The crisp, cool air of autumn is undeniably here, and with it often comes a natural pull toward rest, reflection, and slowing down. While the shift in seasons can make it harder to motivate yourself off the sofa and onto the mat, I want to share a powerful secret: autumn and winter are the perfect seasons to turn inward and dedicate time to your pelvic health.
At Whole Body Pelvic Health, we know that true healing for conditions like incontinence, prolapse symptoms, or chronic pelvic pain isn’t about more effort; it’s about creating the right internal environment for your body to restore itself.
This season offers us a precious opportunity to use the extra time indoors to truly dedicate to your physical and emotional well-being, paving the way for deep pelvic floor healing, and your pelvic floor needs you to do exactly that.
The Essential Shift to Rest and Restore
Many women struggling with pelvic floor dysfunction are caught in a cycle of stress. This tension, often held in our shoulders, glutes, and, yes, our pelvic floor, is a product of our sympathetic nervous system being stuck in “fight or flight” mode.
The most critical step in healing is not a Kegel; it’s shifting your nervous system into its parasympathetic state (rest/digest/restore).
I’ve found that creating a sanctuary is the simplest way to signal safety to your body. I love to have:
- Low Lights and Side Lighting: This mimics the quiet hours and immediately reduces visual stimulation and signals to your brain that it’s safe to relax.
- Scented Candles or Diffuser: Essential oils like lavender or frankincense can deepen the shift into calm.
- Calm Music: Binaural beats, nature sounds, or my own Whole Body Pelvic Health Playlist are chosen to guide your nervous system into a relaxed rhythm.
- A Quiet Space: Tucking away from the busiest part of the house (except for my cats, of course!).
These small, intentional choices help guide your nervous system into the parasympathetic state. When this happens, a profound internal shift occurs:
- Your breath calms and slows.
- Your heart rate reduces.
- Tension in the shoulders, glutes, and pelvic floor eases dramatically.
- Your body becomes regulated, and therefore far more able to change, adapt, and heal.
This regulatory change is the bedrock of our Whole Body Pelvic Health approach.
The Diaphragm-Pelvic Floor Dynamic
Let’s break down the mechanics of the nervous system and how it affects your core.
The single most vital muscle to managing your pelvic floor is not the pelvic floor itself, but your breathing diaphragm. Your diaphragm and pelvic floor are a dynamic, synchronised system. They move together, like two pistons, on every single breath.
However, when you are chronically stressed, your diaphragm gets “stuck.” Instead of moving fully and rhythmically, it often relies on accessory breathing muscles in your neck and chest. When the diaphragm gets stuck:
- It can’t support the pelvic floor effectively.
- The pelvic floor loses its natural rhythm, becoming less responsive and less coordinated.
- This lack of coordination contributes directly to symptoms like stress incontinence (leaking when you cough, sneeze, or jump).
By simply relaxing and allowing your breath to slow and deepen, your breathing diaphragm can move more fully. You are instantly helping to reduce symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, not through forced effort, but because your pelvic floor is better stimulated and supported by the natural mechanics of your breath. This is why we prioritise diaphragmatic breathing in all our movement work.
The Gateway of Interoception
Creating a calm, low-stimulation environment delivers another powerful, long-term benefit for your healing journey: it helps you feel more. You become acutely aware of the subtle sensations within your body, including your pelvic floor.
This is called interoception; your body’s innate ability to connect with itself from the inside out.
For women who have spent years focused only on the problem (the leaking, the pain), learning to sense the solution within their own body is revolutionary. Interoception is the gateway to changing the habitual tension in your pelvic floor and is a non-negotiable step toward deep pelvic floor healing.
It allows you to:
- Move with greater sensitivity and self-awareness.
- Release the deep-seated “guarding” patterns that have held the pelvic floor tight.
- Ultimately leads to spontaneous pelvic floor coordination, the body moving correctly without you having to think about it constantly.
Reducing Chronic Pain and Tension
If you experience pain in your pelvic floor, hips, groin, sacrum, or lower back, you know it can often be worsened by stress and that “stuck” sympathetic nervous system. Pain is the body’s loudest signal that it doesn’t feel safe.
By intentionally shifting into a state of calm this autumn, you are providing the ultimate anti-inflammatory environment:
- Ease Muscular Guarding: The chronic, subconscious clenching of muscles is released.
- Hydrate Connective Tissue: You allow the intricate network of connective tissue (fascia) to become more hydrated and fluid. Fascia heals in a state of rest, not strain.
- Reduce Bracing: You actively reduce the body’s bracing tendencies, which often block blood flow and energy, impeding the natural healing process.
You actively reduce the body’s bracing tendencies, which often block blood flow and energy, propelling your journey toward deep pelvic floor healing.
Let Autumn Be a Season of Restoration
You don’t need to force yourself into high-intensity workouts this season. Instead, embrace the restorative power of the pause.
I hope this helps convince you to dim the lights, get on your mat, and simply breathe. Even a few minutes a day dedicated to calming your nervous system and finding your breath can profoundly support your pelvic floor restoration this autumn and winter.
You are always worthy of care, and this season might be the perfect opportunity to give it to yourself.
With warmth and hope,
Claire x
Would you like more journal prompts or resources to support your September reset? You can always join Claire’s teacher newsletter or explore the free content on her Instagram and Facebook communities.