The Felt Sense, a Yoga Instructor’s Natural Remedy For a Weakened Pelvic Floor
Yoga is not just the new fitness craze, it also provides therapy for various physical ailments. Jaki Nett has developed a new style of Yoga, Felt Sense, as a natural remedy for a weakened pelvic floor, a problem for many women.
A lifetime of events can weaken the pelvic floors of both women and men. For women, these events can include menstruation, intercourse, pregnancy, childbirth, and hormonal changes. Weakened or “laxed” pelvic muscles can lead to incontinence (loss of bladder control) and a loss of interest in sex due to pain, a weak vaginal track, or even embarrassing flatulation sounds caused by air brought into the vagina.
This is why I developed the Felt Sense- a holistic remedy that combines physiological, psychological techniques; yoga movement and visualization to bring health back to a weak pelvic floor. The Felt Sense technique not only remedies incontinence, and but can also lead to more intense and frequent orgasms, and greater erection control for men. The pelvic muscles can feel inaccessible in their weakened state but control and dignity can be regained, as I discovered through my years of study, practice, and teaching. My journey of self-discovery and healing began 17 years ago.
My Journey: A Hysterectomy? I had been teaching yoga for eight years, when I discovered lumps in my lower abdominal area. My initial fear was that I had cancer, but I couldn’t bring myself to go to a doctor. I did not talk to anyone about my lumps, not even my husband. I felt afraid, and alone. How would tell my husband? My young son? I thought about death. For three months, I went through this mental torment in secret.
I finally got the resolve to tell my husband and go to the doctor. To our immense relief, I was diagnosed with benign uterine fibroid tumors, not cancer. But my relief was short-lived when my doctor advised me to have a hysterectomy. A hysterectomy! This was absolutely not an option for me. Growing up, the worst thing that could happen to a woman was to lose her womb. Images flooded my memory, picturing my mother and her friends in 1950’s segregated Mississippi. I remember them in our stately sitting room talking in whispers of facts, gossip and folklore. At their meetings of the Vogue Socialite Club, when one of the women revealed that she was having a hysterectomy the atmosphere would change, as if the air had been sucked out of the room. There was an unspoken rule- do whatever it takes to keep from losing your womanhood. Suffer the pain quietly and nobly. Not being able to have babies meant that a woman was only half a woman; it meant that no man would want her. The loss of MY womb meant MY desirability as a woman was over. My doctor tried to convince me to have a complete hysterectomy (which meant removal of my uterus and ovaries) because uterine fibroids are fed by estrogen. He said that at the age of 41 I didn’t need ovaries any more. But if I chose not to have surgery, at the onset of menopause the fibroids would stop growing. I decided to wait. I turned therapeutics, eliminated sugars from my diet, got reflexology, massages, aacupressure, acupuncture, and I even drank an experiential serum made frogs embryos! Finally I went to India and studied yoga intensely with Bks and Geeta Iyengar. This process went on for five years. Living With Acute Incontinence My fibroid tumors kept growing; my body molded around their growth. My stomach and intestines were pushed aside as my fibroids grew. I adjusted my yoga postures to accommodate the tumors. Sexual intercourse became very painful, which lead to a loss of interest. The tumors encroached upon my bladder causing frequent urination and incontinence. They grew to the point that people who did not know me thought I was pregnant.
I finally went back to my doctor. This time when he asked me to consider surgical intervention I agreed but with the stipulation that my ovaries remain intact.
After surgery I discovered the consequences of having carried three pounds of tumors for five years- I had internal adhesions, a weak stomach and pelvic floor muscles, terrible bladder control, and an overwhelming sense of
shame. I continued my work with the Iyengars, went to therapy, and did Kegal exercises for my incontinence. The Kegals didn’t seem to help at all. I had incontinence so badly that I could write a book called “Guide to Bay Area Restrooms”. But the turning point came when I complained to a friend about my condition and she said to just wear the pads. After many years as a Playboy Bunny and someone who still worked too hard to look good wearing thong underwear, I wouldn’t dare be stuck wearing pads! I developed a righteous indignation; I needed to regain control of my body, to “reclaim” my pelvic area. Bringing consciousness and health back to the pelvic area is an elusive endeavor. The key to successful development of conscious pelvic floor control is developing a keen “felt sense”. The Felt Sense Method The Felt Sense Method combines three therapeutic components: conscious psychological acceptance, education about and discovery of functional pelvic floor anatomy, and visualization with yoga movement. When all three components are practiced in combination, healing is achieved. It is estimated that over 25 million men and women in the U.S. suffer from incontinence. It is embarrassing and socially isolating. To date, ways of coping have been limited and uncomfortable (surgery, dehydrating medications, vaginal inserts). Using the Felt Sense Method, I begin by working to heal a women’s psyche associated with the shame of incontinence. Next, I provide her with an understanding of the muscles that make up the pelvic floor, where they are located, what they look like, how they work, and how to contact the muscle groups separately and together. Once these muscles are understood and some mastery is gained, then I integrate specifically-designed yoga postures, along with visualization to help her learn how to manipulate the directional movement of her pelvic floor muscles. The Felt Sense yoga postures used are derived from the Iyengar method of Yoga, which focuses on the in-depth study of asanas (posture) and pranayama (breath control). Today, in addition to teaching yoga, I also teach the Felt Sense in seminars in the Bay Area and all around the world. My goal for women everywhere is reconnection the “seat of their creation” and empowerment through their feminine energy.
Ř Jaki Nett, college professor, author, and an Iyengar Yoga instructor and pupil, has been teaching yoga for two decades around the world. Jaki is a faculty member of the Advanced Studies Program at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco; an Iyengar certification assessor; and an internationally-known workshop teacher. She is also an invited instructor at The Yoga Journal conferences, and she gives public classes on the Felt Sense Method in St. Helena, Corte Madera, and San Francisco, CA. Jaki has a Masters Degree in Humanistic Psychology, a BA in Interior Design & Art, and an AA degree in Theater Arts. She is an adjunct instructor at Santa Rosa Jr. College in California and lives in Napa Valley with her husband, and an adult son. For more information and reservations, contact Yoga in the Napa Valley, (877) 886-5508, or access their website: www.iynv.com.
About the Author
Jaki Nett, college professor, author, and an Iyengar Yoga instructor and pupil, has been teaching yoga for two decades around the world. Jaki is a faculty member of the Advanced Studies Program at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco; an Iyengar certification assessor; and an internationally-known workshop teacher. She is also an invited instructor at The Yoga Journal conferences, and she gives public classes on the Felt Sense Method in St. Helena, Corte Madera, and San Francisco, CA. Jaki has a Masters Degree in Humanistic Psychology, a BA in Interior Design & Art, and an AA degree in Theater Arts. She is an adjunct instructor at Santa Rosa Jr. College in California and lives in Napa Valley with her husband, and an adult son. For more information and reservations, contact Yoga in the Napa Valley, (877) 886-5508, or access their website: www.iynv.com.
|