Lecture: Awakening the Diaphragm Part II
Last portion of Awakening the Diaphragm Part I
Movement of Pelvic Floor
The last player in this equation that needs to be mentioned is the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor mirrors the rise and fall of the diaphragm. As the diaphragm descends down to move the organs of digestion and elimination out of the way to expand the lower lobes of the lungs, the pelvic floor also descends subtly. As the diaphragm ascends back into the thoracic cavity, the pelvic floor also rises up (Bartelink, Dil. “The Role of Abdominal Pressure in Relieving the Pressure on the Lumbar Inervertebral Discs.” The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British Volume 39.4 (1957): 718-725). Interestingly, the actual work of the pelvic floor is opposite to that of the diaphragm, meaning that the diaphragm contracts to move down, but the pelvic floor contracts to move up. This can be helpful for holistic diaphragmatic breathing as it gives your mind a focal point— Inhaling brings our awareness to the diaphragm pushing down, whereas exhaling can bring our awareness to the pelvic floor rising up. This mirrors the awareness of the circular breath meditation, where we bring our awareness down the front of the body as we inhale, and up the back of the back via the spine as we exhale. Feeling this biological reality may help you maintain your focus as you meditate.
Getting the Pelvic Floor Online
One of the biggest issues surrounding the pelvic floor is the lack of awareness on how to work with it in a dynamic living way. According to research funded by the National Institutes of Health, “nearly 24% of women in the US are affected by at least one pelvic floor disorder…The problem increases as we get older. By the ages of 60 to 79 years, more than 40% of women struggle with pelvic floor issues. And pelvic floor disorders affect around half of all women aged 80 and over (“Roughly One Quarter of U.S. Women Affected by Pelvic Floor Disorders.” NIH (September 27, 2015). http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/roughly-one-quarter-us-women-affected-pelvic-floor-disorders). The solution for many of these individuals is to ‘strengthen’ their pelvic floor through usually too willful exercises such as Kegel’s, which not only may not solve the problem, but often makes it worse (McGeorge, Emma. “Pelvic Floor Basics Part Two--Pelvic Floor Dysfunction.” The Pelvic Hub. (June 7, 2022). http://www.thepelvichub.com/post/pelvic-floor-basics-part-two-pelvic-floor-dysfunction). This is because dysfunction in the pelvic floor can be caused both by over-active (hypertonic) pelvic floor muscles, and weak pelvic floor muscles. As we know from our hamstrings, weakness due to excessive lengthening during sitting can actually manifest as tightness and a need to stretch.
So what’s the solution? Using the pelvic floor in conjunction with your breath during yoga!
For most practitioners seeking to improve their breathing alongside their deep core including their pelvic floor, the solution lies not in isolating the muscles of the pelvic floor but rather by integrating the pelvic floor with the movement of our diaphragm during normal breathing. As Erik Flanklin writes in his book “Pelvic Power”, “It is an illusion to believe that somebody can activate individual pelvic floor muscles without either excellent anatomical knowledge or else an almost magical body perception.” This is to say that when we try to isolate muscles in the body, we usually miss. And in our experience, even if we are to isolate the right muscle, we usually over do its action. When we move our body from our minds its almost like those clumsy hands dropping down to pick up a stuffed animal in the arcade— its clunky, jerky, and lacks feeling. The result— we usually drop the ball so to speak.
In an interview for the Oxygen Advantage book about Breathing for Yoga, Dr. Paul Sly says that down, “When we inhale, the diaphragm contracts and moves down, while the pelvic floor relaxes and moves down. When we exhale, the opposite happens. Because of the connection between the diaphragm and the pelvic floor, optimal breathing can help maintain a healthy pelvic floor. If the diaphragm is not recruited, the pelvic floor is not recruited. Muscle weakness can come simply from the fact the muscles are not being used.” This is to say that simply bringing our awareness to the pelvic floor while we breathe unites it with our breath and deep core in a way that begins to reset its function. When this knowledge comes together with the tongue placement, the body begins to move together and the imbalances may begin to slowly resolve themself. Of course we would never assume that this is a diagnosis for all yogis experiencing pelvic floor discomfort, but rather we wanted to take this time to mention that isolated work on the pelvic floor is beyond self-diagnosis, and that if you are attempting to work with your pelvic floor than to always do so from the most holistic perspective of your breath and deep core.
Putting it all together
The connection of our deep front line is incredibly palpable in our breath. Overall in our breathing there is a general trajectory of each breath. The inhale draws down, and the exhale draws up. This is predominantly felt in the diaphragm itself, but is also mirrored specifically in the pelvic floor, and even in the tongue. When you begin with proper tongue placement you can feel that a nice thorough exhale allows the middle aspects of the tongue to rise up easily to the roof of the mouth. It’s almost effortless, just like the diaphragm rising up in to the rib cage. You might also notice during your exhale a subtle engagement of the pelvic floor that exists alongside these movements. As you inhale, its wonderful to feel the diaphragm pressing laterally along the ribs and down into the belly, but also notice that the tongue itself draws down ever so slightly. Specifically the aspect of the tongue that engages with the roof of the mouth. You may also notice a spaciousness in your pelvic floor. All of this is driven not by our minds, but by our breath, ensuring that the work is balanced, subtle, and effective.
