2. the seven keys - Lisa Fitzpatrick

Transcription

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE PELVIC FLOOR
7 KEYS TO UNLOCKING
YOUR INNER GODDESS
by Lisa Fitzpatrick ©
www.LisaFitzpatrick.com.au
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Disclaimer - This is a practical and simple but priceless guide to the pelvic floor for women.
This publication is for informational purposes only.
The particulars of any persons concerns and circumstances should be discussed with a qualified
health professional prior to making any decision which may affect the health of an individual.
© Lisa Fitzpatrick (2013)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. The Seven Keys
I. Posture
II. Breath
III. Pelvic Floor (Mula Bhanda)
IV. Presence
V. Diet Sustenance
VI. Purposeful Living
VII. Passion
3. Rumi
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1. INTRODUCTION
The inherent and sacred nature of Shakti in the female body functions as a crucible where
all dualities of oneself are alchemically transmuted into a direct experience of no
separation. All exist as ingredients for the sublime and the ecstatic – Anna Davidovich
When I first learnt about the power of Shakti, it was my thirty-fourth birthday. I wasn’t doing too
well. I was struggling to raise my children as a newly single mother. I doubt I would have been able
to haul myself out of bed in the morning if I didn’t have my three and five year old sons as a reason. I
loved being a mother, but if it wasn’t for loving my children so much and living for them, I realised
I’d be considering suicide. I felt old and tired and it was certainly one of the lowest points of my life.
One small light in my life came from my local yoga class. My teacher, Joanne Langton, taught a yoga
class which had so many life-affirming qualities. Joanne was in her fifties and luminously beautiful. I
made a comment to a friend that I wouldn’t feel old before my time if only I could be as graceful as
Joanne. Joanne made ageing seem appealing. It was like she held more of the secrets of the universe
because of her age, not despite it. Despite having practiced yoga on and off since I was a teenager, I
was drawn to the promises it offered: the promise of transformation. I needed transformation so
desperately, Joanne wrote me an email to wish me a Happy Birthday. At the end of the email she
signed off with ‘all my love and Shakti-Shakti-Shakti, Joanne.
At the time, I wasn’t sure of who or what Shakti even was. I just knew it was something I wanted. I
figured it was the special something Joanne had that uplifted her and gave her luminous and radiant
charisma. When I thought about it, it was a quality I had noticed in a few of the successful and vital
women around me. It was something mystical, an elixir of life, and perhaps it was also a solution to a
very big problem I had: the problem of feeling disempowered and tired, like my life didn’t matter. I
set about to learn more about Shakti. What I learned set itself to work on me.
My counsellor at the time was offering advice about my capacity to deal with my consistent
impending sense of overwhelm and depression. She said something I have always remembered: that
if I was able to look after myself first, I would be able to care for everyone else around me. I’d been
stuck in a paradox all my life. Not only had I been supremely self-focussed on my depression but I
had also martyred myself to the needs of my partner and the task of mothering my children for
years. The idea of nurturing and mothering myself to any capacity was foreign to me and felt selfish
and unfair. However, if it was going to give me my life back I was up for it. If it was going to mean I
could set a better example for my children, I was up for it too. I made the decision that yoga was my
path and I committed to a regular practice and study.
When I was introduced to Joanne’s teacher Rachel Zinman, I was once again bowled over by the
promise of yoga and the feminine mystical qualities of Shakti, the Divine Feminine force that had
imbued my mentors with so much grace and power. Rachel was living her life on her own terms,
creating beauty and inspiring others with her ability to lead from her heart.
In my subsequent yoga studies, I learnt that Shakti is a Hindu concept meaning ‘sacred feminine
force or power or energy.’ Shakti is a divinity poised with-in all of us, male or female and is our active
feminine power. In South India, Shakti is also known as the Divine Mother. It is considered to be the
protector of the village, the punisher of evil people, the curer of disease and the one who gives
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welfare. If we are to heal ourselves, our children, our imbalances and our environment, it makes
sense to understand the potency of this force in our lives.
In yogic philosophy, Shakti lies coiled at the base of the body. It is the source of our potentiality,
awaiting activation so it can give rise gracefully and fully engage us in our life purpose. Being aware
of our true nature which acts according to this divine, active force within us, we are able to protect,
cure and provide nurture to everyone around us. Being aware of this while we run our homes and
our businesses gives us the power to create the life of our dreams and nourish ourselves at the same
time. In my experience, being able to gain a strong mind-body connection to the base of the body,
the perineum and the pelvic floor, is a huge key to unlocking our intuitive faculties, accessing our cocreative power and bringing our Divine Feminine gifts to the fore of our lives. All this, whilst
maintaining our grounded connection to this earthly life and inhabiting our human form more
completely.
