How Feldenkrais can support your Reproductive Health

Kat H Author

Feldenkrais offers many physical benefits for intimate health. Here is how it can support your reproductive health when you are trying to conceive

I was delighted to have recently been interviewed by Inna Duckworth about Feldenkrais and fertility (link to the podcast below). Inna is a medical herbalist who specialises in fertility and supports women with herbs and nutrition. She was curious about Feldenkrais and somatic movement and how they could support couples who are trying to conceive. We talked about the physical and emotional benefits of Feldenkrais. 

Here are a few physical benefits:

1. Moderate Exercise has been shown in studies to improve fertility

Not everyone will think of Feldenkrais and somatic movement practices as exercise. These practices can be so gentle that you might feel you need a walk afterwards to get your “workout”. However, Feldenkrais and somatic movement practices support intimate pelvic health in a variety of important ways:

2. Moderate Exercise, Mindfulness and Meditation have been shown to modulate inflammation
  

Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury and infection. The problem is prolonged inflammation. Chronic low-level inflammation can disrupt hormones, fertility and implantation. Low level inflammation can be modulated through movement, mindfulness, diet and lifestyle. Highly inflammatory conditions that affect the reproductive organs and pelvis, such as endometriosis and PCOS, will need medical attention but can still be supported by mindful movement practices such as Feldenkrais.

3. Feldenkrais can improve blood flow and lymphatic drainage

Feldenkrais offers many lessons that focus on the pelvis. Mobilising the pelvis can improve circulation, support a healthy pelvic floor and the fascial integrity that supports the pelvic and reproductive organs.

Good circulation is vital for intimate and reproductive health: The best diet in the world, supplements or herbal support may not be enough if the blood flow to the pelvis and reproductive organs is restricted. Sufficient blood flow is also important for sexual arousal.

Lymphatic drainage removes waste, such as bacteria and viruses. Our vaginal environment, like our gut, is full of beneficial bacteria. Sometimes the healthy balance is disturbed and we may develop bacterial vaginosis (BV). General consensus is that BV does not affect fertility but some researchers have been looking at the effect on microbiome of the reproductive tract on fertility. BV has been associated with a small increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth and lower success rates for IVF. Now, improving lymphatic drainage alone won’t be enough to heal BV but it’s a good start maintain a healthy intimate environment.

Circulation and lymphatic flow may be impaired by muscular tightness, fascial restrictions, impaired breathing or scar tissue. Feldenkrais, somatic and fascial movement practices focus on releasing excessive tension, improve breathing and can even help to release minor scaring and thereby improve circulation.

4. Feldenkrais can support a healthy Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and fascia that supports the pelvic and reproductive organs. Whilst a pelvic floor dysfunction does not affect fertility as such, it can make intercourse difficult and may prevent you from enjoying sex.

The pelvic floor is also vitally important during pregnancy. Even if you are only just trying to conceive it's never too early to bring attention to this area to avoid problems later on, such as prolapse or incontinence for example. The pelvic floor needs to be strong enough to support the pelvic organs, including the uterus and the vagina. However, if the pelvic floor is too tense, sex, childbirth, emptying your bowel or bladder may all become difficult.

Kegel exercises (“squeeze and release the muscles”) used to be the standard practice for the pelvic floor. Newest insights into the fascial pelvic floor (the pelvic floor is actually only about 20% muscles and about 80% fascia) have shown us that Kegel exercises aren’t enough. Whilst Kegel exercises can help to bring awareness to the area, the pelvic floor benefits from movements that involve more of us, such as Feldenkrais or somatic lessons that involve not just the pelvis but also the legs, the spine and even the upper body. Of course, these movements have to be taught in such a way that we still involve the pelvic floor. Slow movements, as offered in Feldenkrais, can guide us, especially if we work with awareness.

Nowadays we also know that the pelvic floor needs to be functional rather than just strong. In many women the pelvic floor is actually tense and unable to relax. This may be due to habits, stress or postural imbalances, for example.

