Mgr. Lucie Kafková is a gynecological nurse and certified pelvic floor teacher who has been trained in traditional Chinese medicine and dietetics, aromatherapy and various types of health, fitness and dance exercises, including holistic massages. She is fascinated by the female body and approaches it holistically, with passion and great respect. She helps clients through individual consultations, courses and workshops as part of her program My Healthy Pelvis, and also works in the rehabilitation and physiotherapy center at Balneo Lípa and at a private gynecological clinic in Prague. You can connect with Lucie on Facebook or Instagram .
Lucie, thank you for taking the time to talk to us about the impact of the pelvic floor on women's health. Can you start by explaining what the "pelvic floor" is in our bodies and how it is physically, energetically and psychosomatically connected to the rest of our bodies?
The pelvic floor is a muscular bowl located at the bottom of the pelvis, which is made up of muscles grouped in layers. In women, three outlets pass through the pelvic floor: the urethra, the rectum and the vagina. Its main function is to close the pelvis and keep the organs in place . At the same time, it helps us to lift ourselves, supports our motor skills, participates in our stabilization (it is part of the deep stabilization system and the head-pelvis-feet axis), participates in the upright position of the spine and the position of the pelvis as such.
Energetically, the pelvic floor is related to the kundalini energy. Kundalini is an energy that we all have in our bodies and is hidden in the pelvic floor. When it appears, it travels in the shape of a snake along the spine towards the head. Kundalini energy can often be awakened by a powerful experience, such as childbirth, or yoga practices . It is an energy that is difficult to describe, but it is good to know about it in case a woman feels its activation.
Psychosomatically, the pelvic floor is connected to stored emotions , which, if not processed correctly, can affect our health. The pelvic floor is related to our most intimate events such as childbirth, abortion, intimate intercourse, menstruation, and if we have any trauma associated with these events that has not been processed , the emotions that were created when it was created may still be stored in the pelvic floor. These then manifest as physical problems in the organs located in the pelvic floor - that is, the organs of the reproductive, urinary or excretory systems. When a woman starts working with the pelvic floor, these stored emotions may begin to manifest.
I see that you take a holistic approach to women's health. How did you come to this approach and why do you think working with women's health holistically is so important?
The Pelvic Floor School definitely taught me to look at women's health holistically. Its 3x3 method is much deeper than it might seem at first glance. It's a kind of physiotherapy with personal development and spirituality in one . Personal development and psychosomatic aspects are increasingly taken into account in regular treatment and simply belong to a holistic approach. Only the spirituality has disappeared somewhere... and I consider it essential to take this into account and work with it.
Why do you think it is so important for us women to be concerned about the health and proper functioning of our pelvic floor?
Clearly, for the prevention of future pathologies - a weak pelvic floor is associated with, among other things, urination disorders, and most women only come to know when it is too late. Furthermore, the health of the pelvic floor affects the quality of our intimate life , and also, as I have already mentioned, it shows us unprocessed emotions. When we work with the pelvic floor, it is as if we are revealing the individual skins of our body.
What are the most common symptoms of weak or overworked pelvic floor muscles? How can we tell if our pelvic floor is not doing well and what we are missing is pelvic floor exercises?
The truth is that there are several manifestations of poor pelvic floor function and many times women do not even think of connecting these complications with the pelvic floor. The most common manifestations are pain in the lower back, hips, tailbone, neck, head , increased or decreased tension in the gluteal muscles, contracted facial muscles and clenching of the teeth , pathological posture, stiff gait, the formation of bunions (hallux valgus), transferring weight to the heels, inability to release tension, etc. From a gynecological point of view, these are menstrual cycle disorders , painful menstruation, PMS, frigidity, infertility, numbness or hypersensitivity during intimate intercourse . Finally, the already mentioned urinary incontinence - spontaneous leakage of urine during sports activity, coughing or sneezing is often the first signal that something is wrong.
Pelvic floor exercises can really effectively prevent these problems and improve the quality of our lives. We all know that pain or psychological discomfort affects our behavior and perception of our surroundings. And now consider that the female body is also destined for cyclicity, which is why it is all the more important for a woman to take care of herself and pamper her pelvic floor, which reacts sensitively to every change.
I like the concept of the Pelvic Floor School, which talks about the function of the pelvic floor as an emotional barometer. We can take this literally or with exaggeration. Simply put - any pressure will manifest itself in the body. If I have tension inside me, I often clench my teeth and facial muscles, I will probably also be clenched in the pelvic floor and buttocks area through the "connected holes" (contracted pelvic floor muscles). This excessive tension can result in hemorrhoids, urinary incontinence, menstrual disorders, personal imbalance, hypersensitivity, tension... simply what an unhealthy pelvis does :)
And what are the causes of poor pelvic floor function?
The causes can be hormonal , e.g. after childbirth or during pregnancy. Overweight can also cause problems. Sports overload is also unsuitable, when a contracted pelvic floor will cause the opposite effect. We can recognize a contracted pelvic floor when women experience tension in the mouth area, facial tightening, grinding or chattering of teeth. In general, we can say that the pelvis suffers when we sit. We are not made to sit, so it is good to walk or dance more :). And the already mentioned settled emotions...
How can we release emotions lodged in our pelvic floor? And how do you recommend working with them so that they don't lodge in the pelvic floor area (or elsewhere in the body) in the future?