Our lowest three chakras, which are located from the base of the body to the ribcage, are also highly
significant keys to our personal feminine presence and to birthing the life of our dreams. Ironically,
we may still have some deep resistances to knowing and connecting with the pelvic floor and base of
our body. After-all, it can be a source of great shame, guilt, embarrassment and a painful reservoir of
memory for many women. Yet, in being able to stay in our bodies as embodied presence and not
abandon ourselves, we become more powerful and awakened than we could ever imagine.
After my discovery of Shakti, I started living life on my own terms again. I created a business I loved
and manifested an international career using the skills I had practiced as a therapist and was
applying them to yoga. My income had tripled and I was parenting with much greater easefulness
and joy. Life was still challenging as a solo parent, but it was full to over-flowing with amazing
people, living conscious and inspiring lives. Serendipity was around every corner. Life felt balanced
and stable for the first time I could remember since I’d been a child. I had a deeper sense of how to
navigate challenges with grace, acceptance and self-compassion.
The qualities of the Divine Feminine involve being open and receptive, graceful, flexible, generous,
elegant, maternal, healing and able to receive. Importantly, the feminine spirit is powerful, resilient,
spontaneous and adventurous, can easefully multi-task and can also handle almost any challenge
with fierce determination. Being fun, playful and child-like and being able to embrace our inner child
are all signs of a healthy flow of Shakti.
Being aware of how Shakti rises and presents itself in our lives can be a wonderful source of both
self-nurture and vitality. It can help define who we are and what we stand for as women. Equally, it
can be a source of potency, helping us to say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done.
Women are often mislead into thinking that they need to be soft, receptive and to never get angry.
Yet the sacred feminine is often a fierce force to be reckoned with when she is unleashed. Think of
the fury of Mother Earth in a storm or the lioness protecting her cubs and fighting tooth and nail for
their protection and survival. She won’t hesitate to do what needs to be done and reveal her might
when it’s for the highest good.
In our remarkably busy, stress-filled and outwardly-focussed lives, the connection to the physical
body can be compromised when the need for mental focus is strong. The more your role involves
nurturing others, the more likelihood a woman will abandon her self-focus and sacrifice her physicalwellbeing unless mind-body awareness is strong.
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The seeds of physical dysfunction in a woman’s body can often be metaphysical in origin. This guide
is an absolute must is because it is a complete and holistic package of information which will set you
up for life-long healthy habits to improve your longevity. Having this information means that you will
be able to gracefully handle some of the challenges faced by women of this busy age – the sense of
overwhelm, stress, fatigue, lack of zest, feelings of lack or limitation and depression. As these
challenges take a hold of the general population, it means that now more than ever we must take
preventative measures and reclaim our power as women. On a purely physical level, this guide acts
as a preventative tool. It is your custom designed, free and easy way to maintain vitality from within.
The tools contained here are intended to awaken you to become more confident in accessing your
deep truth, your intuition and your authentic voice.
This guide is a must for you if you want to fully activate your creative powers using Divine Feminine
principles. The principles taught here combine ancient wisdom from the Yoga tradition and a
modern Western Scientific approach to the body. The principles inform and assist women to awaken
to all of who they truly are, to tap into their deep bone wisdom and to move forward purposefully to
create holistic wealth. A woman who lives her life on purpose and awakens to her innate feminine
magic is a powerful force in the world. Not only does she awaken her command over time and
freedom, but she also awakens to her abundance within. Being holistically wealthy means having
wellness, fulfilment and abundance in all areas of life – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
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2. THE SEVEN KEYS
I. POSTURE
Being able to understand the profound importance of aligned and symmetrical posture is the first
key to both accessing and freeing up power in the body. Being in sound postural alignment puts our
physiology in its most optimum position and efficiency. It frees up our energy. It takes a lot of
energy to slouch. When we neglect our posture, we risk the development of asymmetries and we
may also place our skeletal, muscular, digestive and endocrine systems under stress or compromise.
A woman who maintains a long, erect spine and good posture is ageing gracefully and moves
easefully, like a Goddess. She is also able to hold her centre of gravity with certainty. So not only
does she look and feel younger, but she also feels powerful because her physiology is supported by
her posture. She is also poised. This facilitates a readiness for receiving all that life has to offer as
well as being ready to move and act when required.
Think of the stooped and kyphotic posture known as ‘the nursing home slump’. Gravity will naturally
have this kind of impact on our bodies if we don’t consciously attend to our posture. Think also of
someone suffering from depression and the effects this has on posture. The sunken chest and
rounded spine typical of depression is very labour intensive for the body to maintain. The breathing
as well as vital physiological functions are all compromised by the nature of the posture itself which
further feeds into the downward spiral of poor mood and emotional lability.
