Is luise here?

Christine's response in this thread:
https://www.wholewoman.com/forum/comment/29477#comment-29477

You have to be careful with some of these older threads. This was a time when Christine was still developing some of her videos.
We do belly rolls all the time in many of her videos now, and she has great descriptions in them.

This exercise is pretty good. The only thing I would change is the term "lower" belly in case women are led to believe the lower belly is normally the leading edge of the abdominal wall.

Again, everywhere you look in modern culture you will see women whose lower belly is more protruded than their midriff. This is the single-most "smoking gun" of prolapse development.

I am almost 66 years old and all my early videos show that same unnatural anatomy. It has taken many years to reverse the anatomy of my abdominal wall to what is truly natural. Even though I carry extra weight, my lower belly is fairly flat. Yes, I got "rid of my mummy-tummy", but only by pulling it up, never in.

You will find belly rolls in the First Wheel yoga and the Second Wheel yoga videos.

I referenced the old thread being spoken of here, using the link that aging gracefully provided. Louise’s description of how the sigmoid colon and intestines gets released and pulled forward and such by the whole woman work is very full of hope for me. I’m still gaining ground and healing from my prolapse and I know the pain and discomfort of having my intestinal contents seemingly shoved backwards and into my sacral area. She does a great job of describing the problem and showing that whole woman is the solution. I have such relief most of the month, so when I have worse symptoms before my cycle and during my cycle in a given month it only serves to embolden me to focus more the next month on my posture and whole woman movements. I’m thankful for whole woman. I will work harder. Kalanit I hope you are getting started with the materials you have. Many blessings and hope to you.

Edited to add
Thank you aging gracefully for pointing out Christine’s response in that old thread. She outlines the proper breathing pattern and that’s vital.

I absolutely must focus on my midriff area when breathing in. The expansion of my midriff area along with a lifted chest and broad and flat upper back , slightly tucked chin and head pulled up in the back- these things seem my hope. I think my intestinal contents are far too low and backwards in my body from years of improper posture and weaknesses in vital areas. I daily have to think of pulling my belly UP not in. This has all been such a good reminder. I am thin and yet so much of my innards are pushed down and back that I have tended to have a distinct protruding lower belly look and the consequences that come with it- but I’m improving! Thank you Whole Woman.

I was also a mess when it came to everything feeling misplaced and squished inside, and belly rolls are a great tool, but I gained even more from doing my firebreathing, belly pumps, and nauli. After years of discomfort in my abdomen and constipation, these techniques helped move everything into more proper placement, as well as a heavy slouchy old uterus off the rectum.
Learning to consciously breath into the belly and get away from the shallow chest breathing was also a steep learning curve for me.
And, let's not forget the most important part in all this: the whole woman posture.
Everything we do here has a significance for long term healing, health, and all over well being.
Kalanit,
You don't have to overthink, you just have to do it.

Kalanit,
Have you started the Fundamentals, are you working on posture, are you working on the toileting? If you don't at least start working on these basics, you will not get anywhere with this work.

Fundamentals is not an old program; it is a basic program. The new First Aid program just covers more material, and no, it does not have belly rolls in it.
Go to the store, as I have suggested many times, and read for yourself what the programs offer. Only you can decide what will work for you best.

Yes I have rectocele and yes I used to have a terrible time with bowel movements. If I were you I would take aging gracefully advice as I think she is correct. Belly rolls are something I have done but you need to start with h the program you have and learn the posture and the toileting. That will do you fine for now. Then later expand to another program that teaches even more, perhaps the First Aid for Prolapse. Christine even said on the forum that in a couple more weeks it looks like she will be inserting a video into the First aid for Prolapse course that will include even more of her basic movements that help with the organs. The program is always growing and is spread amongst many programs but it seems they intend to make the first aid for prolapse as complete of a basic course as possible. But Aging Gracefully is right, what you have is not old, it’s just basic, and it would be a great start for you.

