Pelvis position

Both of Christine's books are filled with citations and evidence of her years of study on the subject. If you watch the first couple of videos on the Resources section of this website you will learn that she is not the first to point out this error. She has done her homework. If you have read extensively on this website, blog, and forum, and have not been sufficiently convinced of the validity of this work to embark upon it for yourself, then you'd best make a leap of faith and get started. It's your body!

Christine did not "invent" this posture, it is the natural posture we all had from the time we got up to walk around on two legs. Just look at children if you want proof. She is trying to help us "un-learn" the damaging suck-and-tuck posture that is the cause of so many spine, hip and pelvic woes. - Surviving

too fabulous40 that the question needs to be asked equally of the other side to the discussion: do they also have evidence to support their view, or is their view just down to convention? As surviving says it is easy enough to read information on Christine's findings on the WW site. It is an open system; open to information and discussion. It may well have its critics, but I'm not sure what it is that they base their criticism on. When you are reading around researching you will find so much that is saying the same thing over and over and so it is heavily persuasive, but is it evidence?. However, for a lot of people it comes down to a few real options; do nothing, have an operation, or do Christine's work. A lot of us find Christine's approach is compatible with our thinking as it actually does provide a clear explanation of the essentials; what, where, how and why is prolapse and what best to do to manage it.

Hi Fabulous40,

This is a great question and central to understanding the WW work.

Find an anatomical illustration of the human pelvis and locate the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (ASIS). It is called the ASIS because when the pelvis is depicted in the bowl position, this bony projection is located anterior (at the front), and superior (above) to a lesser projection called the anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS). Are you still with me?

In reality, the ASIS is only anterior. It is in front of the AIIS, not above it. Sit down on a firm surface in WW posture. You can feel the ASIS almost resting on your thigh. It is the only structure that is pointy and you can even hook your finger around it. There is no mistaking the ASIS. So you can verify for yourself where the ASIS is in this sitting position.

Now place your fingertips on your coccyx (tailbone). Keep them there as you slowly stand up. You will see that your pelvis has not changed position one iota. Pelvic orientation does not change from hands and knees, to sitting, to standing. It is always tilted all the way forward. Unless of course you are sitting or standing with your tailbone tucked way under. But even in this position, the ASIS and pubic bones are only very slightly tilted up. A contortionist could not stand with her pelvis rotated into conventionally illustrated orientations, which are 45 - 90 degrees backward.

You can also feel your pubic bones vaginally - best accomplished in the bathtub on hands and knees - underneath you like straps of a saddle.

One of the wonderful things about the WW work is that it is self-evident. This is hugely empowering in a world where the medical system has all the knowledge and power.

Christine

Not at all, Sabine. The natural female thoracic spine is quite straight, unlike the S-shape spine often portrayed in medical texts.

As a student of the WW work for going on four years, I'd like to add that I did not have any discomfort getting used to the posture correction, despite decades of sucking and tucking. This is the correct natural posture that we were meant to have, and it makes every part of the body feel right. There are members here who have experienced some soreness in the beginning, the healthy type of soreness that you would expect when you start to use muscles that have not been worked correctly for many years. Some women might see this as a sign to take it slower; others not, that would be a personal choice. i myself didn't experience this; my biggest challenge was remembering the posture elements until my body was trained to remember them for itself.

Do you have a pre-existing medical condition that makes you wary of this work? Christine covers the shoulder and neck area with respect to posture in the second chapter of her book. Her entire work revolves around getting the body back into alignment so that everything works together and each part supports every other. Learning and incorporating this knowledge into your life is a transforming experience. - Surviving