Tadasana is also known as ‘mountain pose’ in yoga. It ensures that each and every muscle and bone
in the body is positioned for optimum function and helps gain awareness of exactly what good
posture looks and feels like in the body. In Tadasana, we are standing with both our feet firmly
planted on the ground. We are able to feel that the big toe mounds, little toe mounds, inner heel
and outer heel of each foot are equally weight-bearing. Our spine has a natural ‘S’ shape. There is an
inward curve of our lumbar spine, a gentle outward curve of our thoracic spine and a delicate inward
curve of our cervical spine. Each of our spinal curves should be maintained and respected. Good
posture is not about a rod-straight spine.
We need to also maintain a comfortable position in our shoulders and arms in relationship to our
torso. So many women who are sitting in front of their computers or carrying out their busy work,
have high activation of the muscles above their shoulders. The activation of these muscles known as
the upper trapezius, result in the shoulders sitting high towards the ears and forward of the body
and this can create neck tension. Having poor posture involving over-activation of the upper
trapezius muscles, affects the pelvic floor function in negative ways. It places the breath in a
compromised position and the muscles of respiration directly affect the natural rhythm and
movement of the pelvic floor. When we take an adequate breath, we are able to ensure that the
natural cycle of breathing travels the length of the torso and moves through the body like a wave.
Making the conscious effort to relax the shoulder blades down and back will assist you to release the
upper trapezius muscle and take a more effective breath.
The spine strongly affects the pelvic floor muscles. This sling-shaped group of muscles running from
the pubic bone to the tailbone relies upon the neutral pelvic position for optimum function. Neutral
pelvis means that the pelvis is level and symmetrical and able to provide a stable base for the lumbar
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spine to maintain a natural slight inward facing curve, the lumbar lordosis. Studies have shown that
women suffering depression have higher rates of dysfunction with their pelvic floor. This is because
the kyphotic, rounded posture associated with depression puts important pelvic floor muscles in a
compromised position towards the front of the body.
Goddess Action Key Number One:
Stand tall and relax the shoulders down and back. Lengthen the spine by lifting
through the crown of the head. Check out your posture in the mirror and correct it
every day. Grow a few centimetres taller and be the graceful goddess that you truly
are so that Shakti has a clear passageway to rise in you today.
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II. BREATH
The ability to breathe deep into the belly creates a natural cyclic rhythm within the body. The breath
is like a wave, entering the body on the inhale and creating a downward movement of our most
important muscle of respiration, the diaphragm. This downward movement of the diaphragm has a
downward pressure on the organs of the abdomen. The pressure created places a further downward
pressure on the pelvic floor. When you exhale, the diaphragm recoils back up and the organs as well
as the pelvic floor naturally relax back up also, to follow the diaphragm’s movement.
The most soothing and nourishing, energy efficient breath for the body is the abdominal breath. This
type of breath, which involves breathing deep into the belly, has the effect of being able to move the
nervous system towards the relaxation response. This is a wonderful way to calm the body down
and encourage blood-flow to the central organs of the abdomen. This improves immunity, digestion
and glandular function for healthy hormones.
The problem is that many goddesses are under stress. They are breathing into their upper chest and
not taking the deep, slow abdominal breaths that are necessary for the health of the nervous system
as well as the healthy rhythmic movement of the pelvic floor and abdominal organs. This places the
structures of the body under pressure and can result in long-term issues with the pelvic floor.
In some women, it has become habit to breathe in a shallow way. Retraining the breath takes
conscious time and effort so that it becomes more of a habit to breathe fully and deeply into the
abdomen. Having a soft abdomen helps. All those tight abdominal crunches and pilates exercises can
sometimes have the effect of creating an over-tight trunk which doesn’t allow for a relaxed, deep
breath into the belly. Take care to practice deep breathing every day to ensure that you are able to
soften and breathe into the belly which is equally important as having core abdominal strength.
Goddess Action Key Number Two:
Practice belly breathing for ten conscious breaths at least three times a day. Allow
the belly to expand on the inhale and draw the navel to the spine and feel the pelvic
floor recoil up and draw inwards on the exhale.
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III. PELVIC FLOOR (MULA BHANDA)
Mula Bhanda is a Sanskrit term derived from the word ‘Mula’ meaning ‘root, base, beginning or
foundation, origin or cause and source’. ‘Bhanda’ means ‘bondage, fetter, joining together or
catching hold of’. B.K.S Iyengar, one of the most influential yogis of our time, defined Mula Bhanda
as a posture where the body from the anus to the navel is contracted and lifted up towards the
spine. Mula Bhanda is also referred to as ‘the root lock’ which is an energetic seal that locks prana
(energy) into the body and prevents it from leaking out at the base of the body. Mula Bhanda is also
said to move prana up the central channel of the body.
