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
louiseds
June 12, 2011 - 8:19pm
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Some explanations
Hi Chickaboom
Intra-abdominal (on the inside of the abdominal cavity) pressure is generated whenever we move in any way. It is quite normal. This includes breathing, when we contract the repiratory diaphragm downwards on inhalation. Our stomach, liver, intestines, etc, all move downwards with it and push against the abdominal walls, which are elastic. These forces bounce of the abdominal walls like a trampoline, in different directions and are eventually dissipated, just like if you go floppy on a trampoline, or a tennis ball will eventually stop bouncing if you let it go. Other examples are sneezing, coughing, running, lifting weights, anything that moves our abdominal contents around, or causes us to react to an outside force.
If the abdominal muscles are braced, sucked in or fixed, eg by tight clothing, or setting your abs tight in a straight line, these intraabdominal forces (or pressure) are exerted through the body's orifices, or other non-braced muscles, and plush the contents of the inside of our body outwards. If you relax your belly and let it be the size it wants to be, not contracted or stretched, it can give way and absorb these forces by increasing in volume, so the forces dissipate.
In addition, sucking in your tummy makes it a straight line from pubis symphysis to underside of ribcage, instead of a gentle curve. This decreases the size of your abdominal and pelvic cavities combined, so there is less room for all your abdominal and pelvic organs. It also pushes your pelvic organs backwards so they are sitting more upright and over the top of the vagina, rather than leaning forwards over the pubic bone and being forced against the front of the vaginal wall, clamping it shut.
The curved abdominal wall also creates an 'elbow' in the abdominal/pelvic space, where intraabdominal forces go down, then have to turn through a curve to go any further towards the genital hiaitus. If the abdominal muscles are straight up and down, and the lumbar curve is lessened, more like in a man, there is not much curve at all.
Think about water flowing. When a river twists and turns the water is turbulent, and bashes up against the rocks on either side, slowing it down. The opposite is a waterfall, where the water crashes down vertically with no impediment to slow its descent.
Hope this clears up the mystery a bit.
Louise
chickaboom
June 13, 2011 - 12:35pm
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You should become a science teacher if you aren't already
Thanks so much Louise, I appreciate it. The way you described how a rounded belly works as an "elbow" to slow down the forces makes so much sense.
Quick question; you wrote:
"If the abdominal muscles are braced, sucked in or fixed, eg by tight clothing, or setting your abs tight in a straight line, these intraabdominal forces (or pressure) are exerted through the body's orifices, or other non-braced muscles, and plush the contents of the inside of our body outwards."
Would these exerted pressures also be known as flatulence? ^^
chickaboom
June 13, 2011 - 12:39pm
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Why is it hard to relax your lower belly?
I have to actually stop and tell my brain to rela-a-a-a-a-x my belly for it to do so. Could it be merely a lifelong habit of sucking it in? Why don't we continue throughout adulthood to breathe as we did as children? It doesn't make sense how we pick up such bad habits and they become the new natural.
Christine
June 13, 2011 - 2:20pm
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2 reasons
As you say, women are deeply habituated to pulling in their abdominal wall. This is strictly a cultural issue.
It is also true that the belly is not completely relaxed in WW posture. When the chest is lifted, the abdominal muscles (TA primarily) cannot help but to slightly contract, which has a stabilizing effect upon the torso.
I always say that the lower belly does not flop out. There is a gentle curve from collar bones to pubic bones when standing in WW posture. The belly is pulled up, not in. I carry a lot of belly, but I still have a sense that my chest sticks out the most, then my upper belly, then my lower belly.
It is an important concept to forget about the lower belly and lumbar spine. These areas take care of themselves when all other aspects of the posture are in place.
Christine
louiseds
June 13, 2011 - 7:44pm
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belly and lumbar curve
Christine, I agree with you about forgetting about the lumbar curve and the belly most of the time. However, there are times when we are at the limit of flexibility or leverage, eg lifting from a deep squat, for whatever reason, or twisted around a corner. At times like this, bringing the position of the lumbar spine and the position of bracing the abdominal muscles, into focus makes me think about whether or not this position is OK, either for my pelvic organs, or for my knees, or spine (which I must still be mindful of). If I can't do the manoeuvre with my lumbar curve in place, then I have to figure out a different way of doing the task. Sometimes it is a subtle change of weight distribution or foot position that enables me to reinstate the lumbar curve so that I can do the manoeuvre safely.
I now look at lumbar curve and relaxed belly as being flags that tell me whether my body is arranged OK, rather than as prescriptive steps.
It is like how you hold a guitar. There are so many postural steps, which learners need to be aware of, until their body learns to automatically hold the instrument in the optimum way for preventing injury, accurate placement of fingers and ease of playing.
Louise