Pelvic Floor Yoga for Lichen Sclerosus: How Gentle Movement Can Support Pain, Stress & Healing

If you've found your way to our little corner of the internet because you live with lichen sclerosus - I see you. Welcome. I'm happy that you're here, and I want you to know that you're not alone.

My journey started because I live with lichen sclerosus. I was diagnosed at 19, wanted to find ways to support myself, and here we are! If you’ve ever wondered whether pelvic floor yoga for lichen sclerosus could support your pain, tension, sleep, or nervous system - this post is for you.

What is Lichen Sclerosus?

Lichen sclerosus is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that primarily affects the genital area. It can cause symptoms such as pain, itching, tearing, bleeding, scarring, and burning - and can be extremely exhausting to live with, both physically, emotionally, and energetically.

How Pelvic Floor Yoga for Lichen Sclerosus Supports the Body

Many people notice that symptoms may fluctuate with stress levels, sleep quality, hormonal changes, and nervous system regulation. Yoga in general can support you through this, but specifically pelvic floor yoga can be especially supportive when living with lichen sclerosus and pelvic pain. Practicing yoga can become a supportive tool - not as a cure, but as a way to help your body feel safer, calmer, more supported, and therefore ease your pain.

Let's dive into it!

Stress management

Learning how to manage your stress levels is important for everyone - but if you live with lichen sclerosus, you may have noticed how much stress impacts your symptoms and flare-ups.

Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, which can increase inflammation and nervous system sensitivity. Gentle movement, breathwork, and mindfulness practices help signal safety to the body, allowing the nervous system to downshift. Over time, this can support pain levels, tissue sensitivity, and overall regulation.

Through practice, you learn simple tools to reconnect with your body in a way that feels safe, grounding, and empowering - especially during stressful seasons of life.

Overactive pelvic floor muscles

Many people with lichen sclerosus also live with overactive (hypertonic) pelvic floor muscles. This means the muscles remain tense and have difficulty fully relaxing - which can contribute to pain, burning, bladder symptoms, and discomfort with intimacy or exams.

When we carry stress, the pelvic floor muscles can become tight because the body begins to hold onto tension.

This is one of the key reasons pelvic floor yoga for lichen sclerosus can be such a supportive practice - addressing both muscle tension and nervous system regulation together. Because through pelvic floor yoga, your pelvis is the main character!

This overlap between muscle tension and nervous system sensitivity is one of the main reasons this space exists. Pelvic floor yoga is especially supportive for conditions like lichen sclerosus, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, and chronic pelvic pain.

And what happens when we add pelvic floor tension and pain on top of lichen sclerosus? How might reduced movement and circulation in the pelvic floor influence tissue health, comfort, and healing?

Gentle stretching, breath-led movement, and nervous system regulation help the pelvic floor soften, lengthen, and restore healthy movement patterns. If you've been to a pelvic pt and they share that you have overactive (also known as hypertonic) pelvic floor muscles - you need to learn ways to relax, lengthen, and stretch your pelvic floor, and surrounding muscles.

If you want to learn more about overactive pelvic floor dysfunction, read this blog post.

Improving sleep

Nervous system regulation also plays a huge role in sleep quality. I often hear from students who struggle to sleep due to bladder urgency or pelvic tension — and notice significant improvement after practicing gentle yoga and breathwork.

When the nervous system settles and pelvic tension eases, the body can more easily move into deeper rest. Better sleep alone can significantly impact pain levels, inflammation, and resilience.

Supportive tools may include:

• Box breathing (inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8)

• Alternate nostril breathing

• Guided meditation or nervous system-focused practices
  

Mindset, Safety & Trust in Your Body

Pelvic floor yoga isn’t about forcing relaxation or pretending everything is okay. It’s about gradually helping your nervous system experience safety again in your own body.

Through gentle movement, breathwork, and body awareness, you begin to rebuild trust - learning how to notice early signs of tension, respond with care instead of panic, and meet hard days with more compassion and confidence.

Over time, many students notice a shift in how they deal with flare-ups, as they feel more supported by what they've learned and more capable of mentally navigating hard days when they arise. Not because the symptoms magically disappear - but because their relationship with their body changes.

This sense of inner safety, self-trust, and emotional regulation is just as important as the physical benefits when living with a chronic condition.

A Gentle Next Step for Your Healing Journey

If you’re curious about how pelvic floor yoga could support your body specifically, I invite you to join us inside the Pelvic Health Yoga membership.

You’ll find gentle classes focused on breathwork, nervous system regulation, myofascial release, and pelvic awareness - all designed to support you & your beautiful pelvis.

Your first 7 days are free, and I recommend starting with the Pelvic Relief Path - a 4-week guided journey to help you reconnect with safety, ease, and trust in your body.

Any epiphanies? Put them in the comment section. Penny