The importance of having an awareness of Mula Bhanda for women cannot be underestimated. The
statistics are alarming. At least four in ten women suffer from incontinence issues in their lifetime
(O’Dwyer 2011). This increases to over eighty percent in women and men over sixty-five years. If we
engage in heavy lifting, childbirth and other risky endeavours without engaging Mula Bhanda, we
run a real risk of suffering from a pelvic organ prolapse (POP).
In Chinese Medicine, the pelvic floor muscles are considered to be ‘the muscles of longevity’. They
are also considered to act as the ‘canary in the mine-shaft’ which means that they are consistently
indicating whether there are other issues in the body that need to be addressed. If we are
experiencing dysfunction, incontinence, pain or difficulties in our pelvic floor, it can affect our quality
of life, confidence and sex life. It’s an area that can be difficult to discuss especially if you’re a new
mum or you were bought up in a household where the subject of body functioning was considered
to be taboo. The research shows that women who have been bought up with certain religious and
cultural constraints which have shamed them sexually or prevented them from speaking up about
their bodies are more likely to experience issues in the functioning of their pelvic floors.
The pelvic floor is the sling shaped group of muscles from the pubic bone at the front, to the
tailbone at the back. It contains the sphincters of the vagina, urethra and anus hence it supports the
bladder, uterus and bowel. The main muscle of focus is the pubococcygeus or PC muscle which
supports these sphincters. The diamond shape area bordered by the ischial tuberosities or sitting
bones on the left and right, with the pubic bone at the front and the tailbone at the back is known as
the perineum. The pelvic basin also contains our reproductive system and sexual organs. A healthy
pelvic floor is the cornerstone of our sexual health, our continence and our birthright as mothers. A
strong healthy pelvic floor will assist in maintaining excellent continence levels, support to the
bladder, bowel and uterus, provide support and blood flow to the organs, enhance vigour and
vitality of sexual health and well-being and prevent prolapsed of pelvic organs, However, it is
alarming how little this area of the body is recognised, acknowledged and taught to our women and
how few women maintain a healthy connection and awareness of it.
There are many factors which influence the health of the pelvic floor. The muscles are affected by
pregnancy, childbirth, ageing, hormonal changes, changes in collagen levels (loss of elasticity), diet,
respiratory issues and heavy exercise or lifting with incorrect or inadequate awareness.
Women who have suffered from sexual abuse, birth trauma and any other type of trauma like
surgical intervention are also more likely to experience issues with their pelvic floor. It is heavily
influenced by our emotional states, our self-image, our culture, religion, trauma and history of
abuse.
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Many women who have experienced past traumas, personal and professional challenges, selfneglect and excessive negative mental chatter may have disconnected from their bodies in subtle
ways and not-so-subtle ways. Many women flee from their bodies at the sign of imbalance or
shame, low self-esteem or when confronting situations of intimacy and abandon themselves to
please others. This can become worse when women become mothers and place the needs of their
children and spouse before their own needs.
It can be common in the Western way of life to become masters of living from the ‘heart up’. This is
where we live in our heads and lose our grounding connection with our bodies. Yet, as women, we
must be connected to our bodies more fully if we are to stand our ground and speak up about the
issues that are important to us with any degree of impact or influence. One of the first steps towards
being able to access the body’s wisdom is to be able to fully inhabit the body. It is essential that we
ground into our feet, take a strong, aligned stance, straighten our physiology and Find the Voice that
sits deep in our body. It is essential that we embrace the present moment with full embodied
presence.
It is also essential that we visit our core woundings which are often located and buried deep in the
pelvic basin. These are the shadow aspects of our nature that we often don’t want to look at as they
cause us shame or embarrassment. We disown parts of ourselves that end up becoming our dirty
secrets and unconscious sources of energy leaks and blockages that reduce our effectiveness and
disempower us. Then we wonder why we feel so tired and lethargic.
If we are feeling pulled in several different directions as mothers, it is helpful to have a centreing
technique which allows us to bring everything back into alignment internally. This assists us to
maintain our composure, our focus and our poise. Being able to access the pelvic floor is an excellent
way to re-centre when we are being harried, pressured or scattered.
There are several ways dysfunction can play itself out in the pelvic floor resulting in altered bowel
and bladder emptying, unintentional and embarrassing loss of continence of fluids, wind or solids,
sexual pain and organ prolapse. This is more likely to happen after childbirth, even if the birth was
conducted by caesarean section. Heavy pregnancy can affect the pelvic floor by creating pressure
and stretching of the muscles. It is also possible for the muscles to become tight and stiff, resulting in
sexual pain and dysfunction.