Feldenkrais and somatic movement practices are mindful practices that can help to release excess tension. When you are trying to conceive you might find the mindful nature of Feldenkrais particularly helpful. We focus on awareness of habitual patterns rather than achievement. Even better: awareness can help us to reconnect to pleasure.

People also report that they feel more even and balanced after a Feldenkrais or somatic movement class. An imbalance in the pelvis doesn’t just affect the pelvic floor muscles it affects the bones and joints. One area that often feels tender during or after pregnancy is the sacroiliac joint. This joint can be particularly affected by the hormone "relaxin". It relaxes the ligaments that stabilise this joint. I have found in my practice that a strong imbalance between the right and left side affect this joint in particular.

5. Feldenkrais can support the reproductive organs and bones of the pelvis

The purpose of the pelvic floor is to keep our reproductive organs in place. But the organs are actually enveloped in pelvic fascia that offers a certain amount of support of its own. So we don’t just need to maintain a healthy pelvic floor but also support the ligaments and fascia of the reproductive and pelvic organs. 

This is important post-natally but also during pregnancy. A tilted uterus during pregnancy puts more pressure on our bladder.

But of course healthy reproductive organs are particularly important during conception. For example, blockages in the fallopian tubes are a common cause of infertility. Now we cannot release blockages in the tubes with movement but maintaining healthy fascia and circulation is vital to support the health of the reproductive organs.

Pelvic fascia also supports the bones of the pelvis. In pregnancy, hormones will soften the fascia to allow childbirth. Somatic practices like Feldenkrais that bring our awareness to uneven patterns and help us to be more balanced may help us to avoid sacro-iliac problems later on.

6. Improve the function of minor scar tissue

Most of us have some scar tissue. Very few have major scars that you would get from surgery or chronic inflammatory conditions. However, most of us have had minor tears, the odd bit of inflammation or may even have developed minor scarring due to inactivity, say from too much sitting. This usually does not cause any problems at all. However, scar tissue can obstruct circulation and stop the healthy glide and rhythmic movement of the organs, fascia and muscles.

Now, if there is a lot of scar tissue you may need to see a scar tissue specialist. However, the small gentle movements as we find in somatic movement practices  and fascial pelvic floor work can help to improve the function of these minor scars. 

These are by no means all the physical benefits of Feldenkrais and somatic movement practices but I hope they have given you an overview of some of the benefits for your pelvic health and if you are trying to conceive.

For me, the main benefits of somatic movement practices is actually the effect on our relationship, emotions, stress resilience. The latter can impact on our fertility. We talked a lot about that on this podcast

If you are interested to read more about the emotional benefits of Feldenkrais and Somatic Movement Practices for intimate health and fertility, read this blog.

About Kat

Kat Hesse, Movement Therapist specialising in women’s intimate and sexual health, digestion and conditions related to stress

Kat creates tailor-made somatic movement programmes for pelvic and reproductive health, stress resilience (stress is a major factors affecting ovulation) and emotional intimacy.

She originally trained as a Medical Herbalist. During her training she shadowed a doctor in India who combined movement, breath and mind work with herbs and nutrition. Kat was so inspired by the results at the Indian clinic that she decided to focus on the movement and mind aspect of healing. She is a firm believer in an integrative approach to health: an approach that combines therapeutic movement and mindful approaches with other healing modalities, such as diet and herbs.

Kat’s teaching combines modern rehabilitation techniques with traditional and ancient methods of healing. She trained in a range of therapeutic modalities, including as a Feldenkrais practitioner, Somatic Movement Educator (Body Mind Centering), Yoga, Chi Gong and Pilates instructor. She has also completed specialist trainings in pelvic floor rehabilitation, intimate vulvovaginal health and digestive health. She is also a mindfulness, relaxation and sleep coach and is presently training in psychosexual counselling support.

Reference: 

Bacterial vaginosis and its association with infertility, endometritis, and pelvic inflammatory disease, 2020, Jacques Ravel, Inmaculada Moreno, Carlos Simón

Categories: womens intimate health