The Pelvis and Yoga: Mobility, Posture and Breath

Karmuka Yoga · Online Yoga Therapy Classes

The pelvis in yoga practice: a reflection on mobility, posture and breath. Explore this connection with Karmuka Yoga through our online yoga therapy classes and individual guidance.

“To stay young, you have to keep your legs open.”

— Yamuna Zake

Your Age Is in Your Spine

These were the words repeated by Yamuna Zake, founder of Yamuna Body Rolling , during one of our training sessions in New York. Everyone in the room laughed, of course. But beyond the obvious sexual innuendo, from a mechanical and energetic perspective, her comment contains a wise and revealing observation: the pelvis is not only the centre of physical movement, but also of our vital energy.

As we age, the effects of gravity and habitual posture can encourage the pelvis to draw inward. This loss of openness and mobility can accompany a rounded back, knee discomfort and changes in the arches of the feet.

The pelvis is deeply connected with the functioning of the WHOLE body. The spine extends upward from the sacrum, the structure at the back that connects the two sides of the pelvis. When the pelvis begins to lose flexibility and width, the spine is affected too. Through its relationship with the hips and the head of the femur, changes in this area can also affect the knees, contributing to joint discomfort and reduced mobility.

Another teacher I studied with in India used to say that your age is not in the wrinkles on your face, but in the age of your spine. His words echoed what Yamuna Zake said during that training. An open, mobile pelvis can support a healthy spine and stronger, more stable movement through the knees and ankles. This can translate into a more youthful feeling, both inside and out.

The Pelvis and Your Breath

An open pelvis is important not only for physical mobility, but also for the ability to breathe with ease and depth. Many yoga postures focus on opening and aligning the pelvis because the hips and ribcage are closely connected. For example, I had a student who spent hours swimming and was experiencing chronic neck and shoulder pain. We worked with a Yamuna ball and several yoga postures to create space around the inner and outer attachments surrounding the hip joint. When we finished, she stood up and looked at me in surprise: she could not believe that the pain in her left shoulder and neck had disappeared without us touching those areas. In Karmuka Yoga workshops, it is also common to observe that students appear to have one arm longer and one shoulder more relaxed than the other after working with one side of the iliopsoas.

The iliopsoas connects the femur with the lumbar spine and the inside of the pelvis. Often called the “muscle of the soul,” it is involved in the bodily readiness to move when we perceive a threat and respond by fighting or fleeing.

When the iliopsoas relaxes, it can become easier to find openness in the pelvis and sit evenly on both sitting bones, rather than tipping forward or leaning to one side. This openness can support the spine as it lengthens upward through the crown of the head. The resulting lift through the ribcage creates a sense of greater space for breathing and digestion. Deeper, more comfortable breathing can bring a feeling of calm and give us room to pause, think and respond, rather than react immediately from fear.

The Fountain of Youth Is Within

Our pelvis has two sides that meet at the sacrum and the pubic symphysis. The pubic region is often overlooked, yet, like the sacrum, it plays an important role in the structure of the pelvis. When I work with clients, show them where the pubic bone is, and introduce a little pressure with a soft ball, their reaction is usually one of surprise. This is common when we work with a part of the body that has been ignored. The body, like a good friend or lover, wants to be acknowledged and treated with affection and care. Unfortunately, we often give attention to only a few parts of ourselves, and this creates an imbalance in our relationship with the body. We may notice discomfort in the neck, hips, back, knees or shoulders, or changes in how comfortably we move and breathe.

This is why Karmuka Yoga works from the depth of the bones and with the WHOLE skeletal system , rather than focusing only on the surface of the muscles. In this way, students deepen their internal awareness and explore a fuller experience of mobility and wellbeing . This awareness of the bones begins in the pelvis. The pelvis is not only the centre of physical movement, but also, in yogic tradition, a centre of vital energy. The seat of kundalini, the vital energy of life, is described at the base of the spine, around the coccyx and sacrum at the back of the pelvis.

Alongside the front and back of the pelvis, there are inner connections through the adductor muscles and outer connections through the fascia lata and iliotibial tract. These relationships link the pelvis and thighs with the knees. Restrictions along these connections can influence how the hips, knees and feet move.

Know Yourself

Through Karmuka Yoga techniques, students learn to recognise the position and movement of their bones, creating more space and freedom in the pelvis and throughout the body. Taking time to become familiar with these interconnected areas, and to bring attention and breath to them, can help us feel more alive and at ease in our movement.

Beginning with the pelvis, we explore mobility from the hips down to the feet. Paying attention to alignment along this connection can help us find more comfortable movement through the lower back, hips and knees. Exploring the relationship between the pelvis and shoulders can also create a sense of space throughout the ribcage, changing our experience of the neck, shoulders and breath.

A well-functioning digestive system allows us to absorb nutrients and eliminate what we do not need. Nourishment, ease of movement and a sense of energy all contribute to what we experience as vitality. These are the qualities I associate with the true signs of youth: energy, freedom and the ability to move comfortably through life.

Opening the pelvis may not initially seem connected to the spine, the joints, or the outward signs of beauty and youth. Yet these relationships invite us to look more deeply. You do not have to travel to the Amazon or a secret place hidden in the mountains to drink from the Fountain of Youth. Simply take a deep breath, settle comfortably onto both sitting bones, open your legs and smile, knowing that each attentive breath is an invitation to greater vitality.

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Explore Pelvic Mobility Through Online Yoga Therapy Classes

If you would like to explore pelvic mobility, alignment and body awareness through practice, discover Karmuka Yoga’s online yoga therapy classes and individual sessions. Through guided attention to posture, breath and internal movement, bring these ideas into your own experience at home. Explore the options and share your goals before beginning.

Karmuka Yoga also offers in-person yoga classes and courses in San Luis Potosí .

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