Caucasian women are more likely to experience pelvic floor dysfunction due to the lower rates of
collagen in the body. African-American women are the least likely to experience issues due to their
higher rates of collagen. Research shows that women with signs of pelvic organ prolapse have a
higher concentration of weaker type three collagen fibres in their pelvic floor muscles and supports.
The warning signs for this fibre type are increased varicose veins in the legs, abdominal striae, joint
hyper-mobility and hernia. As we age, declining hormones change the thickness and strength of the
muscles.
Past sexual trauma can play a major role in blocking our energetic access to our Divine Feminine
Power. Past sexual abuse, pregnancy termination, sexually transmitted diseases and traumatic
experiences can all contribute to a feeling of defensiveness or challenging emotions in a woman’s
relationship to her body. Trauma can prevent a goddess from moving close to others and
experiencing true emotional, spiritual and sexual freedom and liberation.
On a practical note, we can strengthen and improve the health of this area of the body relatively
easily if we know how. There is no such thing as a generic health issue so it is recommended that you
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see a Women’s Health Physio or your Gynaecologist or Obstetrician if you are unsure. There are a
vast array of gadgets available to both measure and strengthen the pelvic floor which is beyond the
scope of this book. However, one healthy habit for strengthening and toning the pelvic floor is
orgasm. This doesn’t require a partner.
A guide for normal is that we should be passing urine four to six times per day and one to two times
at night. Each quantity of wee should be approximately 300-400ml (a coffee cup has 250ml). The
stream of urine should be continuous, without stopping and starting as well as painless (O’Dwyer
2011). A pelvic floor exercise test is to try and stop the flow of urine, approximately mid-stream
when your bladder is emptying. Try this action no more than once a week as a test of control.
Pelvic friendly exercise for life includes walking, swimming, bike riding, cross trainer, water aerobics,
tai chi and controlled, gentle yoga, low impact exercise classes and dancing without jumps. If there
are signs of pelvic floor prolapse (POP) the following exercises need to be avoided- high impact
exercises, running and skipping drills, jumping and landing sports, star jumps, full planks and chinups, repeated abdominal curls and heavy weights as these all increase the potential for ‘bearing
down’ action on the pelvic floor.
The synthesis or seeds of the physical disease or dysfunction, can often be metaphysical in nature.
Having an awareness of the nature of the chakras in this part of the body can be helpful to trace the
sources of many difficulties facing women and mothers. There is an interesting relationship between
the lower three chakras and certain conditions specific to women – menstrual disorders, lower back
pain, sacro-iliac joint disturbances, ovarian cysts and irritable bowel syndrome to name a few.
Energetically, the chakras require sound physical alignment (that is good positioning and posturing
of the spine to facilitate and ensure a clear pathway for our central energy channel shushumna nadi
as well as sound alignment for the chakras which sit just in front of the spine.
Chakra means ‘energy wheel’. The yogis believed that there are 7 primary chakras in the body along
the central energy channel of the body which is known as shushumna nadi. This channel runs from
the centre of the base of the body to the crown of the head. Yoga is a science for finding out ‘who
you are’ and comes from the word ‘yuj’ which means to yoke, to harness, to unite or to be in
conjunction with the divine. The study of the chakras can provide empowering and informative
insights into the nature of being.
Muladhara – the root chakra relates to issues around family, tribe, security, home, sense of
belonging and being settled. It relates to all the foundation areas of our life- our house, our family,
our home, our community. It is such an important chakra as it sits right in the centre of the pelvic
floor and creates the foundation for all other areas of our lives. If you are experiencing feelings such
as disempowerment, struggle for survival and struggles to have your basic needs met these may be
habitual feelings you also had as a child and an imbalance in the ‘base of support’ in your body.
Childhood narratives are often deeply unconscious until we gain an awareness of them. The yogis
believe that many of our unconscious patterns are sitting deep in the body, waiting to reveal
themselves. However, these narratives and relationship triggers are deeply unconscious having been
formed while we were in a pre-verbal state or as a very young child. It is common when we become
mothers for some of the deeply repressed childhood states to be re-triggered in the psyche. Anxiety
and depression can surface as we are placed in the position of primary caregiver to our helpless
newborn. Many of our childhood issues may lay dormant until we become mothers, when we are
forced to face some of the deeper issues which confront us on the parenting journey.
