Work from the vagina out
Once you become familiar with your squeeze then you marry that internal movement with external movement; postures specifically designed to support the female structure, that work directly with the reproductive organs, that activate meridian pathways in the body and that iron out tension and holding patterns. Because while squeezing and releasing on its own is a starting point, we can’t stop there. The reason we want a healthy pelvis is to support daily activities.
When we go about our day we’re moving our whole body. That’s why it’s so important that we marry the squeeze and release with full body movement, so the body is prepared to cope with the pressures we place upon it when we walk, when we lift things, when we stretch; our pelvic structures play a role in all of those movements as everything in the body is connected via fascia.
To help maintain whole body structural integrity, we need to focus on pelvic contractions yes, but they need to be done with full body movements. Because remember, our pelvis is our centre of gravity. If it’s not functioning well, neither will anything that extends from it. This is just another reason why Kegels aren’t so effective, because often people are told to do them as an isolated activity, when you’re still.
What makes the Yoga for the Vagina postures different to those in some other yoga styles is that each posture looks to maintain natural womanly posture which includes maintaining the lumbar curve in the back, as opposed to ironing it out by drawing the tailbone down, which destabilises the pelvis and places the sexual organs in a position that makes them vulnerable to prolapse.
We’re also more concentrated on how the posture feels in the body as opposed to how it looks, as every body is unique and has its own range of movement. Just because one body looks to be going deeper into a stretch, doesn’t mean that they’re receiving a better stretch or a better release than someone who doesn’t even look like they’re in the posture. We all have unique bone structures that allow for different ranges of movement. That’s why it’s important to adapt the posture to the body, not the body to the posture.
So we’re moving the body as we contract and release, what’s also happening because we have a Jade Egg inside, is we’re essentially doing ‘resistance’ training. The weight of the egg inside the vagina creates gentle resistance that helps us tone our pelvis. Just like when we go to the gym we can move our arm, which keeps it active, or we can add a little weight, which helps us not only keep the arm active, but tone it. And this is one of the benefits to working with a Jade Egg, as opposed to just squeezing with nothing inside.
Now that said, like when we go to the gym, once you leave the gym, you don’t walk out with a dumbbell attached to your arm, and walk around like that for the rest of the day! Neither should that be the focus with the Jade Egg. Many women will skip a dedicated practice, and simply push the egg inside, wear it around all day and think it will work its magic that way. There are a few problems with this approach.
Firstly, your presence when you’re working with the Jade Egg is the most powerful healer, as it allows you to enter into communication with your body so that you can release trauma and conditioning and holding patterns in the body. When you sip the egg inside, as opposed to push it inside, you’re re-activating the bulbocavenonsis muscle, yes, but you’re also re-patterning your relationship with your vagina; you’re learning how to say No and Yes, as opposed to just accepting things into your life that you’re not ready for, or simply don’t want. So the healing benefits of sipping go far beyond physical healing, and teach us a new way of interacting in this world. And thirdly, most women hold tension in their pelvis. So if you’re doing a resistance practice – such as holding the egg inside all day – without any focus on releasing, then chances are you’re creating more tension, and could make your existing problems worse.
The big thing to understand is that more is not better. A dedicated practice – just half an hour – is going to create more internal healing than wearing the Jade Egg all day. If you want to leave the egg in after your practice go ahead, but only leave it in for an hour, and then practise laying your egg; another great strength-building practice in Yoga for the Vagina. Less really is more when it comes to creating full body healing.
