What does tension in our tailbone tell us?
About a week ago, I was hiking through a fairly well-paved trail, with little elevation, when all of a sudden my the left side of my tailbone started to ache as if I had just bumped and bruised it.
The dull ache increased in intensity for the next minute or so. When I pressed down on the spot, it felt tender. I continued down the trail while keeping an observational eye on my tailbone.
After a few minutes, just as quickly as it came, the dull ache disappeared.
This particular sensation was not unfamiliar to me. Every few years or so, I would feel this same kind of dull ache in my tailbone. Whenever this happens, I would always pause and reflect on what this sensation is trying to tell me.
Coming from a science background, I used to believe that pain is physical, and has nothing to do with the emotional aspects of the human being. However, having studied yoga for over 17 years and taught for 12 years, and most recently the psychology of pain, I've first-handedly experienced and seen in clients the strong influences of emotions on physical sensations (be it pain, comfort, ease, tension, etc).
As my teachers likes to say: Your body is crystallized mind.
Through my years of studying and practicing Spinal Release Yoga, I've come to observe that when I am in a state of fear and anxiety, my tailbone grips, creating a sensation of tightness and rigidity in my lower spine. When I am feeling relaxed and at peace, my tailbone unfurls, and my entire spine feels expansive.
From the cakras standpoint, the tailbone is the seat of our survival, and all emotions related to it. When we feel afraid, uncertain, and anxious about our current or future environment, that unknowing and fear cause the region of our tailbone to tighten, grip, and hold on.
As I explain in the video below, it's similar to that of a dog's tail -- perked up and wagging when happy, tucked under when fearful or stressed.
I see this reflected in my clients too, where the more early childhood and present-day stress and trauma a person experiences in her lifetime, the tighter that tailbone is tucked under.
Just to name a few, "symptoms" of tight tailbone (which really means, the connective tissues that are connected from the pelvis to the tailbone) can translate into:
Literal pain on tailbone region
Pelvic tension and pain
Chronic hip tension
Chronic low back pain
Scoliosis
Compressed discs
Rigid spine
Rigid psoas and hip flexors
Headaches
Migraines
Tense jaw and neck
Neck pain
Lack of trust in self and others
Constant state of overwhelm
Living in fear and anxiety
Scarcity mindset
Dislikes and/or unable to adapt to change
Never feel like you belong
So, did I figure out what my tailbone ache was trying to tell me?
Perhaps. I intuited that it was a release rather than a message for help, since the ache didn't last long. It doesn't really matter to me what it released precisely, but that it did.
That's the beautiful and magical thing about yoga practice, especially Spinal Release Yoga, is that the release oftentimes happen outside of the yoga practice and when you're just going about your daily routine. When done consistently, the effects of your yoga practice support you in your daily life beyond the mat.
Now, imagine that you are seated in the soft, open, yet strong and resilient centers of your tailbone. How would that make you feel beyond just experiencing less low back pain and hip tension? Safe and supported? Content and grounded? Trusting in yourself and others?
How I’ve managed to gradually soften the rigidity in both my tailbone region is through consistent practices of Spinal Release Yoga. It is a restorative-style yoga that comprises of strategic poses and sequencing that specifically helps resolves deep-seated spinal tension and tightness. Lots of props (cushions, pillows, blankets) are used in support of the body so that the body feels safe enough to gently unravel the deep layers of tension. As these tensions resolve, we are ultimately peeling away layers of emotional protections that we have put up as a result of our upbringing, conditioning, and traumas.
Check out my self-guided Spinal Release Yoga series, which includes 3 full-length classes that are foundational to the practice so that you can start learning the practice of deep release and relaxation today.