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Your Pelvic Matters

9/20/2020

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The foundation of the training you'll get from me is from the Your Pelvic Matters program, a pelvic floor rehab system that works with alignment, strengthening, and stretching to improve pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD).

Spoiler alert- MOST of us have SOME kind of PFD, at least sometimes.

In my full body approach, I work with people who deal with: 
  • Stress incontinence
  • Abdominal separation 
  • Early stage prolapse
  • Hiatal hernia or reflux
  • Hip and low back pain from poor posture or muscle weakness

Oh, this sounds like you? And you want to fix it? OK! Here's a list. In a nutshell, you need to:
  • Sit better (if you must sit, or vary the way you sit eg floor sitting)
  • Stand better (I teach you how to do this in every class setting on my timetable, so no excuses)
  • Walk and move more (but you need to learn how to stand better for you to be able to move and walk better, so you can sort of see how these things are indeed connected)
  • Strengthen your glutes (a huge role in relieving pelvic pain, sciatica and sneeze wee is building yourself a strong butt, which incidentally is linked to walking better - you see - I can find a tenuous link to everything!)
  • Release your hamstrings (particularly if sneeze wee is something you suffer with - it tells me your pelvic floor is possibly too tight)
  • Teach your core to switch on reflexively (which means you don't "draw it in" all the time, or at all - you let it anticipate and adapt to the load you're asking it to bear), and finally
  • Learn to breathe better (because you can't get a reflexive core, if you're not breathing into your ribs, and breathing better can also help pelvic floor/core synergy too)
 
And, there you have it! 
 
That's quite an extensive list as you can see, but if you've ever asked me a question along the lines of:
 
"What exercises are good for....?"
 
I rarely if ever answer it by listing my "go to" exercises, because I look at the body as a whole unit, and just sending you away with 4 movements to do in isolation isn't going to relieve your symptoms.
 
You've got to take some responsibility for your pain and actions going forwards too, you see.
 
If you're concerned that any symptom you're suffering with is not going away, it's probably time to get in touch with me, don't you think?

I teach 1:1 clients all the time, and next month the next round of my semi-private program the Foot to Forehead Fix opens again.

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What do you do for a living?

9/13/2020

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It's a frequently asked question: 

But aren’t you an herbalist? Or are you a movement teacher?

My philosophy is simple- if it helps you be well, it’s fair game to include in my whole body approach to wellness. Boom.

Lymph is a super simple example (this is all the body fluid that’s not actively in your blood right now. It’s in and in between cells, and in lymph vessels and nodes, washing away waste products like old cells and dead bacteria. But the lymph system doesn’t have a pump like the heart in the circulatory system, it relies on the body moving for it to move.)

Lymph can be supported materially by:
  • Drinking enough water
  • Herbs that can support or stimulate movement
  • Reducing inflammation and stress

It can also be supported manually by:
  • Dry brushing
  • Hot and cold shower rinsing
  • Massage
  • Correcting posture to straighten out the channels
  • Aerobic, bouncing, or functional exercise to add movement

My practice integrates the manual and the material- I’ll teach you to move, stand, and sit right AND how to support your body from the inside. It’s a whole body approach that’s really, actually holistic- inside and out, physical and herbal, consistent and persistent. 

Check out my services here and get to work with me to feel better yourself

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Exercise Your Systems: Digestion

9/10/2020

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Can you really exercise your internal body systems? Yes! They're made of organs, which are also muscles, and are full of blood and lymph and movement. Go on, exercise your systems.
Digestion isn't just input and output. All the hollow spaces food goes (the mouth, esophagus,  stomach, and intestines) are called hollow organs and guess what- each one is muscular!

They can expand (think of your belly after a holiday meal) and they can shrink back to normal.

​This takes muscle control, so exercise #1 is: 
​

Let Your Digestion Empty Completely

This doesn't have to be fancy- for example, a light and easily digestible dinner that's over by 7pm like a hearty soup, then nothing till at least 7am the next day.
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Not only does this allow your digestive organs to practice contracting down to their smallest size, the emptiness allows time for any needed repair and construction work to happen. 

​Give your digestive organs a break, and a chance to change sizes. Give the lymph fluid and connective tissue around your organs some space, and some fresh blood flow. And give all the tissues a chance to heal: the GI tract really has a lot of constant damage to repair, so a pause gives all this a chance to happen.
These internal systems we're talking about are mostly jam-packed into the abdomen, and thanks to the "core"- your pelvic floor, diaphragm, and abdominal wall- it's all held in place by intra-abdominal pressure.

​However, our lifestyle is good at messing with this pressure. Things like sitting so much, sucking in our bellies to "look" good, thrusting out our ribs in what's really fake good posture, and breathing shallowly all keep the abdominal pressures from fluctuating appropriately. 

Exercise #2 is something you hear all.the.time. but do you really practice it?
​

Deep Breathing

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I'm thinking specifically about the expanding and relaxing in the ribs and belly today. We tend to always hold a bit of tension, a bit of stress, so maxing that out with a big deep breath then letting it out all the way to really empty everything, is the best way to find complete relaxation of all those muscles. 

Now, did you know that your other internal organs, the solid ones like the liver and the kidneys, move too? When you move in proper, unstressed alignment, they can move around several inches.