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This energy wheel or chakra is linked to our ‘fight or flight’ response in the body. The fight or flight
response is the reaction we have to stressful situations. Often our family of origin’s reaction to stress
will influence how we react to stressful situations in later life. It can be really helpful to examine
both the resourceful and un-resourceful ways in which we manage stress as this has such a profound
impact on our physical well-being, not to mention our parenting styles and our sex lives as well as
the functioning of the pelvic floor.
Goddess Affirmation for Muladara Chakra:
I am more than enough
Swadhisthana – the sacral chakra relates to issues around our relationships with others, our
relationship with money, our relationship to things and our aversions and addictions. Swadhistahana
is located inside the pelvic basin below the navel. Neale Donald Walsh, the author of Conversations
with God and Napolean Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich have both referred to a co-creative
power which sits within the pelvis. This power feels almost sexual in nature as it assists in the
creation or physical arrangement of the world around us. Swadhisthana is said to be affected by
significant events occurring between the ages of 4-8 years. Swadhisthana also correlates to our
‘womb’ energy, the birth of all things. It is known in India as the seat of shakti. Honouring our
menstrual cycle is a part of managing this chakra to optimum help. The nature by which we manifest
as women, is different to men. Deriving enjoyment from life without guilt can be one of the biggest
challenges for women especially those raised in the Catholic tradition. As women, we have often
been encouraged to not show our emotions for fear of being ‘hysterical’ which literally came from
the Latin meaning ‘uterus.’ The repression of women for millennia has contributed to our fear of
being the powerful, creative, potent healers and intuitive seers that we are capable of being. A
balanced sacral chakra allows us to live life fully, with our full expression of feelings and close
healthy, emotionally engaged relationships with other people.
An underactive swadhisthana can cause feelings of sexual rigidity and an overactive swadhisthana
can cause feelings of intense and somewhat overpowering sexual desire. Healing sexual shame,
acknowledging the impact it may have had on our sense of self-esteem and personal empowerment
is helpful to re-empower and ignite the full powers of the goddess.
Goddess Affirmation for Swadhisthana Chakra:
I am able to give and receive gracefully and abundantly.
Manipura – the ego centre, the centre of “I am” is also called the ‘city of jewels’ or ‘resplendent
gem’. This energy centre is located above the navel and below the rib cage in the centre of the solar
plexus and digestive system and it is the third primary chakra. This is the centre which drives us to
act on our desires according to our self-esteem, claim our warrior energy and contains the power of
transformation through action. A healthy spirited third chakra will assist us in overcoming our
sluggishness or lethargy, assert our will and assume responsibility for our life. The ability for
manipura to be in healthy balance depends upon our relationship to the lower two primary chakras
both muladara chakra (which forms the early basis for our self-esteem) and svaddisthana chakra
which draws to us or repels from us our desires and aversions.
Goddess Affirmation for Manipura Chakra:
I move through life in empowered ways. I am aware of my immense power.
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Goddess Key Number Three:
Commit to doing five sets of pelvic floor exercises every day. Choose one of the
following exercises at each set. The five ‘T’s are a great trigger for remembering your
set of exercises. These are: while you’re having tea, watching television, stuck in
traffic, on the telephone and talking with friends.
a. Take a deep breath into the abdomen at the same time observing the pelvic floor gently
softening and lowering slightly. As you exhale, draw the lower abdomen towards the spine and
at the same time, lift the pelvic floor upwards. Use the same action as you would when you stop
the flow of urine. Continue the contraction for the full length of the exhale. Repeat ten times.
b. Gently squeeze-release, squeeze-release, squeeze-release for a count of ten quick pulsations of
the pelvic floor.
c. Imagine your pelvic floor is a three storey building and you’re taking the lift or elevator all the
way to ground floor on your inhale. On your exhale, elevate the lift to the very top storey by
contracting your pelvic floor muscles to 100% of your capacity. Inhale and release the lift to the
ground floor. On your next exhale, elevate the lift to the first floor by contracting your pelvic
floor muscles to 30% of your capacity. Repeat to the first floor three times. Inhale and release
the lift to the ground floor. On your exhale, elevate the lift to the second floor by contracting
your pelvic floor to 60% of your capacity. Repeat to the second floor three times. Inhale and
release the lift to the ground floor. On your exhale elevate the lift to the very top storey by
contracting your pelvic floor muscles to 100% of your capacity again. Repeat to the top storey
three times.
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IV. PRESENCE
Our ability to be mindful when lifting and carrying out our domestic goddess duties is an important
key to life-long health of the body. Staying present and respectful of our bodies when we lift or do
any kind of manual work means fully engaging Mula Bhanda. It means taking the weight of a load
through the larger muscles of our lower limbs as well as being able to maintain connection to our
breath. All too often, we are swept away from mindfulness, disconnected from being present with
the domestic task at hand, which increases our risk of injury, especially to the pelvic floor and lower
back.
