Hi I hope this is ok to ask, I've dabbled with yoga on and off for years but the last 6 weeks I've taken it more seriously and practised for 1 hour everyday, nothing to difficult, I've started with basics and I'm gradually increasing the intensity. Feel great in every way except I have this feeling in my pelvic floor, I feel like I need to keep clenching my pelvic floor every few seconds, if I'm involved in a physical activity or I'm doing something that's fully immersive I don't think about it but if I'm relaxing it's very intense and quite frankly a little unnerving, it's so bad that if I'm sat watching TV I have found that if I cup myself with my hand it calms it down, but obviously this is not normal and I don't want to sit with my hand down there all night! It's not painful, it's just annoying. Other things I have noticed is I want to clenching my jaw or grind my teeth at the same time. I'm wondering if this is a physiological response to staring yoga again or an emotional response, have I awaken something physically or psychologically? either way has anyone else experienced this or has any advice for me.
Hi, I'm trying everything, vinyasa, ashtanga primary series, Hatha, restorative, I've started to meditate everyday, all aimed at beginner as I am aware that I need to build up gradually.
Don't worry about your question. All kinds of different things can happen in yoga, not abnormal at all.
But I have two more questions before continuing. Are you familiar with the upper and lower bandhas? Proficient with their use?
How are you choosing your classes? What ever happens to be available at the studio that day? Or do you choose what type of class you feel you need that day?
I class myself as a novice so I don't really understand bandhas, I am on the yogaglo website so all my practices are home based. Yes I always choose what I feel my baddy needs, if I feel energetic, or if I feel contemplative etc. I helps me decide which class I follow on the day.
Good! Choosing classes that you feel you need is a really good thing. That helps find balance for you.
One thing that may be causing difficulties for you is the wide variety. Try to narrow that down a little. Try to say out of the extremes of different types, for now.
What I write below just try to understand it as interesting information. Not strict rules or right / wrong. Some of the very active types of yoga you are doing require strrong use of the deep pelvic muscles. The area at and near the perineum. If a person isn't used to using these muscles and starts to use them strongly. The nervous system becomes overstimulated so it takes some time for the muscles and nervous system to calm down after strong use.
Some types of yoga are good exercise but we know that yoga is also much more. We have points of energy and lines of energy in our body. When sitting cross leg we have two points of energy. One is near the sit bones, the connection to the ground. The other is at the throat area. Where were your two problem areas? These two areas are connected by a line of energy. This is also found in many poses. One of the ideas is to use the lower and upper bandhas to manage the flow of this energy. You can start to learn the Chakras or meridians.
For now try a more middle ground types of yoga. Explore the edges sometimes and see how it affects you. Be sure to have a good long Savasana. Any time you feel uncomfortable with these things happening try legs elevated type posture. Focus on the exhale and calming breath.
When you start deep back bending all kinds of interesting things ahead for you. Don't do those now, just gentle ones.
Thank you so much for your input, it all strikes a cord with me. Ok sorry to ask you more questions, are there definite poses to avoid while my perineum calms down because I said pelvic floor but actually when I really think about it is is more perineum than pelvic floor, and yes it's also my jaw and mouth right near my throat! Any other hints and tips would be soooo gratefully received.
Just start out by giving the advice from above a try. Hopefully you had a chance to do that and can give some feedback. Are there certain practices that cause this more so than others? More strenuous practices? Sometimes we don't realize but just sitting straight upright is very strenuous. Do you find some of the practices too much of a physical challenge?
We generally don't want to avoid poses. Always modify and different versions of the poses to suit us better as individuals. I'm sorry for information that may not be very precise. If I could see you practice even for a very short time it would be much easier but we do our best over the internet.
Maybe start to learn about the Chakras but give some time.
I don't go beyond my ability and I'm quite physically fit so I don't feel like I it's too strenuous, but I will look into the chakras, I've just downloaded a free book from Amazon just to get me started. I think since we first spoke it has eased off a bit, I remember having the same feelings a few times over the years but I never knew what caused it or why it went away on its own, but now I've started my yoga journey more seriously I feel like I'm acquiring a deeper understanding of myself and although I can't quite workout why this is happening just yet it's still an interesting journey (although a slightly annoying one at times).
I wish I were able to help you more. Some of what you experience comes from the use of muscles, the physical. The other part is the flow of energy. Which seems like a bigger factor for you. This may help you get started in this area https://iynaus.org/articles-essays/alignment John Schumacher is a senior Iyengar teacher if that means anything to you.
I definitely can relate to the phenomenon of clenching the jaw after getting into regular practice. Just like you I just noticed it after a while and I just tried to shift my awareness to it a bit more. And nowadays, I rarely experience it anylonger. I am not a doctor or anything like that but I almost explained it to myself like this: I was getting into something really new and I am the kind of person that tends to think about things that interested me a loooot, especially when they are new. Just as you described, when I was busy, my head was somewhere else and my jaw was relaxed. When I was relaxed, I am almost sure that a part of my mind was always busy with thinking about Yoga and how I can develop further in my practice and bla bla bla.
So basically my advise is to wait a bit until your more intense Yoga practise has become a part of your daily life. In my opinion, our body always reacts in some way to something new. Just try to relax when you settle down in front of the tv or whenever you are experiencing your problem. This is just an answer from my personal experience and I hope it helps you in some way!
And don't worry about asking this question! Our body can just sometimes be a mystery to us, isn't that so?
I can totally see myself in what you are experiencing! I agree with you! Being on this journey can sometimes be really demanding. Getting to know yourself (how strange this may sound) gives you such a new awareness. For me it became easier to be happy and I feel more energized. But at the same time, I also get more sensitive for the problems or insecurities that I am facing. In moments when I really struggle with this, I sometimes even ask myself if it would be easier to go back to where I used to be. But the answer is no. It can be annoying and challenging but this journey gives me so much more than it makes me struggle. And even better, every day I get more confident that I will leave these insecurities behind me. But as you said, it is a journey. And journeys take effort.