Awakening the Diaphragm Part II
Ch. 5 • How a Mouse Can lift an Elephant: Rising above our struggles through Triple Awareness and Intra-Abdominal Pressure
You might have noticed that Ganesh is not dancing on the ground above us, but is instead being carried as he dances—by a mouse. This mouse, Mushika, is Ganesh’s vehicle. It is profound to consider that the yogic tradition gave such a large deity such a small vehicle. How is it possible for a mouse to carry an elephant? For our purposes today, we seek to show that real strength comes from inner awareness amidst external actions—a coordinated effort. In this way, we can all begin to lift the elephant-sized challenges of our daily lives, even when we feel like a mouse compared to them. This is not only a biological reality, as we will see with intra-abdominal pressure, but also a spiritual one, through the principle of triple awareness.
The diaphragm functions like a piston within a closed cylinder. Any small movement of the diaphragm dramatically increases the pressure within this closed system, much like in a hydraulic system. Imagine a hydraulic system with two pistons connected by fluid. On one piston sits an elephant weighing thousands of pounds; on the other sits a mouse, weighing just a couple of ounces. The magic of a closed system like this is that any pressure applied on one side affects the other side—the ounce of the mouse can actually lift the elephant. It might not lift it far, but the important takeaway is that it does lift it. I remember seeing this diagram in middle school and feeling perplexed. The concept amazed me, and today we get to explore this principle within our own bodies and see its implications for our spiritual practice. Through intra-abdominal pressure and diaphragmatic breathing, we can recreate this extraordinary principle.
Consider this plastic water bottle as representing the cylinder of support that surrounds your midsection—from our deep core muscles to our superficial functional core. This is the container, the structure. Within this container, we have the hydraulic fluid, quite literally all of your organs, along with the pistons, like the diaphragm and pelvic floor, floating above and below. These organs sit within an airtight canister, the top of which is a piston-like membrane called the diaphragm, capable of increasing and decreasing the pressure within this closed system. In its resting state, the diaphragm sits upwards within our rib cage like a parachute. As it flattens, the pressure within our core cylinder increases, pressing out against the walls of our core cylinder and down into the pelvic floor. Like a hydraulic force, a little bit of pressure goes a long way in a closed system. Fun fact: during restful breathing, the diaphragm may move three-quarters of an inch per breath, but during exercise, it may move up to four inches per breath. In a closed system, that creates a lot of pressure!
Our core musculature, the external container, acts as a holding force that presses inward, while the fluids and diaphragm serve as an expanding force that presses outward. Independently, these two forces are quite vulnerable. For example, without water in the bottle and the cap on, the bottle crushes easily. Similarly, without the bottle, the water has no support at all. But together, when the container and the fluid combine their opposing forces, the resulting strength and support are unmatched! As a 2019 study published in Biology of Sport describes, “Studies agree that increased Intra-Abdominal Pressure leads to greater stabilization of the trunk and greater intramuscular pressure on the erector spinae and abdominal muscles, which allows a greater magnitude of resistance to be overcome” (Systematic review of intra-abdominal and intrathoracic pressures initiated by the Valsalva manoeuvre during high-intensity resistance exercises).
This pressure, known as intra-abdominal pressure, is defined as the steady-state pressure within our abdominal cavity, formed by the interaction between our organs and abdominal walls. In explaining core stability, intra-abdominal pressure is the net force between the outwardly directed hydrostatic force produced by our diaphragm and the inwardly directed muscular force produced by our deep and functional core muscles. The diaphragm pushes down and out, while the core muscles push inwards, creating a dynamic force of support. This unique form of “stability” comes from the ever-changing intra-abdominal pressure that remains within a healthy range of variability. When there are heavy demands for stability, such as when lifting something heavy, these deeper core muscles press inward against the outward pressure of the diaphragm, increasing stability around the spine and organs.
It may seem obvious to us that having a strong superficial core, like a six-pack, doesn’t always equate to stability and mobility in the trunk. Take my oldest brother, for example. He has lifted weights his whole life and has a great physique, yet he has never gone a year without complaining of low back pain. In the late eighties, research suggested that, rather than focusing on the superficial core, we should isolate and strengthen our deeper core musculature, specifically the transverse abdominis, to find relief. However, decades later, this research is being overturned—even by its own authors—who now argue that isolating these muscles disrupts the natural coordination of the entire abdominal complex. The work of intra-abdominal pressure helps illustrate why this outside-in approach falls short. No matter how strong the outer structure (like the water bottle), without an equally strong fluid pressure within, that strength leads only to collapse.