Have you tried pressing up on your perineum area to support it gently when you are trying to empty?
Sit in front and forward and lean forward, twist to right, and use your hand to press upwards and back on the perineum area. This is what I do and it helps immensely.

Also walking outdoors in good posture daily and doing whatever I can to relax in life helps too.

Enjoy your new materials. May you feel better soon.

Hi Kalanit,

Many thanks to UnCloudyDay for the info on splinting.

I don’t know whether you are dealing with rectocele or rectal prolapse, as you’ve mentioned both. If it is rectocele, where the front rectal wall has formed a pocket that extends into the back vaginal wall, then putting your feet up on a stool might facilitate emptying initially. However, it is at the expense of your uterus and bladder being pulled back from the abdominal wall with each increase in intraabdominal pressure.

Much better to train your whole body into this natural alignment and use the natural position of elimination we describe, while also gently splinting the back vaginal wall. Over time the natural forces of gravity and internal pressures will re-shape the body outside and in, correctly positioning the organs in the process.

Hurray if you are already in WW posture! However, you may still be holding your midriff (above navel and below breasts) in, which confounds the entire system and forces reversal of natural breathing. Or you may be pushing against the rim of the toilet seat instead of leaning forward and lifting your bottom slightly off the seat. You can have the best posture in the world and still blow your pelvic organs toward the outlet while pushing on the toilet.

It takes time to see the results of returning to natural alignment. In an older woman it may take an entire year of WW breathing and posture to comprehend that your body is indeed changing for the better.

I too hope you enjoy the Whole Woman work.

Christine

I cannot eliminate with feet elevated at all. I can feel my bladder being yanked down and it feels like the rectum deep inside my peri area gets blocked by my retroflexed uterus and like it is trying to empty blocked and uphill.

I have friends that say it helps them empty to put their feet up on a stool. I only reason that their issue must be either totally different than mine (not likely) or just far far less severe (which I know is the case). I do wonder how they will fair in the long run.

Whole woman toileting posture is genius (and natural feeling) and the only way I can imagine mature women with basic displaced organ issues and lacking infrastructure can possibly eliminate with protection to their organs.

Since we are talking about emptying our bowel, I will share that this last menstrual cycle I have had a hard time. And even since my cycle stopped I still don’t seem to be getting back to where I was. I have today realized that I have not been sitting throughout my day with my full lumbar curvature in place, I have not been walking daily as was my custom for the longest time, and I also revisited the posture teaching in first aid for prolapse and realized that I have not been walking with my feet straight forward, but have somehow begun to turn my feet out again. I have been having to use glycerin suppositories, and even enemas again, as even soft stool was not wanting to get a move on out of my body. But I’m hoping that with making some changes again I can regain the ground I seem to have lost. I thought I would share. I’m sure everyone here is always having to make notes and changes.

I am happy to report that after rewatching the posture and fundamentals toileting materials, working for the past few hours on my feet placement, taking a walk, and working for the past few hours on my posture while sitting that I am seeing good results. I felt the need to empty my bowel and I got into standing half squat and hinged forward at the hip. I made sure my organs could hang over into my lower belly. Then I twisted to each side and massaged my lower belly against my thighs as Christine says to. I got the best urge to empty my bowel than I have had in days , then was able to sit down but still leaned forward and made sure to rotate my pelvis just slightly posterior to slacken the muscles as Christine explains so that I could empty more fully. It was a relief and I’m sure a result at least to a large degree to all the changes I have made today to try and get back on track. I wanted to share in case it encourages anyone.

If you purchase the course now, any additions or enhancements made to the course will be added for you when they happen. That's the beauty of an on-line streaming product - it is not like a DVD which can't be changed once it's cut. So......Just do it. - Surviving

Don’t put your feet on a stool to have bowel movement.

Yes use the posture when you are sitting during the day. Christine explains this on first aid for prolapse.