When we engage Mula Bhanda, we are also protecting the muscles of the lower back by engaging
both the pelvic floor muscles and the transversus abdominus in our actions. This has the additional
effect of creating mindfulness around our cylinder of control, which is bounded by the respiratory
diaphragm at the top, the pelvic floor at the bottom, the abdominal muscles at the front of the body
and the deep lumbar extensor muscles at the back. Our cylinder of control is our power centre. It
enables us to move through life with a sense of purpose and a sense of stability. It enables us to
access our core power centre, known as Dan Tian in Eastern Martial Arts.
Asymmetries and idiosyncratic movements all demand additional energy expenditure from the body.
Our ability to maintain a graceful presence, a mindfulness about our posture and the engagement of
our body fully in a task, gives us the ability to exude charisma to everyone who comes in connection
with us. It enables us to get out of our minds and into our hearts.
It is a rare and exceptional goddess who radiates full presence. Be the one rare and exceptional
being who is able to exude the full nature of your being. Watch the power of your charismatic
essence go through the roof. Your ability to influence others in positive ways and engage in your day
to day living will drastically improve along with your ability to be present.
Goddess Key Number Four:
Learn how to switch on ‘The Knack’. The ability to engage mula bhanda before lifting,
coughing, sneezing and laughing is an important trick to learn which ensures lifelong
health and core stability in the body which contributes to your magnanimous
goddess presence. The pelvic floor and lower abdominals must be engaged in order
to prevent the forceful downward movement of a lift, cough, sneeze or laugh which
can potentially create damage to the pelvic floor and contribute to POP.
Page 16
V. DIET SUSTENANCE
The effect of diet on the pelvic floor as well as goddess energy and vitality levels is an important
factor for mother mojo. Extra body weight on organs can make the organs heavier and the pelvic
organs denser which puts downward pressure on the pelvic floor. Fat also produces extra oestrogen,
a hormone that can weaken the connective tissue. The correlation between inflammation and
dietary fat and the lining of the bladder and urinary tract increases incontinence.
Saturated fats in the diet and highly refined carbohydrates are high risk diet ingredients which may
have a detrimental effect on goddess well-being. Highly refined carbohydrates include processed
white flour and sugar. Chronic constipation is a further high risk factor for pelvic floor trouble. Taking
adequate fibre, water and movement into consideration is an important way to combat
constipation. The ability to adopt the abdominal breath is an important factor in healthy elimination
as this allows for the relaxation of the body. Holding excessive tension in the abdominals can put
undue pressure on the pelvic floor, increasing the risk of POP.
The goddess diet should be a fine assortment of alkalinising, natural wholefoods. These include fresh
fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes and whole grains as well as healthy fats such as virgin olive
oil and virgin coconut oil.
The top nutritional supplements for a mother goddess are listed below:
1. Magnesium:
Powdered magnesium dissolved in juice or water is well absorbed by the body and is
recommended as a nervous system tonic if you suffer from chronic stress, menstrual
cramping or muscular cramps.
2. B6, B12 and folate:
Well researched to be effective in the management of depression
3. Medicinal mushrooms:
The highest immune boosting food on the planet
4. D3:
Essential for healthy bones and a natural anti-depressant.
5. Selenium:
Depleted in Australian soils and a factor in mood stability and depression.
6. CoQ10:
Highly valuable to nourish the mitochondria which manufacture energy in the body.
7. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids:
Nourishing and essential to the insulation of the nervous system.
8. Iron:
Extra supplementation and regular iron level checks are highly recommended for
menstruating women.
Goddess Key Number Five:
Stay hydrated with plenty of fresh, pure water every day and enjoy plenty of fresh
fruits and vegetables which should form the bulk of your diet. Cut out refined
carbohydrates such as sugar. Reduce caffeine.
Page 17
VI. PURPOSEFUL LIVING
Living a life of purpose means identifying what your natural gifts and talents are and then putting
these to work in the world. A woman who has identified her Divine Feminine Purpose is a force to be
reckoned with. When a woman awakens and begins to live true to her unique contribution in life,
she becomes a natural leader in her field of endeavour. A fabulous side-effect of a woman on
purpose is that she feels energised by what she does for a living as it naturally complements her
physiology and her constitution. Stepping into your natural leadership requires you to be aware of
what it is that strongly motivates you as well as setting clear intentions and goals for your fabulous
future. A goddess on purpose has a strong ripple effect. She becomes a beacon of inspiration and
hope to all those who see her living her inspiring life. This uplifts the masses and has the ripple effect
of awakening other goddesses around her as they wake up to what is possible.