This coordinated effort is no small feat and requires incredible communication through the nerve-rich fascia that surrounds our core on all sides—the Linea Alba fascia in the front and the thoracolumbar fascia in the back. These thick swaths of connective tissue synthesize the work of all our core muscles, both surrounding and integrating them. This fascia has a direct nerve and sensory relationship with our abdominal pressure; as the abdomen expands, it literally presses against this sensory-rich area. This allows the fascia to not only coordinate muscle activity but also to relate that muscular pressure to our abdominal pressure instantaneously. Studies have shown a direct correlation between a lack of sensitivity in the low back and low back pain. If you can’t feel your low back, it’s probably going to hurt, which might seem counterintuitive—wouldn’t a lack of feeling mean a lack of pain? Apparently not. This is yet another nod to the idea that “feeling is healing.” Intra-abdominal pressure is a powerful way to integrate your breath, musculature, and nervous system towards greater well-being.
There are many ways we can lose our intra-abdominal pressure. Weak or atrophied core muscles can disrupt this pressure. Poor breathing habits, such as shallow, rapid breathing, diminish the possibility of maintaining IAP. You can feel how, once the mouth opens, the closed system of the core cylinder is compromised. Pelvic floor dysfunction can also result in a loss of pressure. Poor posture can make it challenging to maintain IAP, which is why good posture is often emphasized when lifting something heavy. Over-straining can also disrupt this balance, as the coordinated effort of internal and external forces is necessary for proper IAP.
Let’s return to our original metaphor of Mushika and Ganesh. Through the principles of intra-abdominal pressure, we see that when all these systems work together, we experience the real strength of our core—our coordinated core. This is how a mouse can lift an elephant, quite literally, according to the science of hydraulics, which your core cylinder resembles. In our daily lives, we often feel that our responsibilities weigh on us like an elephant, while our individual efforts feel like a mere mouse. This level of awareness is considered dualistic, where we see ourselves and our lives as two separate entities—like the water bottle and the water, or our core muscles and our inner diaphragmatic fluid. When we oscillate between these two perspectives, we are vulnerable to feeling overwhelmed—a mouse can’t lift an elephant! However, when we use our practice to zoom out, we find a fluid that connects these seemingly separate hemispheres—a fluid of awareness that is neither one nor the other but connects both. This is what the Sutras refer to as “Triple Awareness,” the ability to work with the parts while remaining conscious of the whole.
Typically, in life, we are aware of only two states—like inhaling and exhaling, or feeling happy or sad. We are always in one state or the other, bouncing back and forth like a ping pong ball. Triple awareness, on the other hand, is the practice of maintaining a surrendered and detached awareness while continuing to engage with your life’s karmic arena. Your life doesn’t necessarily stop feeling like a game of ping pong, as challenges and successes still seem to flow at random. But through the detachment of surrender, you remain aware of a greater whole while experiencing these states. This third space of awareness, which neither negates nor attaches to the ups and downs of reality, is what the yogic tradition teaches as the key to navigating these ups and downs with greater skill and even joy.
As the Sutras teach: “When you fix your awareness not only in two, but in three, you are carried to God consciousness and you become one with Svacchanda.” (Svacchanda Tantra 32). What is the meaning of “triple awareness”? The verse tells us there must be triple awareness, not just awareness of two. Awareness of two is the awareness of two actions, such as inhaling and exhaling. Triple awareness includes the junction, the gap, between any two actions—between inhaling and exhaling, between exhaling and inhaling. It is the junction between one step and another, between one thought and another, between one sensation and another, etc. When you are aware of the three centers, then you are carried to Svacchanda, to God-consciousness. In another verse in the same Tantra, we are told: “[this triple awareness makes the yogi] so great they terrify Brahma, Viṣṇu, and Indra, the Siddhas, Daityas, and those who rule the great deities, Garuḍa, etc. They cause them to be fearful, or if they are satisfied with them, drive fear away from them. They are the bestower of boons and curses. Even the Lord of Death cannot stand before them. By the power of their will, they can level great mountains.” (Svacchanda Tantra 6.54–55)
The practice of surrender requires that we rise above the push and pull of our small selves and tap into the incredible depth and resilience of awareness itself. This awareness is the fluid that connects our inner and outer realities, and any work we do on the inside has a direct effect on the outside. When we try to lift the elephant directly, we just strain ourselves—this can manifest as worry, stress, or exhaustion. But when we apply a balanced force through the medium of our practice, we not only remain balanced but also have a direct, sustainable impact on our world. This could look like breathing into your heart during a stressful time or generating gratitude when you're not necessarily feeling grateful. It is the power of surrender that transforms not only our experience of life but life itself. In this way, we can become Mushika as we practice, allowing the efforts of our small self to work magic through the power of our practice.