Pelvic Liberation: Using Yoga, Self-Inquiry, and Breath Awareness for Pelvic Health

by Leslie Howard

Pelvic Liberation includes detailed explanations of key yoga postures and breathing practices designed to awaken and heal the female pelvis, a system that Leslie calls Pelvic Floor Yoga. In addition to explaining practical yoga techniques that will heal body and mind, Pelvic Liberation will take you through eye-opening reflections to help you overcome cultural and historical influences that have impaired every woman's health. Leslie brings thoughtfulness, a dash of humor, and a therapeutic focus to a subject that can be difficult and overwhelming. This book is a shout-out to normalize the conversation about pelvic health and improve a woman's knowledge and awareness of her pelvis. Every woman, yoga instructor, and women's health professional will benefit from this richly informative book.

Genres: Health, Bodies, Reference, Nonfiction

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

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Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review to come next week after the workshop with author ~

[fpk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great reference book for all women. Not something you need to read from cover to cover like other books. There are sections for every age; pregnancy issues for the younger women, menopause concerns, effects of surgery, etc. She discusses trauma and abuse as well- I learned quite a bit from the sections I've read.
Howard also has some great diagrams to explain her points- I like the exercise illustrations too. I'm going to be referencing this book for a long time. Highly recommend.

[Teresacooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think evdtu woman should probably read this book. It contains valuable infirmation that is confoundingly hard to access anywhere else. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

[Michelle Baker Karamesic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pelvic floor help

This book contains a wealth of information. I look forward to trying the exercises to find relief for my pelvic floor issues.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, and this training so much!

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a practical book. Not necessarily entertaining or enthralling. Here and there, it was actually enlightening. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Practice hole body breathing.
2. Hypotonic and hypertonic muscles need different interventions.
3. Scar tissue can soften over time.
4. "Engage your core" is not a helpful cue unless you actually anatomically know how.

[Reading Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leslie Howard knows her stuff. There's so much here that really opens a door to an entirely new field of enquiry. She's correct, absolutely, that most doctors/medical personnel just stuff kegels at you as a sort of universal cure--whatever the problem is, do more kegels! She suggests that that's rarely the solution, esp as many women are, in fact, hypertonic (the pelvic floor locked tight, from poor sitting habits, weak gluteal activation when walking, and the like. She suggests that some urinary incontinence women complain of, as well as painful intercourse with age, is actually from...hypertonic pelvic floors.

The asana she suggests are experiential--all meant to draw your awareness to your pelvic floor and an understanding of the muscles and position. She starts with interventions for hypertonic because she feels that that is the larger problem in her audience--especially yoga-women who are often cued to 'do mula bandha' or 'lift the core'. To her, flexibility and movement are the keys! This is definitely a book to read in easy reach of a yoga mat--you're going to want to stop reading and get in position and really FEEL what she's talking about.

[Elizabeth Hoffmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The content of this book is incredible in an accessible and applicable manner. There are many questions to unfold intellectual debates about pelvic health in the many realms of personal, medical, cultural, etc. There is also a lot of great yoga information in this text. I really enjoyed the amount of enlightenment and knowledge Leslie Howard brought to this sacred and often overlooked part of the body.

[Billye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pelvic Liberation: Using Yoga, Self-Inquiry, and Breath Awareness for Pelvic Health is an incredibly valuable book. Leslie Howard presents her innovative approach to health in a very user-friendly, accessible style. At the same time, this is a whole new area of focus and study that the healthcare establishment needs to pursue and take seriously. Finally, a book to help us to understand, appreciate, and navigate this area of the body that is completely ignored by the Western medical system.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for women to understand the anatomy of the female body that is very rarely discussed. Written in an easy to understand way so that even those new to yoga can understand the emphasis and whys behind the reason. In addition, wonderful reminders on how to do yoga poses and what the focus should be in each as well as the importance of breathing.

[Tracey Agnew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good read for anyone interested in supporting pelvic health. The exercises and asana are clearly explained and I have used many of them in my classes over the last few months. It is a book I will return to again and again

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading challenge category - 2024 Hoffbensen RC: Seasoned - 'spicy' / season of the year/ experienced. ('spicy' innuendo)

Pelvic Liberation was such a fun, eye-catching title. While this book has some good tips, there are definitely a lot of opinions and a lot of speculation of things that will work for "some" or "most" without considerations for subsets of the population. I will die on my soapbox that YOGA DOES NOT CURE ALL. It is actually contraindicated for some people - like me - and can be harmful.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

In progress. I've started on the exercises. I expected not to really have any pelvic issues. but holy moly, i found a sore spot, which might be a starting domino for another health issue i have. I already highly recommend.

[Natalie]

Judith Hanson Lasater rec

[Marcee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite pelvic health book with a yoga focus!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took a pelvic floor yoga teacher training with Leslie in 2019 and it was life changing. This book does a beautiful job capturing her teachings.

[Kelsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a book on tense pelvic floors. Great info if you’re new to the topic