If you’re constantly visiting the bathroom, have tightness in your pelvic area you can’t explain, and feel discomfort during kegel exercises, pelvic tension may be the cause. There isn’t anything you did wrong to cause this, and it’s common to experience after sexual trauma. There are gentle techniques, poses, and resources that can provide relief and lead to more comfort in your body and nervous system.
In this post, we’ll explore signs of pelvic floor tension, how sexual trauma causes this tension, and supportive, trauma informed practices to cultivate release. There’s also a free trauma informed yoga class at the end of this post for gentle pelvic floor release after sexual trauma.
6 Signs Of Pelvic Floor Tension
How do you know if you have a tight pelvic floor? This medically reviewed article from Self explores several signs you’d benefit from a release:
- Pain during sex, pelvic exams, or using tampons
- Urinary incontinence
- Constipation
- Pelvic pain
- Pain in lower back, hips, and pelvic area
- Difficulty performing kegel exercises (or certain yoga techniques like activating your mula bandha which asks you to engage your pelvic floor.)
You may experience all, some, or none of these symptoms. Pelvic floor dysfunction can also be the result of other medical conditions or as a result of child birth. I welcome you to explore appropriate care to determine your unique symptoms and causes.
How Sexual Trauma Causes Pelvic Floor Tension
After experiencing sexual trauma, our minds and bodies are affected. If we don’t release this trauma, reconnect with our bodies, and learn how to effectively find release, you many notice pain and discomfort. Below are several ways you can develop tension after trauma in your pelvic religion.
1. Constant tightening to protect yourself
Your muscles may contract as an automatic response to keep danger away. This can also happen in daily life when you face stressors or stress.
2. Your nervous system is dysregulated
When you experience automatic responses like fight, flight, or freeze, your body reacts. If you remain in these dysregulated states, your pelvic floor muscles may tense and become overused, leading to chronic tension.
3. You’ve become disconnected from your body
Many survivors of sexual trauma feel like they can’t be fully present in their bodies. When you lose this deep connection with yourself, it becomes difficult to notice bodily sensations, especially more subtle muscles like your pelvic floor. Without this awareness, you may not even realize if you’ve been contracting your muscles.
4. Chakra and emotional imbalance
Your pelvic floor is part of your sacral chakra region, your deepest, most powerful emotional center of your body. Deep-rooted feelings like shame and fear can lead to high stress and causing tension in this area. I welcome you to learn more about how your chakras are impacted after sexual trauma in this blog post.
5. Fear of pelvic floor treatment
For proper care, many pelvic floor therapists touch this area to support release. You may feel uncomfortable with this, as it may bring up uncomfortable memories and fear from past traumas. This is completely understandable and I welcome you to take all the time you need when exploring support options, choosing the ones that feel right for you at this time.
6. Your breathing becomes shallow
Most people breathe shallow throughout their day, but trauma survivors may experience this more often. When you’re in a state of hyperarousal, your breath becomes short and choppy to give you more energy to fight or flee from a threat. Your pelvic floor is closely linked to your diaphragm, so when you don’t breathe deeply, it’s difficult to provide release to this area.
Holistic Pelvic Floor Exercises
These techniques support gentle, noninvasive pelvic floor release. I invite you to take you time with each one and know you can end your practices at any time.
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing
Your diaphragm and pelvic floor are interconnected, and this deep breathing exercise will support the expansion and release of your pelvic floor. I welcome you to rest your hands on your lower belly, inhale deeply into your belly, expanding like a balloon. As you release, you might notice your pelvic floor softening with each exhale. I welcome you to bring as much or little awareness to this area as you feel comfortable, and the breathwork alone is enough.
Breathwork may not be supportive for all individuals, and that’s okay. There are other supportive methods I welcome you to explore below.
2. Body Scanning + Visualization
Body scans allow you to bring increased focus to each area of your body in a quiet, comfortable atmosphere. This will support gently bringing your focus to your pelvic area. If you’d like to explore my free body scan meditation, I welcome you to explore here.
