What a journey...

Submitted by Wish-me-well on September 30, 2018 - 9:48pm
Body: 

Hello all - I am new to the forum and to the whole prolapse reality.
It has been a very painful, shocking, emotional, distressing and, at the same time, empowering and healing journey for me!
When I found the Whole Woman website and Christine's incredible information, about 2 months ago, it was a devastating #metoo moment... I felt ashamed and embarrassed that I had fallen prey to the ridiculous, unnatural, unhealthy expectations of what women she be and look like. I felt sick to my soul that I had been practicing the absolutely WRONG, so called pelvic exercises, ever since I was 16 years old (I am now 48) - because my mother's friend had warned me that I must do them, otherwise I would end up with a prolapse too young, like she did! In reality, all she did was condemn me to the same fate... (I don't blame her, as she was only sharing what she thought was important and valid advice!)...
I felt angry and upset that the Pilates practice I had undertaken 11 years ago to improve my back pain, due to extreme scoliosis of the lumbar spine, taught me the completely WRONG practice. I felt so incredibly disillusioned about a whole system that had been set up to make women feel ashamed of their bodies and to teach them that they must "suck it in" to "strengthen" their "core" and flatten their stomachs to look more like men - even though we have completely different internal anatomy to me... I wondered why I did not listen to my intuition that said, "this does not feel right"... "this feels incredibly unnatural to me"...
I felt extreme rage, almost, that I had been brought up to believe that girls and women who stuck their tummies and their bums out were "loose", "slutty" or had a physical "condition/anomaly" called "sway back"...
Far out! Our reality, as Western women (I live in Australia), is built on a collection of lies... and that is just devastating to me at times. Especially, too, that gynecology (as created by men!) has got it all wrong also...
The amazing thing is, that it all builds in to what is happening in the world at the moment with the new "metoo/wetoo" movement and that, strangely enough, is very EMPOWERING to me. Along with the discovery of Whole Woman and it's amazing, life-affirming, accurate and revelatory information and practice, I actually feel like I am in the right place at the right time.
Needless to say, I am so glad I have learnt this information in time to inform and inspire my daughter (now 12) to be a "whole woman" her whole life!
Thank you...
Has anyone else had these powerful revelations and feel the connection with what is happening in the world today?
X

Forum:

Surviving60

October 2, 2018 - 4:23am

Welcome to the Forum and thanks for a great post! Yes, I am quite sure many, many of us are reacting the same way to what is going on in the world, and has been going on for a very very long time. How half the population (or is it more than half?) ever became so marginalized is a question almost too disturbing to ponder. Christine has written much on this topic. Whole Woman wisdom certainly helped many of us find our voice, as we were busy learning how to manage our own bodies and our own ills safely and naturally. What a world we live in. - Surviving

Wish-me-well

October 3, 2018 - 1:36am

Thanks for your reply, Surviving. Yes, what a world we live in... Our (women's) ability to endure, grow and thrive, despite the seemingly insurmountable inequalities, abuse and misrepresentations is testament to the incredible resilience, fortitude and grace of womankind!
You know, there are so many layers to this prolapse reality... (I have cystocele - supposed "neck of the bladder collapse" according to my very unfriendly and impatient female gynecologist). One layer I find very distasteful is the way in which women are told that it is because they have had children "naturally" - like, as a woman designed to do such things as have babies through her vagina, I have to feel ashamed that I cannot even do THAT right and it has inevitably resulted in "damage" to my body! We know that this is not true, as there are young and older woman, who have never had babies, with prolapse. More lies and misinformation to make us feel inadequate and "failed" as women...
Anyway, thank you so much for letting me vent in this forum! I may just have more to add, as I reflect and gather more insight!
X Wish-me-well

Aussie Soul Sister

October 4, 2018 - 8:26pm

Hi and welcome to the Whole Woman Journey,
There is so much I could say about the issues of society, however everyone's journey is different and at different stages of discovery.... So much has changed for me before and since I started here.

One miracle I did have was the belief that surgery wasn't for me, there was a natural way to manage pop and I waited over 17yrs before I found this forum and Christine's natural, holistic approach. Six years later I am still reaping benefits from Christine and Lanny's work, who, with their research and tenacity, sought to help women across the world, for which I am eternally grateful.

