How Diaphragmatic Breathing Supports Pelvic Floor Function and Eases Pain

If you live with pelvic pain, one of the most powerful things you can do is start paying attention to your breath.

Modern Stress & the Way We Breathe

In today’s fast-paced world, many of us live in a constant state of stress. This often leads to apical breathing — where we mostly breathe into the upper part of the chest. While this might seem harmless, it can actually keep you stuck in a stress cycle, keeping your nervous system in a constantly activated, sympathetic state.

Why Diaphragmatic Breathing for the Pelvic Floor Matters

Your breath and pelvic floor are deeply connected — more than most people realize. When you practice diaphragmatic breathing, your diaphragm moves downward on the inhale, creating a gentle pressure that encourages your pelvic floor to also expand and soften. This natural movement helps improve blood flow, release tension, and support healthy pelvic floor function.

For those living with pelvic pain or conditions like hypertonic pelvic floor dysfunction, this gentle breath-body connection can be a game-changer. It helps shift your nervous system out of fight-or-flight mode and invites more ease into the way your body moves and feels.

Breath & the Pelvic Floor

When you're dealing with pelvic floor issues, it’s common for this area to stop moving naturally with your breath. If there’s chronic tension or less movement in this area, blood flow can decrease, and the muscles may stop functioning optimally.

Your pelvic floor wants to move with your diaphragm — they’re meant to dance together with every breath.

How Your Breath Moves Through Your Body

Here’s what a full, diaphragmatic breath looks like:

Inhale: The diaphragm expands and descends. This presses your abdominal and pelvic organs downward (your belly expands), and your pelvic floor also gently yields downward.

Exhale: The diaphragm lifts back up, and your pelvic floor gently recoils upward with it.

When you breathe this way, you’re not only softening tension — you’re also retraining your pelvic floor to function as part of a system, connected to your breath, your core, and your nervous system.

How to Start Working With Your Breath

1. Ribcage Mobility Is Key

To breathe well, your ribcage needs to move well. Try incorporating poses like:

• Twists

• Side stretches

• Puppy pose

These help open up the ribs and create space for full, nourishing breaths.

2. Try 360° Ribcage Breathing with a Belt or Scarf

Find a comfortable seated position on your sitz bones. Wrap a belt or scarf around the lower part of your ribcage so it gently touches the front, back, and sides of your body.

As you inhale, breathe into the strap and feel it expand all around — not just in the front, but also the back and sides. This is 360° breathing — a full, diaphragmatic breath in action.

💡 In many yoga classes, you’ll hear cues for “deep belly breathing.” But sometimes this makes us focus too much on pushing the belly out. Instead, try focusing on ribcage expansion. As you relax your belly, it will move naturally with the breath.

3. Explore Pelvic Floor Breathing Lying Down

Once you're comfortable with ribcage breathing, try lying down. You can keep the strap on if you like. Here, gently tune in to how your pelvic floor moves with your breath:

• Inhale → Diaphragm descends → Pelvic floor lowers

• Exhale → Diaphragm rises → Pelvic floor recoils upward

Lying down takes the weight of your upper body off the pelvic floor, making it easier to feel into this subtle movement.

💗 If you don’t feel anything yet, that’s totally okay. You’re doing amazing. This kind of breath awareness takes time, practice, and patience.

There are many other ways to connect with your pelvic floor — using props, specific yoga poses, and even gentle touch for support.

Want to Go Deeper?

Come join us inside the Pelvic Health Yoga Membership, where we explore all things pelvis — from breath and movement to support and healing. You'll learn how to care for your body with compassion, softness, and trust.

👉🏽 Join us here

Good luck! Penny