Physical pelvic floor exercises are just the basics. If emotions start to emerge, then you need to continue working with them and process them. If it's a complex problem, there is psychotherapy . The second option is that I don't need to talk about it, I can go to psychotherapy, but I need to do something about it physically. In that case, there are bioenergetic exercises . These include stomping, kicking, jumping, shaking the body, screaming, even vomiting, which will allow us to release tension and process emotions the moment they arise. Some people can even run away from emotions, but I would only choose such an activity if it is not my regular activity.
In addition to psychotherapy and bioenergetic exercises for processing emotions, I can also recommend breathing exercises (e.g. yin and yang breathing), which will also help a woman become more aware of herself, as well as meditation or music therapy . It is necessary to find an activity that suits me and in which I feel comfortable. I will then combine this with processing emotions and create a ritual out of it, i.e. an approach that is only mine, personal, and to which I return regularly. Working with emotions will thus become my new lifestyle.
I would also add to this topic that our diet has a great impact on emotions. If we eat certain foods at the wrong time of year, it will not do us any good either physically or emotionally. The body then has to work hard to break down and process the wrong food, and it no longer has the energy to process new emotions. So the way we eat also affects our emotional side.
How can a woman start pelvic floor exercises?
It would be ideal if every woman found her own guide – a lecturer, physiotherapist, or someone who deals with pelvic floor exercises. Such a guide would show her how to do the individual exercises, correct mistakes in the position of the arms and legs. It is also about giving her mental support that the woman is on the right path. Rather than a video, I recommend a group session, workshop, or individual session. I think that 1-2 hours of individual lessons are enough for a woman to understand how to exercise the pelvic floor correctly. There is nothing complicated about it, it is more about being sure that I am doing it right. A woman will know when she feels the exercises.
What is your opinion on yoni eggs, Venus balls, and other pelvic floor strengthening aids?
This is individual for every woman. I dare say that in recent years women have moved away from their femininity a lot, and that women have become fond of the patriarchal world. They very often act like men, and then use such tools in a masculine way and very insensitively towards themselves . For example, Venus balls are a brilliant tool for exercising the pelvic floor, but it is important to use them sparingly. Make a ritual, know why I am doing it, take a shower, perceive myself, treat myself with love. Venus balls have a ball inside that vibrates, and thus friction is created that activates the pelvic floor muscles . Yoni eggs are made of minerals that can have a positive energetic effect on the pelvic floor area. With yoni eggs, you need to be careful of the string that they often contain - it can be unhygienic. In general, I recommend choosing tools that I like and that I trust in their effect .
How often should every woman exercise?
A big success for me is when a woman includes pelvic floor exercises in her daily activities – when she is sitting in the car, when she is riding the subway, when she is brushing her teeth, when she is eating breakfast... the exercises become a habit, and that is the ideal state. Pelvic floor exercises only need to be done very briefly, but several times a day . It is enough to at least think about the pelvic floor, because even then I automatically activate its muscles.
What results can women expect after this exercise and after how long?
After a few weeks, differences in intimate life may be visible. If it concerns pathological conditions, then it is usually true that correction can take as long as the condition lasts .
Do you have any tips for women who are planning to get pregnant in the next 1-2 years but have only just learned about pelvic floor exercises?
It's never too late to start - it's better to start now than not to start at all. And definitely don't blame yourself for not starting sooner...
We are interested in your program “ My Healthy Pan ”. Can you tell us more about what you do in the program?
My Healthy Pelvis is a project focused on prevention and education . I often see women coming to me with a recommendation for exercise from their gynecologist, but they don't actually know what it entails. I have to admit that on the one hand I am very grateful for this recommendation and I see it as great progress, but on the other hand I am thinking that it would be great if women were more aware of this topic before they have a health problem.
So what does a truly healthy pelvis look like?
You can easily recognize a healthy pelvis. The gait is graceful, the pelvis has an attractive butterfly movement, and the woman radiates something that you can't describe in one sentence, but you want it too.
From your practice of individual consultations , what is your style of working with women who suffer from gynecological problems, menstrual cycle disorders or hormonal fluctuations? What factors do you assess and what areas of lifestyle do you adjust, or what activities do you recommend women to newly incorporate into their everyday lives?
This is very individual. Here, I don't pull out a "drawer" of menstrual cycle disorders and "put on" exercises for that. I work holistically, so we talk to the woman, I'm interested in her intentions and motivation , in short, we tune in to each other. This phase is really important not only because for successful cooperation there must be mutual trust and sympathy, but also because if we don't get along, it's okay and we part ways on good terms. I like to say with exaggeration that if everything is in harmony, half the work is done. I get to know a woman best the moment I touch her, so I offer the client a massage to activate or relax the pelvic area before we start the exercise . Thanks to the massage, I can better perceive the tone (tension) of her body and energy. If the woman is then interested in working truly holistically, we will also look at her diet and overall lifestyle . I am also happy to recommend available associated methods such as lymphatic drainage , which makes an amazing combo. And if the client also limits white sugar, starts drinking more clean water, eating fiber, legumes or strong vegetable and meat broths, she will see results very quickly. Many diseases have their roots in an inappropriately chosen diet and, for example, if I know that a woman suffers from thick white discharge, is sexually restrained and is often cold (she almost always has cold limbs and buttocks), I recommend changing her diet first. But imagine small gradual changes, there is no point in wanting to change everything right away, but thoughtfully without unnecessary gestures.
A question we like to ask at the end of interviews is whether you have a life motto that you follow. Would you like to share it with us?
Happiness is a state of mind.
Finally, what message would you give to all women who are dealing with problems with their cycle?
So that they don't panic, because the cycle is something we can influence with our approach.
