May 14, 2020

I recently read a fascinating title by today's podcast guest—celebrity trainer and goop expert (whatever that means) Lauren Roxburgh—The Power Source: The Hidden Key to Ignite Your Core, Empower Your Body, Release Stress, and Realign Your Life.

In the book, Lauren presents a program that uses pelvic floor strength to release stress, fortify the body, and treat the physical and mental origins of tension.

If your body feels some form of stress every day, whether it's inflammation, bloating, tension, discomfort, anxiety, or pain during sex, then this show is for you. 

I found this book particularly interesting because due to my hefty endurance training and compromised diet in the past, I've personally had to deal with issues such as extreme psoas tightness, rectal prolapse, chest breathing issues, and a host of other problems that I probably would never have encountered had I read this book earlier in my life.

Lauren believes that all of these problems can be solved by first unlocking the foundation of your mental and physical health: the pelvic floor. Located at the root of our pelvis, it determines how firm our core is, how we handle stress, and how much energy reaches the rest of our body. Without addressing the health of our pelvic floor, we are all missing out on a powerful key component of our overall physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Roxburgh presents an entirely new approach to building well-being—one based on a strong pelvic floor, open energy channels, and a clear mind.

The Power Source offers a deep understanding of how to cultivate this strength by following a holistic, multisensory program. Starting with the pelvic floor, Roxburgh focuses on the five power centers that can be harnessed throughout the body:

• Pelvic floor
• Deep core
• Upper core
• Heart and shoulders
• Head, neck, and jaw

With targeted exercises to encourage healing movement, nourishing recipes (from a Confidence-Boosting Tonic to Root-Rejuvenating Bone Broth), and holistic therapies that include visualizations, aromatherapy, and more, Roxburgh gives a full toolbox to realign your body and your life.

During this discussion, you'll discover:

-What the pelvic floor is, and what impact it has on our bodies…9:00

• “Pelvic core:” A hammock of muscles that connects the pubic bone, tail bone, and sitz bones
• Known as the “root chakra,” first chakra
• It's vital to unlocking the qi
• Digestive function and sexual function are affected if the pelvic floor is not properly cared for
• It eventually leads to tightness in the shoulders, jaw, fascia tissue, and more
• Dentists often send TMJ patients to pelvic floor therapists

-How the pelvic floor is related to epigenetic trauma…13:50

• Trauma lives in our tissues; we can change it with our awareness
• It is difficult to ascertain whether epigenetic trauma is the cause of physical ailments
• The key is to be attuned to what our bodies are telling us

-What happens when we excessively clutch or tighten the pelvic floor…18:40

• A sedentary lifestyle causes our physical and emotional systems to “lock down”
• Breathing deeply, moving body in full range of motion
• Stuck energy is pent up in the pelvic floor; no one discusses it
• We live in “fight or flight” mode; need to bring out more of the feminine energy (both genders)
• BGF podcasts with Paul Chek
  • What Should I Eat? The Ultimate Podcast Guide To Choosing The Perfect Diet For You: Part 1
  • Why Humans Need Winter, How Too Much Christmas Is Dangerous, Rites Of Passage & More With Paul Chek.
  • Heavy Rock Lifting, Building Your Own “Water Charging” Station, Biomechanical Fixes, Plant Medicine Journeys & More With Paul Chek.
• Attention men: you don't need to hold in your stomach constantly
• Learning to breathe into the pelvic floor
• Book: The Multi-Orgasmic Man by Mantak Chia

-Easy, at-home pelvic floor therapy…26:38

• Roll a golf ball under your feet while working
• HighRoller – Ergonomic foam roller for rolling muscle and fascia
• Mini-Trampoline/Rebounder

-Why a small squishy ball is vital to the health of the pelvic floor…35:24

• The Body Sphere ball or any yoga “squishy” ball
• The Hyperice vibrating ball
• You get into the area where the muscles connect with the joints
• Firmer ball for the pelvic floor
• You can mimic the effect of deep tissue work as often as you wish

-Why the gut is increasingly problematic in modern society…40:24

• Gut issues are more prevalent in the younger generation
• We're always in “stress mode” due to the modern lifestyle
• Overeating and stress eating
• Belly rolling puts you into the parasympathetic state, breathe deeper, get in tune with gut instinct
• Most important muscle in the gut area is the psoas
• Use the Hyperice vibrating ball to loosen the psoas muscle
• Pso-Rite (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
• Breathe into the device you're using
• Contract first then relax
• The psoas is called “the muscle of the soul”

-The importance of the upper core…50:46

• Directly connected to the lungs
• Diaphragm is the personal power chakra in the yoga tradition
  • Takes in oxygen (you probably don't take in enough)
  • Expels CO2
  • Connects to the pelvic floor as we breathe
• Book: The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown
• CO2 retention is helpful due to the “Bohr effect”
• Ben says the optimal breathing for him is long inhales through the nose, and long exhales through the nose or pursed lips

-How to carry that weight on your shoulders and stay connected to your pelvic floor…58:45

• “Sitting is the new smoking” says Lauren
  • Ben loves sitting for certain things: meditating, praying, etc. as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system
  • Not viable for an 8-hour workday
• Keep the heart, upper body, shoulders, upper back loose and open
• Chest release done with a squishy ball or Lauren's Body Sphere ball
• Roll to shoulders with a foam roller
• Vibrating peanut massage ball
• Standing to excess has its own set of challenges

-The cranial sacral connection and the nervous system…1:04:36

• Head, neck, jaw
• Jaw tension is related to suppressing our emotions
• Getting the head aligned with the spine properly can be done in a few minutes per day and has a massive impact on your overall health
• A regular massage around the scalp and ears can boost the immune system

-Lighting round questions for Lauren…1:10:47

• Why is sage a part of pelvic floor therapy?
  • Sage has been known to clear and purify our own personal space
  • Enhances intuition and energy around us
• How to select the right pelvic floor therapist
  • The Dr. Ida Rolf Institute
  • Some physical therapists are becoming familiar with the practice
• Lauren's Free Power Center Guided Visualizations

-And much more…

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources from this episode:

– Books:

• The Power Source by Lauren Roxburgh
• The Multi-Orgasmic Man by Mantak Chia
• The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown

– Podcasts:

• What Should I Eat? The Ultimate Podcast Guide To Choosing The Perfect Diet For You: Part 1
• Why Humans Need Winter, How Too Much Christmas Is Dangerous, Rites Of Passage & More With Paul Chek.
• Heavy Rock Lifting, Building Your Own “Water Charging” Station, Biomechanical Fixes, Plant Medicine Journeys & More With Paul Chek.

– Gear and Equipment:

• HighRoller
• Mini-Trampoline/Rebounder
• The Body Sphere ball
• Yoga ball
• The Hyperice vibrating ball
• Pso-Rite (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
• BioCharger (save $500 with code BENG500)
• Vibrating peanut massage ball

– Food and Supplements:

• MiCacao cacao tea
• Four Sigmatic Chaga tea

– Other resources:

• Lauren's Free Power Center Guided Visualizations
• Sage incense sticks
• The Dr. Ida Rolf Institute

Episode sponsors:

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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Lauren or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!