Get to know your pelvis! The pelvis is the foundation of the body, and the core of your sexual system. This article is a brief introduction to your pelvic anatomy.

Standing up, put your hands on your hips and find the bones. These bones are the sides of your pelvis. If you trace those bones around to your back, you’ll find the arch of your iliac crest and then the two bones will meet in the middle at a triangular bone at the base of your spine. This is the sacrum, the back bone of your pelvis. Beneath the sacrum is a tiny tip of bones called the coccyx- where our tails would be if we humans still had them! Moving back around to the front, you can find the pubic bone which meets in the middle, underneath your belly button and above your genitals. This entire structure is your pelvis- the muscular and structural foundation of your entire body. The spine anchors in the pelvis, as do the legs.

The nerve pathways that create sensation in the entire pelvis and genitals run from the brain, down the spine, through the holes in the sacrum and into the musculature of the pelvis. Nerve fibers work like electrical signals- translating information along a channel to the brain where it is interpreted.

The word “pelvis” in latin means “bowl” – and indeed the bones of the pelvis are shaped like a flexible bowl. The bones of the bowl are home to a complex sling of muscles, nerve endings, vital organs and major blood vessels and arteries.

You may have heard about the PC muscles. What most people know as the pubococcygeal muscles is a web of musculature that extends from the pubis to the coccyx like a sling. The anal sphincters are the rear part of the pelvic floor, the genitals are in the front of the pelvic floor. The anal sphincters are directly connected to the frontal pelvic floor, and the muscles around the genitals  by the perineum. The perineum is the center of the figure 8 of the pelvic muscles, and a major nexus of the nerve endings. There are also major muscular attachments at the ischial tuberosities (the sitz bones) and sacrum. The gluteals, or butt muscles, are a major part of the pelvic system and play a major role in sexual pleasure. The muscles of the pelvis are constantly at work, even when you are sitting still!

Strengthening the pelvic muscles is essential for sexual health and pleasure. A daily practice of pelvic clenches strengthens the muscles that contract during orgasm, leading to stronger orgasms. For more about strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor, see the articles below, where we outline a series of practices for both men and women:

Pelvic Exercises for Men
Pelvic Exercises for Women