06/26/2025
Why do I call my external pelvic floor workshop “Reclaiming the Pelvic Floor”, why “Reclaiming? This question gets to the heart of why this workshop is different than just learning technique.
The word “reclaiming” was chosen intentionally. It reflects the deep, often overlooked reality that for many people, their relationship with the pelvic floor has been shaped more by external forces — societal labels, religious beliefs, medical systems, and even personal trauma — than by their own embodied experience.
From an early age, we’re taught how to view this part of our body — whether through silence, shame, control, or idealization. Messages around sexuality, gender, modesty, and worthiness are embedded in our bodies, often unconsciously. In many religions, the pelvic region is loaded with spiritual or moral meaning — considered sacred, sinful, or both — and this can shape how people relate to their own anatomy, often creating a sense of detachment, repression, or guilt.
Culturally, we’re expected to perform — to be tight, toned, or obedient. Childbirth, menstruation, aging, and sexuality are all arenas where the pelvic floor becomes a site of judgment or invisibility. These expectations aren't just social ideas; they become physical habits, internalized beliefs, and sometimes deep-rooted disconnections.
For those of us who have experienced trauma — including sexual abuse, assault, invasive medical procedures, or even chronic shaming — the pelvic floor often becomes a site of pain, numbness, or emotional amnesia. It’s not uncommon for people to describe feeling “cut off” or “not at home” in this area of their body. The body’s natural response to trauma is often to shut down sensation as a survival mechanism. Over time, this disconnection can lead to a loss of agency, identity, or voice in the body.
Reclaiming means coming home.
To “reclaim” the pelvic floor is to return to yourself, your own relationship to and identity of. It’s about gently unwinding what was imposed or taken. It’s a process of listening to the body’s story without judgment, and allowing it to guide you back to sensation, sovereignty, and self-trust. This class isn’t just about muscles or mechanics — it’s about healing relationships: with your body, your story, and your power.
So the word “reclaiming” speaks to something deeper than anatomy. It speaks to liberation. And we work with how to navigate these dynamics in this workshop.
If you’ve made it this far, check out my next workshop offering gs at https://www.somavitality.com/rpf
