The pelvis is the epicenter of the body and connects the upper body to the legs.

It is a complex bowl-shaped bone that protects, supports and contains our organs and holds up the weight of the upper body.

It is made up of several fused bones: the ischium, the pubis, the ilium and the sacrum.

At the front, the sides of the ischium are connected by a joint, the pubic symphysis. Posteriorly, the sides of the sacrum are joined to the ilium by the sacroiliac (SI) joint, which is intimately linked to the movements of the spine and hip sockets.

These joints mostly provide stability to the structure and normally do not allow much movement. However, during pregnancy, thanks to the effects of the hormone relaxin, they become more elastic allowing the expansion of the pelvis for the passage of the baby at the time of birth.

The hip joint is a ball-in-socket kind of joint. The femur is the only bone in the thigh and the longest and strongest bone in our body. Its head matches the curve of the hip socket or the acetabulum, and it is bound to the pelvis by a series of strong ligaments.

This type of joint can spin, roll or slide. This allows us to do a great variety of movements. The muscular attachments dictate the position of the femur in the socket.

When we move the leg forward, we are flexing the hip, when we move it back, we are extending it.

We can also rotate our hips externally ­(outwardly) – think of sitting in Sukhasana or Easy pose, being able to see your inner thighs, or internally (inwardly), as in Virasana or Hero pose. If we lift the leg laterally, we are abducting it – moving it away from the midline of the body. Conversely, if we bring the leg towards the midline (imagine walking on a tight rope), we are adducting the hips.

Circumduction is the type of movement that combines flexion, adduction, extension, and abduction motions.

During pregnancy, it is essential to keep your pelvic joints strong and flexible. Controlled movements in different planes improve blood and lymph circulation to all your pelvic organs and, in particular, to the uterus.

Exercising surrounding muscles will help you create stability in the pelvic joints, counteracting the feelings of instability produced by the hormonal release.

Yoga poses such as hip openers, pelvic rocking and circling can help you to make space for the baby to descend and stretch and release tension in deep pelvic muscles.

After childbirth your pelvis tends to stay hyper-mobile. For this reason, practicing stretches is not recommended. Preferably, work on developing stability by strengthening not only your pelvic floor muscles but also surrounding muscles such as your glutes, your deep hip rotators, hamstrings, adductors, deep core muscles, and your back muscles.

Hip mobility affects your pelvic floor function, core alignment, and sacroiliac joint stability.

Maintaining a good range of motion is an investment on your future self: it is essential to allow you to perform everyday activities such as walking, squatting and bending without discomfort or pain.

Mobilizing the pelvic joints and promoting blood and lymphatic circulation in the whole area is an excellent way to keep it healthy. Moreover, by activating your hip muscles you can prevent injury, improve our posture, enhance athletic performance, and avoid strain.

The pelvis as a whole is home to the first two energy wheels in the system of vital energy centers called chakras.

The first chakra – Muladhara in Sanskrit, also known as the root chakra – is located at the base of the spine, the perineum. Its element is earth. It’s related to your basic needs: your body, your health, the material things you need to survive. It’s also linked to the notion of grounding, which brings a sense of safety and security. When our survival is threatened, we experience fear.

Coincidentally, motivational author Louise Hay, in discussing the mental patterns that result in disease, states that health problems located in the hips are linked to the idea of fear of moving forward in life.

The second chakra, Svadisthana in Sanskrit, is in the lower abdomen and genitals. It’s connected to the ideas of change, movement, duality, and flow. Its element is water or liquid, and the principle that rules it is pleasure, counterbalanced by guilt.

Exercises in the pelvic area can help you open and balance these two energetic centers that exist within the subtle body.

By focusing on strengthening and stabilizing the pelvic joints through yoga, you can support overall health, prevent discomfort, and ensure your long-term well-being. Whether you’re preparing for childbirth or navigating motherhood, keeping the pelvis and hips strong, stable, and flexible is essential for daily movement, injury prevention, and a balanced energy flow.

If you want to open the hips, increase the blood flow to the pelvic area and release deep pelvic muscles, check out my YouTube yoga class for hip mobility – ideal for pregnant moms!