"Holding up" perineum

[gmq]

To clarify, when holding up perineum is called for (without tensing, but keeping abdomen and perineum relaxed), this is accomplished by slightly tensing the butt muscles/thighs?

Edited September 6, 2016 by gmq

[joeblast]

nothing to do with glutes or thigh muscles. primary to the movement, are the central tendon & the superficial transverse muscle.  not to be focused on, are things like levator ani, which can be correlated to "clenching your butt cheeks,"  perineal aspect.

 

http://webmedia.unmc.edu/medicine/todd/dissection/idg29perineum/p0376malesuperficial.jpg

[gmq]

Ok, so when using central tendon/superfieicial transverse muscle, naturally, there is secondary tension/support/clenching in levator ani/etc. - key is to minimize that tension as much as possible and remain in the primary CT/STM.

[joeblast]

yepper

[Silent Answers]

Basically, reverse pissing.

[thelerner]

or holding it (pee) in with the minimum of tension..?

[dawei]

View your bellying breathing as an orb whereby the stomach (in four directions), perineum (bottom side) are moving in sync.   

 

Assuming Buddhist breathing method:  

 

When you breath in:  your stomach expands in 3-D... and the perineum is expanding outward along with it

 

When you breath out: your stomach naturally returns/collapses and the perineum returns as well.

 

Some personal notes:

1. The perineum is similar to a muscle in that it should physically move.  Use your finger to feel it with your breath. If it is not moving, your doing it wrong.

2. On inhale, try a more feeling of taking a dump to 'push it out'

3. On inhale, try a more collecting it back up and inward with a slight 'pull'

 

Again, if it ain't moving, it ain't right...  use your hand... find it... move it...

[joeblast]

the expansion of the stomach is driven by the descent of the diaphragm  

[Wells]

.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Wells

[Kodoninja]

To clarify, when holding up perineum is called for (without tensing, but keeping abdomen and perineum relaxed), this is accomplished by slightly tensing the butt muscles/thighs?

Not tensing the butt, it's as though you are flexing upwards as Silent Answers and thelerner said. The way I was taught by SYL, was to slightly suck in the belly on the in-breath and then simultaneously flex the perineum. Then relax on the out breath as the belly goes back out. Do not do it forcefully, or you will pump too much energy into the LDT area. I actually wouldn't recommend doing this at all though, it is quite a dangerous(and imbalanced) technique in all honesty.

 

Best regards

[dawei]

Not tensing the butt, it's as though you are flexing upwards as Silent Answers and thelerner said. The way I was taught by SYL, was to slightly suck in the belly on the in-breath and then simultaneously flex the perineum. Then relax on the out breath as the belly goes back out. Do not do it forcefully, or you will pump too much energy into the LDT area. I actually wouldn't recommend doing this at all though, it is quite a dangerous(and imbalanced) technique in all honesty.

 

Best regards

 

I agree... for others:

 

Try to see the belly as a 3-D sphere... when the belly pushes outward, so does the back and bottom... the bottom is the perineum. 

 

For those willing to find the perineum, it flexes like a muscle and you can move it without the belly... if you can do that, then you have control over your perineum...  and I found that has been a life long education and benefit. 

[dwai]

To my knowledge, it means contracting the sphincter muscles.

Not squeezing but lightly contracting

[dawei]

Not squeezing but lightly contracting

 

My wife can't wiggle her nose... and she is quite annoyed at her inability...  I suspect, 'pulling up the perineum' has a similar annoyance for some

 

Wiggle your nose... or your perineum... at will.. at any time.  It is not just a practice concept  

[dawei]

I was playing with this the other day... just stay with me...

 

The idea of 'pulling up[ward]' is actually very apt and correct, IMO.

 

If you only contract it is more like you are pinching inward... closing stuff off.

 

If one wants to get the feeling of pulling up, then you can try this:   

 

Contract as hard as possible and when you get to that end point, 'pull upward'.   You will see that it is a different movement.

 

Dr. Yang talks about the perineum being more like a muscle that you can exercise.  In this case, I am suggesting that you kind of flex it upward.