You might also include visualizations to support somatic release. Maybe you imagine your pelvic area as a rainforest full of life, with flowers that gently bloom. If you’re not comfortable with this much awareness in this area, no worries. Your body will let you know what your natural limits are. There is no rush to any of these practices.
3. Trauma-Informed Yoga Poses
Yoga offers beneficial stretches to soothe and release surrounding areas of your pelvic floor. Similar to your psoas muscles, your pelvic floor benefits from having the muscles around it released.
Trauma-informed yoga goes a step beyond traditional yoga because many hip opening poses can be uncomfortable for sexual trauma survivors. I chose these poses carefully so you can still receive a beneficial stretch without more vulnerable poses. I invite you to explore more about trauma-informed yoga and how it supports sexual trauma survivors in this blog post.
4. Nervous System Regulation Practices
Tightness, holding, and bracing arise when our bodies are in an unregulated state. Many people feel “frozen,” since their freeze energy during trauma was never fully released, and this can lead to trauma living in their bodies.
To soften this energy and release it, it’s supportive to complete the stress response by somatic shaking, chanting, explorative movement, self touch practices, or creating softness in your body and nervous system.
To explore which practices would be supportive for your nervous system’s current state, I welcome you to take my Healing Seasons Quiz.
Yoga For Pelvic Floor Release (3 Trauma-Informed Poses)
Everyone has unique preferences, so I welcome you to explore these poses as you like and include the ones that feel most comfortable for you.
1. Reclined Butterfly (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Steps:
- Begin in a comfortable position resting on your back. You can also do this seated if you prefer.
- In your time, bring the soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to gently rest toward the long edge of your mat. You might choose to place a blanket over you or place blocks under your knees for more comfort.
- Rest here as long as you choose before bringing your knees back to center.
- Increase focus on your pelvic floor: I welcome you to focus on softening your inner thighs and pelvic muscles if that feels comfortable. Maybe you imagine inhaling space and exhaling to release.
2. Knees-to-Chest (Apanasana)
Steps:
- As you’re ready, I welcome you to begin in a comfortable position lying on your back with your knees bent, soles of your feet on the mat.
- Gently bring your knees toward your chest, holding your legs in any way that suits you.
- Rest here as long as you like.
- Increase focus on your pelvic floor: you might choose to gently sway side to side, massaging your low back for deeper tension release.
3. Cat/Cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
Steps:
- Begin in a tabletop position.
- On your inhale, I welcome you to drop your belly and lift your gaze, broadening through your chest.
- As you exhale, round through your spine and bring your gaze in between your knees, pressing the mat away.
- Repeat as much as you like.
- Option: you might explore switching the breath and inhaling as you round and exhaling as you broaden. You can also find more intuitive movement, like rotating your wrists, swaying side to side, or anything else that speak to you.
- Increase focus on your pelvic floor: You might choose to bring more awareness to your breath or pelvic floor area as you switch between postures.
Tips For A More Supportive Practice
- Comfort over form. A pose is more supportive to your body and nervous system if you are truly comfortable in the pose. There is no wrong way to feel comfortable in your body, and I welcome you to include as many props as you like, adjust poses as needed, or skip entirely.
- Give yourself time and patience. It can be challenging for many sexual trauma survivors to regain feeling in their pelvic floor region. It’s okay and normal to explore the poses and techniques without noticing much. There is no rush to your progress.
- Consistency over long practices. Even five minutes of per day is enough to create a consistent practice. I welcome you to explore sessions that meet you and your energy levels.
Considering deeper support
While holistic practices are supportive, there are other options that may provide more focused release. Pelvic floor therapists can guide you through deeper layers of release and have more extensive knowledge on this area than most yoga or somatic healers. If you feel comfortable exploring this avenue, I welcome you to speak with your care team to learn more about pelvic floor therapy.
Trauma informed yoga for pelvic floor release class
If you’d like to explore the poses form this post in a trauma informed yoga class, I invite you to join this gentle yoga practice to tend to your nervous system and support pelvic floor release. There are no props required and this is supportive for all levels.
This class is also available inside the Embody and Bloom membership, where you’ll find a growing library of trauma-informed yoga, somatic healing, and nervous system support for sexual trauma healing.
