Cues To Help you Connect with your Core & Pelvic Floor - Jellyfish and Blueberries

By Kim Vopni, The Vagina Coach — Certified Pelvic Floor Fitness Specialist · Published January 14, 2020

Direct Answer

There's no single "best" cue for connecting to your core and pelvic floor — the right cue depends on how each person's body responds to imagery and sensation. Two useful visualization cues are the "jellyfish" (imagining your pelvic floor opening and closing like a jellyfish on a stability ball) and coordinating that movement with your breath, since different cues work for different people.

Key Takeaways

• There is no universal "best" core cue — what works depends on the individual person's body and response to imagery.
• Visualization and imagery (like the jellyfish cue) can help you feel a pelvic floor contraction and release more intuitively than verbal instruction alone.
• A functional assessment can reveal non-optimal postural or core stabilization habits before you pick a cue.
• Coordinating a core cue with your breath is what turns it into a genuinely functional pelvic floor connection.
• If one cue doesn't click for you, it's worth trying another rather than assuming core work "just doesn't work" for you.

When I was first learning about the pelvic floor and core work I would ask every course instructor what their best core cue was. The answer was never what I was hoping for – ‘it depends’ they would say. Ten years later and I am now the person saying ‘it depends’.

I love using imagery and visualization with women to help them connect to their pelvic floor and I can never tell who will respond best to which cue or image. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. What works for one, will not work for another. It is not about THE best core cue, it is about THE best core cue FOR THAT PERSON.

During my initial consultations with people I take them through a series of functional assessments to determine what, if any, non-optimal core stabilization strategies or postural adaptations they may have. I then teach them how to release those strategies then re-assess and work with them to find their best core cue.

Jellyfish

One cue that seems to be a consistent favourite is jellyfish. Does it work for you?

1. Sit on a stability ball with your sitz bones and perineum in contact with the round surface.
2. Feel for a gentle curve in your low back and have your feet and knees about pelvis width apart. You can place your arms by your sides, place your hands gently in your lap or place one hand on your side ribs and one hand on your low belly.
3. Close your eyes and imagine a jellyfish swimming towards the surface of the ocean. See how it floats and gently opens as it relaxes and prepares to propel itself upwards.
4. Now see the bottom edges close and create a dome as it moves upward generating force.
5. Ok, now take this visualization and apply it to your pelvic floor. Inhale and feel your pelvic floor expand and float. Exhale and feel the muscles come together and lift upwards towards the crown of your head as they contract.

It is the coming together and the upward movement that I am wanting you to connect with here.

Try a few breaths – if it works and the cue helps you, stick with it.

Some Other Visualizations to Try

If the jellyfish imagery didn’t feel right, here are a few other cues you can try.

1. Lift your perineum up towards the crown of your head
2. Pick up a blueberry with your vagina and your anus
3. Sip a milkshake through a straw with your vagina
4. Prevent a tampon from slipping out
5. Pull your partner’s penis/finger deeper into you

Try them out and see if one resonates with you and then apply that imagery whenever you do your pelvic floor exercise. Inhale and expand, exhale and propel.

I cover this extensively in my 28 Day Kegel Challenge and most participants report having a reduction in symptoms and some even being leak-free by day 14!

You may be interested in checking out my new BUFF MUFF APP. 

There is a ton of free content available to anyone who downloads the app including a 7-day pelvic floor fitness challenge to introduce you to the concept of a whole-body fitness approach to pelvic health. Once the free challenge ends you have the option to join the membership for ongoing support from me, your very own vagina coach.

Related Articles

• Kegel Your Way to a Stronger Core
• What is "THE CORE"?
• Your Core and Pelvic Floor
• 'MUM BUM' and Why you Can't Blame the Jeans

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do pelvic floor instructors say "it depends" so often?
Because everybody responds to cues differently. What helps one person feel a genuine pelvic floor connection may mean nothing to someone else, so an experienced coach tailors the cue to the person rather than using one script for everyone.

What is the "jellyfish" cue for the pelvic floor?
It's a visualization used while sitting on a stability ball: you imagine your pelvic floor gently opening like a jellyfish releasing water as you inhale, then closing and lifting as you exhale, to help you feel the natural rhythm of the muscles.

Do I need special equipment to practice these cues?
No. A stability ball helps with the jellyfish cue, but many cueing and visualization techniques can be practiced seated or lying down without any equipment.

What if a cue doesn't work for me?
That's normal and expected. Try a different image or cue, or work with a pelvic floor professional who can assess your specific patterns and offer a cue suited to how your body responds.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our episode:
The Foot To Core Connection with Dr Emily Splichal

Listen to the episode