How to Start Practicing Pelvic Floor Yoga for Pelvic Pain Relief (Even If You’re in Pain)

A Gentle Reminder Before You Begin

First things first: you don’t have to do everything at once.

Whether you're living with hypertonic pelvic floor dysfunction alone or alongside conditions like endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, vaginismus, or lichen sclerosus — take it slow.

Remember: you are more than your physical body.

And when it comes to finding pelvic pain relief, slower is often better.

Your nervous system plays a huge role in your healing. If you dive in too aggressively, your system might become guarded, making healing feel even slower and more challenging.

Wherever you are on your journey — it’s good enough. And a gentle reminder: when you're living with pelvic pain, it's natural to want results now. But pelvic healing — and true pelvic pain relief — is a slow, layered process. And that's okay.

Here’s how to start:

1. Start with Your Breath

(And yes — I’m going to keep coming back to this one.)

I can't stress it enough: your breath is essential. It impacts your physical body — especially your pelvis — and your nervous system.

Why Pelvic Floor Breathing Helps Ease Pain

Your breath affects the diaphragm, pelvic floor movement, nervous system regulation, and blood flow. A stressed breathing pattern can keep pelvic muscles tense (and other muscles such as your neck and shoulders). Gentle breathwork helps your body feel safer, encouraging relaxation in your pelvis.

If you want to dive deeper into how breathwork supports your pelvic healing, check out this blog post.

2. Try Gentle Yoga Poses in Bed

Getting out of bed can feel like a monumental task when you're in pain. Add movement on top of that? Holy—talk about a "no thank you" moment.

Yoga for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction When You Can’t Get Up

Here are a few gentle movements you can do right from your bed:

• Supine twists: These help improve ribcage mobility, which supports better breathing (and ultimately, your pelvis).

• Modified Happy Baby: Wrap a blanket around your legs so you don't even have to hold on. Make it easy for yourself — not harder.

• Wind-Relieving Pose: (I usually call this "the Swedish Little Meatball," but we'll stick to the traditional name here.)
  

3. Practice Mindfulness for Pelvic Pain Relief

We often rush through life, trying to get to the next thing, the next practice, the next task. But what if you slowed it down?

What if you fully focused on this moment — and allowed that presence to become part of your healing? Here are a few small ways you can weave mindfulness into your day:

• When you brush your teeth: Feel the ground under your feet. Feel your hand moving. Notice your breath.

• When you're eating: Instead of rushing through meals, slow down. Feel the texture, taste, and smell of your food. Savor it.

• When you're in pain: Instead of tensing against it (which we naturally want to do), gently notice where the pain is — and soften your breath toward that area without trying to "fix" it.

  
  

  When your nervous system feels safer, your pelvis feels safer too.

  
  
  
  

  

  
  

4. Use Grounding Techniques to Build Body Trust

Right now — pause. Notice how you're sitting, lying, or standing. Where are you feeling support? (Couch, chair, bed?) Where does your body end and the ground begin?

Grounding yourself in these small ways helps your nervous system feel safer — and that matters more than you might think.

Healing takes time, and it’s okay to start small. Every mindful breath, every gentle movement, every grounded moment — it all matters for your journey toward pelvic pain relief.

If you’d like extra support as you begin, don't forget to download my free meditation: Leaning Into Trust. It’s a beautiful, simple practice to help you feel safer and more connected in your body — especially when pelvic pain feels overwhelming 👉🏽 Click here to download it.

You're already doing something incredible by showing up for yourself today. Keep going — I'm cheering you on. Penny