I wish you well in your Whole Woman Journey with us,
Aussie Soul Sister

Wish-me-well

October 5, 2018 - 12:25am

Hello Aussie Soul Sister - thanks for the welcome.
I wonder if anyone can give me insight into how to deal with the terrible back pain I am experiencing as a result of the "new" posture?... Is this the right forum, or should I post elsewhere?
I have a sever scoliosis of the lumbar spine that was first diagnosed when I was 16. I have managed incredibly well most of my life, seeing chiro/physio/reiki/other healing modalities most of my adult life. The new posture feels absolutely right, but sometimes during the day and definitely by the evening everyday, I experience a lot of pain, aching and discomfort... Does anyone else have back issues and can recommend any strategies or perhaps that I may/will adjust eventually?! (That would be nice, but I know no-one can tell me that! :-)... I have cystocele, but find that all symptoms are WAY BETTER with the new posture... Just the back is struggling big time :-(
Any insights would be great - thanks so much!
Wish-me-well x

Typicalme

October 5, 2018 - 12:37pm

hi wish-me-well, I actually hadn't connected any of this to the metoo movement but it seems to all fit together. people (well, mainly men) are constantly surprised that so many women are coming forward saying they've been assaulted to various degrees meanwhile, i think, us women are silently nodding. because even if we haven't been assaulted ourselves, we've all fended off unwanted advances or found ourselves in sketchy situations, and we've certainly all been aware that we have something men want... we've all worried about travelling or walking home at night, etc. my favorite comedy skit - one by wanda sykes - talked about how she wished she had a removeable vagina... want to go for a run but it's late at night? no problem! just leave that vagina at home :)
but i guess - as women - we're not surprised... there's a whole hidden reality to being a woman... just like prolapse as well - it's a hidden, silent, reality... for so many women.
some men might think - how could it have been happening and none of us knew? and yet many of them know nothing about prolapse, or birth, or menstrual cycles etc. we have a whole world unto ourselves...

and I love how your doctor blamed natural childbirth - since many of us here blame childbirth interventions :) so yeah - we've been taught wrong... we've been living lies fed to us by men... doctors who in the past were mostly male - telling women what was what when they had no idea.... dismissing women and/or subjecting to short term surgical solutions...
maybe it's all finally turning around for women. I certainly feel so much more empowered thanks to Christine and this site... I feel so much more connected to women and womanhood.

Aussie Soul Sister

October 6, 2018 - 5:38pm

Hello,
I don't have scoliosis, however in the beginning, there can be some discomfort and fatigue because we are effectively reversing the shape of our lumbar curve from the curved inward C shape that many of us develop, by pulling in the stomach and tucking in the pelvis...
Because you have scoliosis, and this is something individual to you, a consultation with Christine or one of her practitioners would give you the best course of action.

wishing you well, wish - you - well,
Aussie Soul Sister
P.S Christine's approach has helped me with pop, hip pain & dysfunction, knee pain, balance and so much more, which I found out are all connected with my previous posture and lifestyle.That is why I love, and am so grateful for her holistic approach.

Wish-me-well

October 9, 2018 - 12:42am

Hello Typicalme - thanks for responding to my post. I agree that I feel more empowered on so many levels through what I have discovered here and through my posture work. I am so happy to say that many of my symptoms have already eased a lot with the concerted effort I have put into being constantly aware of my posture (it has been that difficult to change a lifetime of habits - as you and others would know!) and learning to love myself and my flaws...
Due to the shallow breathing and sucking in I have done for so many years, I now walk around looking like I'm 6 months pregnant and I just DON'T CARE! I actually feel sexier - the posture feels so feminine :-)
All the best to you!

Wish-me-well

October 9, 2018 - 12:49am

Hi again Aussie Soul Sister - thanks for the advice. Yes, I think it would be good to have a consult. There are no practitioners local to me, but I believe that I can do a skype consult? I will research further and book one ASAP.
You are so right that so many of our ailments are related and connected to our posture...
I found the info about toe-spacers the other day and am fascinated to find that when I space my toes correctly (while in WW posture, of course), my fallen arches rise and I CANNOT make them come back no matter what I do! That's the next thing on my list, as I wear orthotics and hate them... If I could reverse that damage, it would be amazing :-)
Actually, my hips joints feel a bit sore with the new posture, but I would think that that is my ligaments and muscles getting used to the correct formation...
All the very best Aussie Soul Sister!