Ep 77: All Pelvises Are Not Created The Same, How This Affects The Yoga Practice

In this episode, we’re taking a deeper dive into the pelvis. Its anatomy, its purpose, and some deviations from “normal,” how those deviations affect the yoga practice, and what you can do about it in your classes. 

Let’s get to it!

Mentioned in episode: Ep 75: Should Students w/ Scoliosis Practice Yoga

Transcript

Monica: 0:00

Today we're taking a deeper dive into the pelvis. Its anatomy, its purpose, and some deviations from quote unquote normal. How those deviations affect the yoga practice and what you can do about it. Welcome to the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast with me. I'm Monica Bright and I've been teaching yoga and running my yoga business for over a decade. This is the podcast for you. If you are a yoga teacher, you're looking for support. You love to be in conversation, and you're a lifelong student. In this podcast, I'll share with you. My life as a yoga teacher, the lessons I've learned, my process for building my business and helpful ideas, tools, strategies and systems I use and you can use so that your business thrives. We'll cover a diverse range of topics that will help you, whether you're just starting out or you've got years under your belt and you wanna dive deep and set yourself up for success. I am so glad you're here. Listen, I don't take myself too seriously, so expect to hear some laughs along the way. Now let's do this together. Welcome back to the podcast. I'm Monica, and I'm so glad you're here. Here is where we get real about yoga's role in helping students with conditions and injuries and what you can do to help them find relief while they're in your classes. Today I wanna discuss the pelvis and how it affects the yoga practice. First, I'll go over the anatomy of the pelvis, just so you get more of an idea of its structure and makeup. Then I wanna get into a bit of specifics and discuss what happens when a student has an elevated pelvis. What that means, why it matters, and how you can teach in a way that supports them without singling anyone out. Whether you're a yoga teacher, a student, or a movement nerd, this episode is for you. Let's start with the anatomy of the pelvis. The pelvis is a bony ring made up of two ileum bones, your hip bones, the sacrum. Which is a triangular bone at the base of your spine, the coys or your tailbone, and it's connected by the pubic synthesis in the front and the sacral iliac joints in the back. It houses and protects your reproductive organs, parts of the digestive and urinary systems, and acts as a load-bearing structure that transfers weight from your spine to your legs. It's the central hub between your upper and lower body. When we say someone has an elevated pelvis, we're usually referring to an asymmetry in the position of the pelvis. One side may be higher than the other, often due to hip hiking scoliosis. Leg length discrepancy or habitual movement patterns, like always carrying a bag on one shoulder, a child on one hip, or always standing with more weight on one leg than the other. Side note, if you're interested in learning more about scoliosis, I recorded an episode all about it, and whether students with it can practice yoga, It's episode number 75, and I'll link it in the show notes below. You can listen to it after this episode and it'll help you deepen your understanding of this area of the body. Okay, let's go back to pelvic asymmetry an elevation can also create a pelvic tilt where one side is higher or rotated compared to the other. It's often subtle, but it has a huge ripple effect on alignment and mobility, and it may or may not be painful. It depends on the individual and sometimes their relationship with pain. The pelvis plays a central foundational role in human movement, stability and function. It's far more than just hip bones. It's a biomechanical crossroads that affects everything from how we walk. Sit. And breathe to how we experience pain, power, and mobility. It's quite literally the intersection of the upper and lower body and its positioning affects the mechanics of your spine, your hips, your core, and your legs and your feet. Even subtle changes in the pelvis, like tilts shifts or rotations can throw off alignment elsewhere in the student's body. So what does an elevated pelvis look like on the mat? Let me paint a picture for you. In seated poses one sit bone. May not root down as much as the other, making the spine lean or rotate or deviate towards one side in forward folds. One hamstring might feel tighter, but it's not always about flexibility. It can be about alignment. In standing poses like Warrior two or Triangle, the pelvis may rotate or tilt in a way that causes strain in one hip or in the low back. I balancing poses weight distribution can feel off because. It is. The pelvis is also a key component of breath mechanics, especially in deep diaphragmatic or pelvic floor breathing. And in Shavasana, you might notice one leg moving out more, or the sides looking different while a student is lying in stillness. An elevated pelvis can lead to asymmetrical hip mobility, low back discomfort, hamstring or adductor overuse, and confusion about why certain poses just never feel right. Now to be clear, remember, an elevated pelvis is not a flaw. It's a pattern, and patterns can shift, adapt, and be supported. This isn't about fixing your students, it's about recognizing the reality of structural variation and meeting your students where they are. Now let's talk solutions because there are a lot of simple, effective ways to work with the student with an elevated pelvis. Think about offering support under the hips. In seated poses, you could place a folded blanket because you can adjust the height of it under the lower side of the pelvis So that both sides of the pelvis feel more evenly grounded. This can give the spine a more neutral base to sit atop of. You could change your cues to internal sensation and not physical shape. Instead of saying square your hips, you could say, pay attention to your pelvis and move it into a position that feels comfortable for you. Instead of saying, lower your torso to your thighs, you could say pause, right? When you begin to feel a stretch. You could also incorporate gentle asymmetrical work, sideline leg lifts, lunges with blocks or pelvic tilts that help students Explore both sides of the body individually and differently. I will say this works really well with private clients because you aren't teaching an entire class. However, you can teach a class to explore and experience poses, sensations and differences one side compared to the other. When you're teaching standing poses, think about using props strategically. A block under the front foot in triangle, or a rolled mat under the foot in Warrior two can help to level the pelvis without calling any one student out. And finally, think about teaching in layers, offer modifications to the whole class, not just to the one student. you could say, notice what your pelvis feels like if it feels uneven here. Try placing a blanket under one side and see how that feels. As yoga teachers, we want to empower our students. So when and if you see someone with an elevated pelvis, you don't need to name it out loud. instead. Offer props like blankets and demos in seated poses, even if you know only one student really needs it. Normalize, asymmetry. Say things like you might feel one side respond differently, and that's totally normal And use inclusive language like try this variation. If you feel unsteady, it might help bring you a feeling of more ease. This will also help to keep the environment in your classes supportive and safe without spotlighting anyone's body. All right. Now it's your turn. Your students may or may not tell you about conditions they're experiencing, but if I could give you a little homework, it would be to look very closely at your students when they walk into class, when they're practicing, and even when they're in stillness. I'll be honest with you, noticing asymmetry and bodies took practice, but I kept it up and it got easier and easier to see people's bodies and how they move and what they do and what they don't do. Remember, an elevated pelvis isn't a problem. It's an opportunity to teach with more nuance when you understand the pelvic structure. Notice the signs and teach with supportive options. You help create a space where all bodies can explore yoga with more clarity and less potential for pain, understanding anatomy, biomechanics, and the effects. Yoga also I have on the body, helps you help. Your students. It's so important for us to have this conversation so that you remember that students of all shapes, sizes, alignment, and abilities come to your classes and you can serve them all. You know that my goal is for you to love the yoga teaching life. It's important to understand movement and the issues students come to your classes with. And if you love this episode, let me know. I've added a link in the show notes for you to send me a quick text message about your thoughts on this episode. I won't know your phone number. It is just a neat addition to the platform I use that allows for this new and super easy way for you to communicate with me. Once you click on it, it will take you to your messages, but don't delete the code. That's how your message will get to me, and I would love to know your thoughts. Subscribe to the podcast, so you're always in the know. When a new episode drops and share it with another yoga teacher who you think would love to be in on these conversations. Thank you for helping to spread the word about this podcast, and if you've been taking notes in your journal as you listen to these episodes, I'm so glad you are and I would love to hear about it. Okay, that's it for now. Bye.