Pelvic floor support with two acupressure points

Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles for greater bladder, urinary and reproductive health

Most of us have heard of Kegal exercises, but practicing them correctly can be confusing. “Lift your pelvic floor”, which you may hear from Pilates teachers or physical therapists, is a bit of a vague command, and people may be too embarrassed to ask for details.

Having a good understanding of your pelvic floor and how to keep it strong and healthy is nevertheless a worthy goal, no matter your gender. Pelvic floor strength lessens incontinence due to childbirth or aging, and supports the bladder, prostate, and uterus – keeping those organs lifted and secure within the body cavity. Strength from below improves orgasm and helps with erectile dysfunction. The pelvic floor muscles also hold in urine and poop (we all want control there for as long as possible). Pelvic floor tone supports a vertical spine, and is a critical component of core strength (another potentially confusing term).

This post will go over the basics of pelvic floor anatomy and strength. Then, we’ll explore using two acupressure points as helpful visualizations to make Kegal exercises simple and easy to practice at home.

Basic pelvic floor anatomy

The pelvic floor is situated between the pubic bone and tail bone (coccyx) and the two sits bones (the bones you feel when you sit down). Those four bony points form a diamond shape, and the pelvic floor is like a hammock connected to all four points. As a whole, it keeps the internal organs held up within the body cavity where they belong.

If you have a uterus, you have three sphincters within your pelvic floor. The one closest to the pubic bone cuts off the flow of urine. The second one in line closes and lifts the vaginal canal. The last is the self-explanatory anal sphincter. If you have a prostate, you have the urinary sphincter and the anal sphincter. You also have muscles that pull the penis back into the body.

Anyone can practice exercising each of these sphincters and supportive muscles separately, closing and drawing each one up into the body gently, one at a time. (You may find some are easier to control than others.) It’s interesting and worthwhile to experiment with them individually. The following exercise, however, targets them all as a group, in combination with the larger pelvic floor muscles that connect that bony diamond. It’s what’s meant by “lift your pelvic floor” as a whole.

Conception Vessel one and two: helpful points for pelvic floor strength

The perineum is the soft tissue that separates the anus from the genitals. Both the practice of Yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recognize the perineum as an energetic center. In Yoga it’s considered the site of the first chakra, connected to home, family, and our roots in the natural world. In TCM it’s the site of Conception Vessel one, or CV1, the first point on the Conception Vessel acupressure meridian. It’s used for all sorts of pelvic complaints, as well as for regeneration of the spirit and healing all illness (!).

In Yoga, postures are often accompanied by the cue to “lift your perineum”. or your root chakra. You can also think of this as lifting and toning CV1. It should feel like a gentle squeeze and lift that starts with the perineum and expands to encompass the entirety of the pelvic floor. (In other words, a Kegal.)

Conception Vessel two, or CV2, is the second point along the Conception Vessel meridian in TCM. Again, it’s used by acupuncturists to treat a wide range of issues affecting the bladder and sexual organs. It lies right above the pubic bone, in the soft tissue of the low belly. In my experience, adding awareness and tone to CV1 as you practice lifting your pelvic floor further supports the lowest organs in the body cavity, and encourages core support for verticality in the spine.

Strengthening your pelvic floor at home

You can use CV1 and 2 at home to strengthen your pelvic floor anytime, anywhere, and no one will be the wiser. Start with practicing the gentle lift of the perineum. This can be done in any position, but if it’s confusing, start just lying down with your eyes closed. Touch your perineum gently if you need to, to make sure you have it located correctly and can feel it. Make sure you’re not squeezing your butt or your thighs. It’s just the perineum alone that lifts up within your body cavity. It won’t move your legs or your pelvis.

Once it gets easy to feel your perineum lifting, add in CV2. If you need to, place your fingertips on the point, just above the pubic bone on your belly. After you lift CV1, add the feeling of toning CV2; it should hollow your belly slightly, bringing that point closer to your spine. After a while, it should feel relatively easy to tone both points simultaneously. You may feel it pulls the two points together and moves energy up your spinal column. You are strengthening your pelvic floor and “core” muscles deeply and accurately with this practice.

In conclusion

Pelvic floor strength is a key component of core strength. (Core strength should not just refer to the abdominal muscles!) It helps support the lower organs within the body cavity, controls incontinence, improves sexual function, and supports verticality in the spine. Hello, I’ll take it.

You can practice pelvic floor strength using CV1 and CV2, two easy-to-locate acupressure points, one on the perineum and one on the lowest low belly, directly above the pubic bone. Pelvic floor support compliments just about any form of exercise; from weight lifting to yoga to carrying groceries up the steps to having an orgasm. A strong and healthy pelvic floor will benefit you all the way through old age. If the pelvic floor is still confusing territory, find a good Pilates teacher or pelvic floor physical therapist to help you out.

Thank you for reading! From the root to the crown your energy flows,

Shona