​When you're tense, tight, and sitting, your organs are too. Let's move them with Exercise #3:

Practice Gentle, Full ROM Bends and Twists

ROM= Range of Motion

This could be yoga moves. This could be spine twists on the floor. This could be backbends supported by a door frame. This could be toe touches, no bouncing!

​There are so many ways to deliberately and fully twist and bend to stretch our insides, just do it smoothly and without holding your breath. 

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In addition to full Ranges of Motion, we also need full Ranges of Flavors! Tip #4 is:
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Taste Your Bitters

Herbal remedy? Aperitif? Morning bowel stimulant? Yes! 

The bitter taste is an amazing actor in our bodies- not only do our tongues taste bitter, but we have those same bitter taste receptors in all kinds of other body tissues too (like our lungs and kidneys). When we TASTE bitter, all sorts of things happen all over the body.

Specifically regarding digestion::
  • Smooth muscles relaxes, so there's less tension in the gut
  • Digestive juices like saliva and bile are stimulated
  • Peristalsis (movement of the intestines) is stimulated
  • Sweet cravings are often diminished
  • Circulation is stimulated, improving digestion, metabolism, and healing of inflammation
  • and more!

You can find alcohol-based bitters 3 main ways.
  1. In little bottles at the liquor store, like Angostura, Peychaud's, and many small batch brands
  2. In big bottles at the liquor store, like Campari, Aperol, Fernet Branca, and again, many artisan brands
  3. In little bottles at the health food store, like Swedish Bitters, Urban Moonshine brand, and many small herbal makers brands
The rule of thumb is if it's in a big bottle you can sip it neat, if it's in a little bottle it's for flavoring or small dosages

Food based bitters include liquids like Coffee and greens like Dandelion, Escarole, and Radicchio, as well as Chocolate and Cacao nibs.

Dandelion root, Artichoke leaf, Bitter Orange peel, Gentian, Blue Vervain, Angelica, and Horehound are all bitter herbs you may see on some ingredient lists as well. 

Practice these 4 exercises for your Digestive System, and let me know how you're feeling! And Learn more about exercising your insides and outsides, for structural and systemic health, in my Foot to Forehead Fix program.
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Improve Your Pelvic Floor By Improving Your Feet

9/7/2020

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Can you lift your big toe- without using your hands? Why should you care?

This is important because tension in your feet is a good indicator of also having tension in your pelvic floor, neither of which is good for us.

In my experience, almost all of the aches and pains we deal with are somehow connected to the hips and pelvis. A healthy pelvic region requires a balance of strength and mobility, and VERY often the clients I see don’t have either of these. 

Simply put, y
our pelvic floor is the very foundation of how you move- and how you feel when you move. Not having good strength and mobility makes for a messy chain reaction up and down the body, and this is why I’m always working with clients on the feet from day 1, regardless of what else we’re also working on.

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Here’s the fun thing about this connection: the nerves that come out of your spine to innervate your pelvic floor are the same ones that go to your feet!

So while it can be difficult to know exactly what is happening in your PF, we can easily see what’s going on in your feet- just take off your shoes and look. Feet give us some information about the PF.


If you have enough muscular control to lift your big toe, or even (gasp!) to WAVE all your toes, then you probably have good muscle tone in your PF. On the other hand, if you can’t move your toes independently, then you probably don’t have good control over the PF either. 

Not only is it simple to begin improving your foot mobility, I recommend you KEEP it simple both because the feet are complex, and because they're used so much in our daily lives. You want to make sure the work you're doing is gentle so it doesn't cause any inflammation or discomfort that can lead to other problems. 

Start Here

Stretch your toes by lacing your fingers between them, and by bending them backwards and forwards.

Roll a ball under the sole of your foot to start loosening up structures. This can be a tennis or lacrosse ball, a textured ball, or even a rolled up pair of socks.
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​Wear yoga socks until it doesn’t drive you crazy, then move up to silicone toe spreaders, starting both with small increments of time, maybe 5 minutes, and increasing as your tolerance does. 

Our feet are intimately linked with our nervous system, and changing sensations from our feet can cause quite a reaction like anxiety and defensiveness! Take it slow.

Start trying to move that big toe. It needs a combination of muscle strength and nerves to tell it to, and this takes time. I’ve read that nerves can grow about 1 inch per month, so this won’t happen tomorrow. But if you practice (all of life is a practice, isn't it?) you’ll get there.

P.S.- You’ll probably also see some other improvements up and down the chain too. Everything’s connected, after all.

P.P.S.- Want some extra help? I can do that! Sign up for a private session with me.
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    Fun Fact: I'm an herbalist and a movement coach. Not a doctor, or a pharmacist, and not pretending to be one on TV.

    This is a public space, so my writing reflects my experiences and I try to stay general enough so it might relate to you. This does not constitute medical advice, and I encourage you to  discuss concerns with your doctor. Remember, however, that the final say in your wellness decisions are always yours- you have the power to choose, you are the boss of you.

    And, some of my posts may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them I'll earn a few cents. Thank you for supporting my work. 

    This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical, mental health or healthcare advice.  The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any illness, medical condition or mental or emotional condition.  Working with us is not a guarantee of any results.  Paula Billig owns all copyrights to the materials presented here unless otherwise noted. 

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Disclaimer

This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical, mental health or healthcare advice.  The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any illness, medical condition or mental or emotional condition.  Working with us is not a guarantee of any results.  Paula Billig owns all copyrights to the materials presented here unless otherwise noted.  
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