PhysioYoga and the Pelvic Floor

Overview 

The intention of this course is to offer a theoretical and experiential integration of accessible yoga practices and principles with evidence-informed techniques to enhance overall pelvic floor health and wellness. For both men and women, our pelvic floor plays a role in many aspects of our existence that contribute to a healthy life, including breathing, bowel and bladder function, sexual function, hip and spinal health, core strategies, and more.

Yoga is one of the most popular complementary health practices and is increasingly becoming more recognized and valued by health organizations globally. It is being introduced into college programs and professional continuing education courses, as growing research suggests that therapeutic yoga can be used as an effective and safe form of complementary therapy for numerous dysfunctions, including a variety of pelvic floor dysfunctions.

As such, this course also serves as an introduction to the use of yoga therapy as a complementary approach to the management of people suffering from various pelvic floor dysfunctions.

This online physiotherapy course outlines evidence surrounding biopsychosocial factors that influence pelvic floor function and explores why and how yoga can serve as a valuable adjunct to pelvic wellness and rehabilitation.

Be prepared to participate and enjoy empowering, informative, and inspiring gentle yoga practices and a variety of techniques that you can use with your patients or students.

This includes:

• pelvic floor awareness practices
• visualization/imagery
• mindfulness meditation practices
• breathing practices in a variety of yoga postures to help promote pelvic floor relaxation
• mindful movements and yoga postures coordinated with varying breath cycles to help facilitate engagement and excursion of the pelvic floor musculature
• examples of use of language and principles to enhance more effective cueing.

The techniques offered are intended for immediate use in a physiotherapy clinic or yoga studio setting.

In addition to learning, you get to enjoy the added benefit of some well-deserved self-care as you participate in pelvic floor focused PhysioYoga practices. Experience what it feels like to nourish all aspects of your being, using a biopsychosocial model of health.

Whether you are a pelvic floor physiotherapist looking to expand your current approach or a brand-new practitioner wanting to learn more about the pelvic floor, this course is meant to help support you on your path to learning more about how yoga can address pelvic floor health in an evidence-informed manner.

Short Video Introduction

Learning Objectives 

1. Briefly review the anatomy of pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) and landmarks of the bony pelvis.
2. Learn 11 roles the pelvic floor (PF) plays in overall health and wellness and why gaining skills in addressing pelvic floor health is important and valuable for any movement practitioner working with clients.
3. Briefly outline a chakra system commonly used in yoga and how it may relate to pelvic floor health.
4. Outline 4 categories of pelvic floor dysfunctions.
5. Outline biopsychosocial factors that can influence pelvic floor function and performance.
6. Review perspectives on the debate of the effectiveness of teaching or cueing isolated Kegel exercises, using an evidence-informed approach.
7. Develop a practical understanding of Mula bandha (‘root lock’) in yoga and its intentions, comparing potential similarities and differences to pelvic floor muscle engagement.
8. Outline factors that may contribute to a non-relaxing pelvic floor and health issues that may arise from over-recruitment of pelvic floor musculature.
9. List 4 different paths of yoga, with a focus on exploring the 8-limbed path of Raja Yoga, and how addressing each limb supports and contributes to a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach to pelvic floor health and rehabilitation.
10. Define and understand the yogic Pancha Maya kosha model of health as it relates to pelvic rehabilitation and describe the similarities to modern health care’s biopsychosocial-spiritual approach to rehabilitation, health, and wellness.
11. Learn how the respiratory diaphragm and pelvic diaphragm work together as a coordinated team to contribute to pelvic floor health and wellness.
12. Understand the scope of practice as it relates to addressing pelvic floor health for those practitioners who do not perform internal pelvic floor exams or treatment and when to refer to a physiotherapist who specializes in pelvic floor health.
13. Understand the current research surrounding yoga and pelvic health and the gaps in research.
14. Understand the difference between yoga, yoga therapy, and PhysioYoga.
15. Learn from and participate in empowering and inspiring yoga practices that include components as described below:
1. Techniques to enhance pelvic floor awareness (including yoga postures, visualization, breathing practices, awareness practices, mindful movement practices, and meditation techniques).
2. Techniques to enhance pelvic floor relaxation (including breathing practices, yoga postures, mindful movement practices, meditation practices, awareness practices and ways to incorporate yoga philosophy).
3. Evidence-informed activities that can facilitate pelvic floor muscle engagement in coordination with various breathing sequences, visualization, awareness practices, yoga postures and sequencing, and a variety of selected mindful movements.
4. Activities to enhance balance and foot awareness, offering a potential connection to the pelvic floor.
5. A variety of meditation and mindfulness practices that address focus, concentration, awareness, relaxation, and self-regulation skills.
16. Gain a general understanding of how yoga practices and principles might be used as an adjunct to support optimal pelvic floor health for people who may be suffering from a variety of pelvic floor dysfunctions, including disorders associated with pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse, and bowel or bladder dysfunctions.
17. Learn from the four Case Studies that are presented in this course.
18. Understand and appreciate the practical value and benefits of integrating yoga into physiotherapy treatments while also enjoying the opportunity to experience some well-deserved self-care.

Audience

Rehabilitation professionals including physiotherapists, physiotherapy assistants, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, athletic therapists, exercise therapists, kinesiologists among others. This PhysioYoga course by Shelly Prosko is also for movement specialists, yoga teachers, yoga therapists, and those interested in learning more about yoga and pelvic floor health and wellness. 

This course is an IAYT Approved Professional Development (APD) Course:

C-IAYT Yoga Therapists are awarded 16 CEUs upon completion of the course.

What’s Included In This Online Healthcare Course?

• More than 13 hours of video lessons.
• A 41-page workbook, which you can download and follow along throughout the course.
• Bite-sized information: all of the content is broken down into bite-sized chunks, so that you can easily watch a video on your break, over lunch, or for a few minutes at night.
• Access to an exclusive private forum with Shelly. Ask Shelly and other course participants your questions.
• A PowerPoint lecture, videos, and audios of yoga practices and patient exercises that can be shared with patients via Embodia.
• Lifetime access. You can return to this course at any time. If any material is updated or added, you will have access to the new content.
• Certificate of completion. Once you've completed the course, you will receive a certificate for your professional portfolio.
• Access to this course is through Embodia, and although some of the content, such as the workbook can be downloaded, the majority cannot. This is to protect the instructor’s material and to prevent the content from being shared freely on the Internet.
• Embodia is mobile-friendly and can be accessed by phone, tablet, and computer.
• There is no start date or completion date. You can complete the course at your own pace.
• Quizzes throughout to help you integrate the knowledge.
• You will be sent a receipt as soon as you purchase this course. This receipt can be used for education grants and for tax purposes.
• A Special Coupon for 15% off any other online course on Embodia Academy when you’ve completed this course!

**This course is not intended to act as medical advice. Please seek guidance and treatment from your health professional in your area for any unmanaged conditions.**