Pelvic Floor Therapy with Maya Seidel, LMT

The pelvic floor is a bowl-shaped network of muscles, fascia, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels at the base of the pelvis. Its main job is stabilizing your core and supporting vital organs, including the bladder, bowel, and uterus in bodies assigned female at birth. If pelvic floor muscles tighten or weaken, a variety of symptoms can arise: incontinence, constipation, pain during sex, trigger points, chronic pelvic pain, and more. Pelvic floor therapy aims to gently retrain these muscles to alleviate discomfort and improve mobility. 

Because of the stigma around this area of the body, many people don’t know what pelvic floor therapy is, how it works, or why it may help them, says Maya Seidel, LMT. “We’re conditioned and socialized to not talk about it,” she notes. But having experienced its healing effects during her postpartum journey, Maya was inspired to offer pelvic floor therapy to others. “I feel in reverence for the magic that is held in this core area,” she says. “The presence and attention to detail I bring to bodywork, I bring to other parts of my world: being a mom, a mover, a dancer, and performer. It’s such a gift.” 

Prior to pelvic floor therapy, a therapist will review the specialized intake form submitted by the client, which sets the table for further discussion in person. “Understanding someone’s history gives me a map to follow,” Maya says. As with any type of bodywork at RituaLuna, ongoing communication and consent is integral: “I explain the process and we have an agreed plan,” she says. The plan can include internal work, external work, or a mix of both. But more importantly, the session is flexible depending on how the client feels in the moment: “I’m checking in with them and really paying attention,” she says. “I want it to be collaborative. I’m here to create a container for healing and transformation.”

Maya starts and ends each pelvic floor massage with grounding, crafting what she calls a “craniosacral sandwich.” The first 20 minutes ease the client in with craniosacral therapy, a gentle form of body work focused on the tissue surrounding the central nervous system that increases blood flow and mobility. “This is to release tension so you can soften,” she explains. “Think of the pelvic floor as a flower – I’m trying to get the petals to open. If someone can’t open, you have to create trust, so the work can be effective. So many physical conditions of the pelvic floor are also mental, energetic, and emotional.”

After the initial craniosacral therapy, Maya gently transitions to pelvic floor therapy. If the client has requested internal work, this involves inserting a gloved finger or two into the vagina to identify trigger points and achieve smoothness in the tissue. “I’m always going at a slow pace and letting them know when I’m going where,” she shares. “It’s gentler than a gynecologist’s exam.”

After about 20 minutes, Maya closes the session with another 20 minutes of craniosacral therapy to help the body integrate the experience. She has been honored to help facilitate pelvic floor healing for clients facing all kinds of challenges: sacrum pain from a car accident, recovering from the birthing process, releasing tension and trauma from abuse and misplaced IUDs, and more. 

Maya encourages anyone with pelvic discomfort to try this modality at least once: “If you’re on the fence, even one initial session is helpful,” she says. “It is so worth the investment. You’re going to have a better quality of life and feel more expansive.” 

RituaLuna is home to three trauma-informed therapists who offer pelvic floor work: Maya Seidel, LMT; Emily Green, LMT; and Roxanne O’Hara, LMT. If you have any questions about the process, feel free to reach out to Maya at maya@ritualunawellness.com.