Yes the way your feet are positioned when you walk is important. Christine explains on first aid for prolapse.

Don’t worry, when the new additions are ready, it will be in your program because it is internet streamed.

Start with what you have now.

I do not have rectal prolapse, but I do have a rectocele.

I am sorry you feel desperate. You can buy a consultation with Christine.

It may be that she could help you the most by talking to you about these things if you pay her and need that.

Half squat and hinge forward at hips only means that before I sat on the toilet I was standing up and I bent my knees and leaned forward and had my legs apart, my feet turned out, and my upper body in whole woman posture and let my belly hang between my thighs, so that my organs were all going forward into my lower belly.

I am sorry if I have confused you and made you feel worse or more anxious. I probably did.

I believe it is time for you to start doing this work for yourself. You ask a lot of questions, and they are good questions, and we always encourage that from our members. But in my opinion it's getting a little out of hand! Every single one of us who has had success with this work, has accomplished this by just doing the work for themselves. Day in and day out. Not all days will be good days. Keep going back over the videos and let everything sink in. It doesn't happen overnight. I saw my best improvements in my second year. This forum is not here to be a 24-hour consulting service. Constant e-mails to Lanny in Customer Service aren't going to help either. You know what to purchase, and unless you are having trouble executing that purchase or logging into your account, there is no reason to keep contacting Customer Service. I believe we have all worked hard to answer your questions here. Now just do it. - Surviving

I’d like to offer an alternative concept here.

When we think we have outlets (vagina and anus) underneath us, out of which things are falling, the automatic reaction is to squeeze and try to tighten those openings. The tailbone moves closer to the pubic bones and is held there throughout the day, shortening and weakening those muscles. The response of further “strengthening” the anal sphincter with kegels simply exacerbates the problem of misalignment of the entire back passage.

To function properly in the prevention of prolapse and fecal incontinence the anus must make an L-shape with the rectum. This acts like a kink in a garden hose, preventing the very strong forces of intraabdominal pressure from peeling the anal/rectal linings off their foundations and bulging out of the body.

The only way to effectively make that L-shaped angle is to lift your tailbone throughout the day. If you try to lift your tailbone by sticking your bottom out the back it will cause havoc with your lower spine. The anatomically correct way is to relax your belly and strongly lift your chest. This allows the powerful double-walled anal sphincter to strengthen against the natural pull of the L-shaped angle.

Many women here have a little anal prolapse along with vaginal prolapse. However, the vagina is the “path of least resistance” for the tremendous forces that move through the body with every breath we take. That’s why vaginal prolapse is so much more prevalent. Although the subject is very hush-hush, I believe anal/rectal prolapse is far more prevalent in men.

There is no surgical treatment for anal/rectal prolapse that doesn’t come without extreme risk of permanent rectal paralysis, defecation disability, and colostomy.

These anatomic realities are why we take the WW work so seriously.

Christine

I understand that you are looking for quick fixes and easy answers, but you are missing the point. The WW work starts to help right away. It continues to give improvements for a long, long time. Maybe it never stops!! I believe year #2 was the most significant year for me, in terms of things "clicking". - Surviving

I feel like you are not even reading what I write. I don't think I have any more help or suggestions to offer you. - Surviving

Yes! This is how our body develops and all our organs are positioned when we’re young. Our natural structural alignment should last a lifetime. The only reason it doesn’t is because civilization has taken us away from activities and bodily positions that protect these angles. We are filled with sacred geometry inside and out!

Once you start to study the first aid for prolapse you will understand. Quiet your anxiety and know that the basics you will understand and that will help you.

...we've tried to clarify and reiterate all the concepts that are clearly taught in the materials you have. You need now to do the work of reviewing those materials and working with your own body in order to discover its profound ability to stabilize and reverse prolapse.

Surviving isn't expressing anger, but rather hoping you will get to work now. No one else can do this work for you.

Wishing you well,

Christine