In this first episode of a series focused on hip health, whether you’re seeking better posture, more energy, or a deeper sense of empowerment, this video is packed with insights and actionable tips you won’t want to miss.
Join me as I guide you through a transformative exploration of your body’s true center.
Here are 5 ways this video might help you:
✅ Discover the Real Core Anatomy
Go beyond the six-pack! Learn about the deep muscles that truly stabilize your body and support every movement, including the pelvic floor, and diaphragm.
✅ Connect Breath, Energy, and Resilience
Understand how your breath and nervous system work together with your core to create lasting stability, energy, and emotional resilience.
✅ Unlock the Power of Your Solar Plexus
Explore the connection between your core and the solar plexus chakra—your center for confidence, personal power, and vitality.
✅ Combat Stress and Reconnect to Your Center
Find out how chronic stress can disrupt your core engagement and
PLUS experience a short guided practical exercise to help you reconnect with your center, restore balance, reduce fatigue, and cultivate a sense of inner calm.
Video launches later this week.
While you’re waiting, read the transcript.
Here it is…
Do you ever feel like you’re doing all the right stretches, but still feel off your center?
You might be missing the deeper connection. The connection between your core breath and energy.
Our core is our body’s compass
Our core isn’t just a six-pack or a Pilates goal; it’s our epicenter. You can think of it as your inner compass stabilizing every step, every breath, every emotion. When your core muscles, breath, and nervous system fall out of sync, your body loses its sense of direction, and that’s where stress, strain, and burnout can sneak in.
In this talk, we’re going to explore the true structure of our core.
Just a hint. It’s deeper than you think.
- Why is our core crucial for resilience, not just strength?
- How it connects with our solar plexus chakra and our sense of empowerment.
- How chronic stress can affect our core engagement.
And finally, a short practice to reconnect you to your center.
Hello and welcome. I’m Sarah Gowans, massage and craniosacral therapist, as well as emotional integration facilitator at Blossoming Me and the Healthy Learning Lounge.
Here we are, a sanctuary where you can nurture your health, wellbeing, and positive mindset.
So join me today as we go deep into looking at our core and how it can impact us on so many levels.
Point One: Beyond The Abs, Your Core’s True Anatomy
Our real core includes the transverse abdominis. This is the deepest layer of our abdominal muscles, wrapping around our waist like a corset. It stabilises our spine and pelvis, and provides foundational support for almost every movement that we make.
The multifidus and erectus spinae muscles line our spine. The Multifidus offers segmental stability to each and every vertebra, while the erector spinae helps maintain our posture and our upright support, going along the whole spinal column on both sides. Pelvic floor muscles, located at the base of our pelvis. These muscles support our internal organs, contributing also to spinal stability, and are deeply connected to our breath and our core function.
The diaphragm is often overlooked, and this dome-shaped muscle is our primary breathing muscle. It also coordinates with the pelvic floor and our deep core to regulate pressure and movement. These muscles work together like an internal suspension system. If one weakens or stiffens, the others have to overcompensate, and this can lead to pain or dysfunction.
One quick extra point. A strong core isn’t about tension; it’s about connection and coordination. As Dr. Kelly Starrett says, the core is not just movement; it’s the anchor of presence.
Point Two: Why Our Core Strength is Our Energetic Power
The solar plexus chakra (Manipura) sits right in our belly, and it’s our energy center for several different things.
It is our center for confidence. A stable core fosters a center of assurance and uprightness. When our physical center is strong, it influences how we carry ourselves emotionally. Also, for personal power, the solar plexus is the seat of our self-determination. A resilient core helps us feel capable of facing challenges and setting healthy boundaries.
It’s also our inner fire. This chakra governs our willpower and vitality. When our core muscles are active and our breath is full, we feel energised from the inside out. When our core is disconnected, so is our courage. You might start to second-guess yourself, shrink back, or feel chronically tired or uninspired.
Point 3: Stress and the Shutdown Core
Chronic stress, you see, triggers a brace response. Our body pulls in, hardening our core, literally shutting down. Breathing becomes shallow. Posture collapses, and our whole lower back starts to compensate.
One of the first casualties in this chain reaction is our diaphragm. When we’re in a state of constant vigilance or hypervigilance, the diaphragm becomes restricted, tight, shallow, and underutilised. This not only affects how we breathe, it can also weaken our entire core. Without a mobile functional diaphragm, your pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles can’t coordinate properly. This disconnect can lead to fatigue, stiffness, postural collapse, and even digestive issues. Over time, you may feel chronically off center. And research shows that stress reduces our core muscle activation, especially the transverse abdominal muscles, and our diaphragm.
So if you’ve been, if you’ve been clenching your belly all day, see if you can soften it.
Let it move with your breath in and out, down, up. Expanding as you expand your lungs, and then relaxing even more.
And for an extra exercise to relax our core further, you can place your hand over your solar plexus, over your belly, and take three deep breaths. As you do, you can imagine a warm light expanding outward.
Your energy follows your attention, according to Anodea Judith. So put your hand on your center, and breathe your power back in.
Our Core Needs, Not Only Our Breath, It’s Our Reconnection That Matters
Our core is more than a group of muscles. It’s our personal powerhouse. Your stabiliser in times of chaos, and your energetic spark.
So start here. Come back here and move from here. Anytime you feel pushed off your center.
I hope you got some value out of today’s talk, and if you did, join us next time as we drop deeper the hips. The emotional storehouse and seat of our sacral chakra, our creativity center. Get ready to flow.
From my heart to yours,
Namaste.
Sarah xx
At Blossoming Me, we’ve worked with so many people who feel stuck in cycles of pain and frustration. But the key to lasting relief often starts with understanding your body, not just where you hurt, but why.
Book your appointment here:
(Step #1 Location: Turramurra; #2 Type: Remedial Massage / Cranio-Sacral Therapy; select Sarah as practitioner, then #3 select: Initial or Follow Up Treatment)
Interested in further reading?
Unlocking Gut Health: Eastern Meets Western Wisdom
Relaxation Revolution: The Secret to Alleviating Lower Back Pain and Enhancing Your Well-being
Are Tight Hip Flexors Causing Your Lower Back Pain?
Beyond the Ache: The Amazing Link Between Fascia, Pain, and Emotional Well-being
Back to Balance: Clearing Lower Back Pain by Balancing Your Kidney Meridian
About Blossoming Me
BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Cranio-sacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage.
Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.
ional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health professional before you make any changes to your health regime, before dealing with new symptoms, and, if something you have read here has raised any questions or concerns regarding your situation.