belly
This is something I struggled with for a very long time, and even now I'm not completely immune to the effects of creeping tension. Dealing with a cello while trying to perfect WW posture is a whole 'nother level of multitasking though! I salute you! Just keep working on it....your level of success at this stage of the game is very heartening. - Surviving
louiseds
August 6, 2012 - 9:35pm
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belly not floppy
Hi MsNightingale
I was wondering how the cello playing was progressing. That is lovely that a change of posture is making a difference.
Just remember that your belly won't be floppy while you are playing. Your upper arms will, I think, be held out somewhat from your body, and I imagine that bowing, with your hand going out and coming in will ellicit quite a bit of abdominal muscle work. But this will be different from tension.
I have heard that Feldenkrais can be really useful for musicians. Check this out, http://www.feldenkraisformusicians.com/improving.htm .
Christine
August 6, 2012 - 11:27pm
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the belly
This is wonderful news, MsNightingale. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all your responses and wonderful help on the forums. I have tried to read when I can, but have been generally tied up for many weeks now.
I will try to explain what I have come to believe and practice, belly-wise. I think it is probable that the tightness and tension you describe is from contracting your abdomen. You do this automatically because your (probably reversed) breathing supports pulling the belly in - most likely on the in-breath when you are not consciously thinking about it. I'm guessing this because you, like all the rest of us, have grown up in a culture that dictates the belly be pulled in. The belly cannot stay habitually contracted without reversing natural breathing.
After practicing this work for some time, you will be forcing your belly out rather than pulling it in. Recall that this does not mean just letting the belly flop out, but pulling the abdominal wall up instead of in. There is a "proud holding" when the wall is habitually held out. We don't have to think about puffing it out, but rather intraabdominal pressure does this for us when we make natural breathing habitual. I have written about how the organs, particularly the stomach and liver, help hold natural posture when they are allowed their rightful positions out in front - not "pulled down" underneath the rib cage.
I have developed quite a bit of strength over the years, which I believe comes primarily from this "proud holding". Yes, of course the hips are primary, the sacrum/uterus the hub of the wheel and all, but it might also be a useful visualization to think of everything below the last rib as hanging from the chest. It order for it to hang right, the chest must be lifted and the area directly below puffed out. In this way, the muscles of the abdominal wall become long and very strong. I feel I could play cello all day long and never feel tension in my abdomen because I am always puffing it out instead of holding it in.
The one caveat is that you must be okay with allowing the upper torso this natural outward form. Women love to hold this area - the area right under the breasts - in. It is a narrowed, delicate look that we associate with femininity. Some women are naturally very small in this area and work hard to maintain this look. It's not a small waist I'm trying to describe, but higher - above the navel. I have verified that women who hold this area in ("tucking the ribs") develop pain in their sacral spine.
I believe this is a very important concept to get across to women and have included exercises in WWYoga3 to help expand the fascial layers on the *inside* of the abdominal wall. A woman may have a sizable belly on the outside, but it doesn't preclude her from having tight, contracted layers on the inside preventing forward movement of her lumbar spine and pelvic organs.
This area of the body is the most difficult for women to grasp in terms of postural correction, but I believe it is the key that unlocks natural, effortless female stability and movement.
Christine
MsNightingale
August 7, 2012 - 8:19am
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Thank you so much Christine
I so appreciate all that you are putting into print here. I will reread it often (it takes me a while to really digest ) and yes, put it into practice. I am very excited with this journey and finding so much to be grateful for now that I have wonderful guidance. Thank you all.
MsNightingale
August 7, 2012 - 11:57am
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Thank you
Dear Louise, thank you for this link. I certainly have heard of the benefits of feldenkrais but have never explored it in depth or with a teacher. I will spend some time thanks to this link. Greatly appreciated!
Aussie Soul Sister
August 8, 2012 - 4:33am
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MsNightingale - abs
Dear Ms Nightingale,
Love your "name" & your sweet nature reflects that. The next time I get my oboe out I will see what my posture does, as it needs some force to play. Usually I stand, however I will try sitting also & see what happens. I so remember tightening my abs while playing, & thinking at the time it was "good" exercise...maybe there was a blessing in disguise as I have not played for many yrs & wish to take it up again now.
I so love cello music as well - one piece comes to mind with the Cello & violin duet on the movie Master & Commander - one of my favourite soundtracks.
Happy playing in WWposture
Best wishes Aussie Soul Sister
MsNightingale
August 8, 2012 - 8:35am
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Dear Aussie Soul Sister
Thank you for your lovely post. I will be curious to hear from you when you have a chance to take that oboe out. I too used to think I was doing something good when tightening up those abs. How much we have learned here! Now I am convinced that by learning to soften them and breath deeply into the tummy that is supported with our posture, we are going to be quite powerful with our instruments! Keep me posted! Very best wishes to you.
hockeyMom
August 8, 2012 - 10:10am
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Upper Belly
Christine, I found this description of the upper belly really interesting. I have been using the WW posture for about 1.5 years now and have discovered many interesting things ... one of which I think relates to your information here. Lately I have noticed that if I slump or slouch while sitting on the couch, I notice it right away due to an uncomfortable squashy/pressure right under my rib cage. I think that, just like you said, my abdominal wall there is now more forward instead of tucked in under my ribs, and when I don't keep my chest lifted then it is pressed downward.
I had horrible upper body posture before using WW methods, and I take this as a sign that my body has now gotten used to being in a better position, so that slouching (rounded shoulders that is) now feels wrong. Yay for that!
frog123
August 10, 2012 - 6:20am
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Upper Belly
Just thinking of my breathe while I am sitting here makes it hard to breathe How stressed am I!!? ! I'm sure it will come the more I practice. ( One week in) Its the hope that I find so empowering! I have so much more energy because of it. I think I was feeling it was all over with this prolapse. I hope soon I can walk into my Dr.'s office and say Lookee here!! Stop suggesting surgery! Start telling women earlier when the prolapse is just starting so we can have a better chance at fixing it ourselves with Whole Woman posture!
Thanks all
MsNightingale
August 10, 2012 - 9:10am
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Dear frog123
You are so right! If only we knew this early on. And, sometimes I feel that too -- when we think of the breath so much it becomes hard to breathe. Hmmm. Maybe that too is stress. It is all over the place. Now we have a way to deal with it and hopefully rid ourselves of it in our mindfulness to all of this. Best wishes to you frog123.