A goddess on purpose has identified energy leaks in her life. Start by becoming aware of the
immense strength at the core of the physical body and use this as the basis for your magical
manifesting capabilities. You are literally imbued with the power to create miracles when you know
how to work with your Divine Feminine Essence and you are in alignment with the core of who you
truly are.
Goddess Key Number Six:
Make a personal commitment to claiming your Divine Feminine Purpose. Claim your
free 30 minute audio ‘7 Keys to Finding Your Divine Feminine Purpose’ at
Page 18
VII. PASSION
Being a sensual goddess, filled with vitality and energy depends upon our ability to discover our
passions. The word enthusiasm means to be filled with the spirit of God. Ask yourself the questions
‘what makes me feel alive and gives me energy?’ and ‘what makes my heart sing?’ Inside every
woman is the seed of her potential. Sometimes in order to follow the path to the activation of her
potential, she needs to awaken to her courage. The word courage comes from the Greek word cour
which means heart. Courage means ‘follow your heart and come forth from it’.
Endorphins are hormones which are released when we are feeling really good. Endorphins make you
happy and joyful. Serotonin is the body’s natural feel-good hormone, a neurotransmitter which is
often low in cases of depression. It is produced by the pineal gland in the brain and in the intestinal
lining. It is affected by diet and exercise. Research has shown that the brain produces serotonin
more efficiently for the first two hours after sunrise. A breakfast rich in protein coupled with gentle
movement or exercise in the first hours following sunrise is an important serotonin promoting
strategy for goddesses.
Adequate levels of Serotonin leads to feelings of emotional stability, wellbeing, personal security,
calmness, relaxation, tranquillity and confidence. Inadequate levels of serotonin leads to feelings of
hopelessness, strong guilt and regret, isolation, indifference to life, inhibited sexual desire,
numbness, sleep issues, lack of passion and fun, excess or little appetite. Emotional overeating for
women is a way of compensating for low serotonin. A study of obese women showed that 100% of
these women had low serotonin levels.
We release more feel-good endorphins when we are engaged in activities which nurture and nourish
us. Taking a bath, having a deep conversation with other women, connecting and collaborating on
creative projects, having a massage and receiving a facial are all perfectly divine activities for the
goddess to ensure her passion for life stays strong.
Being a juicy goddess also requires us to be hormonally balanced. Adequate levels of oestrogen
ensure that we have the capacity to stay nourished, lubricated and juicy as well as maintaining our
ability to receive and enjoy sensual pleasure. Engage in activities which enhance sensual pleasure,
like massage and love-making.
Goddess Key Number Seven:
Identify a way in which you can honour your Divine Feminine by treating yourself to
some self-care. Put it in your schedule this week.
Finding your mojo when you’ve been stuck in the mundane can be challenging when you’re busy
being a goddess who cares and feels deeply. I trust this guide has provided you with some lifelong
tools to assist you to harness and embrace your unique version of the Divine Feminine. There is no
other mother like you on the planet. Be proud of what makes you the unique version of motherhood
that you are. Be poised in the knowledge that you are a miracle of co-creation itself who in turn, has
co-created the lives of your children. Celebrate this regularly and wake up to your power. Because
when sleeping women wake, mountains move.
Page 19
3. RUMI
Everything you see has its roots in the unseen world.
The forms may change but the essence remains the same
Every wonderful sight will vanish
Every sweet word will fade
But do not be disheartened
The source they come from is eternal, growing
Branching out, giving new life and new joy
Why do you weep?
The source is within you
And the whole world is springing up from it
Rumi
Page 20
Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mula_Bandha
O’Dwyer M (2011) Hold It Mama. Buderim: RedSok Publishing
Page 21
Biography of Author
Lisa Fitzpatrick (www.lisafitzpatrick.com.au) is a Soul Purpose and Holistic Wealth Advisor who teaches
conscious women the tools they need to Find their Voice and recognise their unique Leadership style. Lisa’s
Finding Your Divine Feminine Purpose and Leadership Archetypes and Holistic Wealth coaching programs
assist women to tap into their unique soul-purpose, connect with their deep body wisdom and find the gifts in
their challenges to create more time, freedom and money in ways that are deeply sacred and fulfilling. She is
the founder of Sacred Women’s Business, a certified coach, experienced workshop facilitator and speaker,
experienced Yoga Teacher, Writer and mother and she has been a registered Physiotherapist for over twenty
years. Lisa lives in a subtropical paradise near Byron Bay, Australia.
Like Sacred Women’s Business on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/thenewfeminineleader
- end -
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2. the seven keys - Lisa Fitzpatrick

Transcription

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