In her 20's, Jana Danielson got off of 11 medications, ended chronic pain, and reclaimed her body and health sovereignty, and it had nothing to do with doctors, surgeries, or even supplements. One MAJOR factor? Learning how to breathe again. Pretty simple but how many focus on their breath to heal? In this episode, I sit down with Jana Danielson, Pilates master instructor, fascia expert, and creator of the Cooch Ball — a simple, multi-purpose pelvic floor fitness tool. Jana went from a 21-year-old on 11 daily prescriptions, dismissed by her own doctor, to becoming pain-free and an advocate and teacher to others wanting to do the same. I've never studied the importance of the pelvic floor personally, so I am so grateful for coming across Jana and her work. She makes it so interesting and practical, and explains clearly this essential component to our good health - for women AND men. We all have pelvic floors and pelvic floor health is not just for women! You will learn how there is a good chance your pelvic floor is too tight rather than too weak, how your toes and feet are affecting you, the crazy connection between your big toe and pelvic floor and so, so much more! Check out the show notes for a quick sampling. This is not new information. It's a remembering of how brilliant your body already is. Topics in this episode: 6:35 Jana's origin story - from farm girl to prescription spiral 8:34 By 21 Jana is taking different medications simultaneously 9:58 The doctor who told her the pain was in her head and walked out 11:23 The moment that changed everything - finding a Pilates magazine in a Safeway checkout line 13:11 How Jana got off all 11 medications in four months through Pilates and breath work 16:26 Opening a Pilates studio in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 17:27 How Jana realized her incontinence at 21 was a hypertonic pelvic floor, not weakness 17:53 Inventing the Cooch Ball 24:24 Pelvic floor is not just a women's issue: erectile dysfunction, plantar fasciitis, and chronic hip pain in men 24:43 The deep front fascial line and how your big toe connects directly to your pelvic floor 27:29 Why every shoe you wear is slowly compromising your fascia 29:20 How optimal weight distribution through the feet: is 60% on the heel and 40% on the metatarsals 30:28 How plantar fasciitis develops from a gastroc/soleus imbalance and forward body posture 31:12 The cascade from dysfunctional big toe to collapsed arches, weak glutes, and pelvic floor breakdown 31:34 Why leaking when you cough or sneeze means your pelvic floor is too tight, not too weak 32:33 The three layers of the pelvic floor and how they work as an orchestra 36:51 Simple blood sugar hacks 40:14 The apple analogy and understanding how the diaphragm and pelvic floor work together 43:40 How the diaphragm influences the pelvic floor 44:29 Why stress, tight clothing, and sucking your belly in slowly kills diaphragm function 45:21 The scalenes and SCM muscles: your neck's backup breathing muscles and why they're overwhelmed 47:45 Step-by-step diaphragmatic breathing technique: how to do it correctly right now 48:08 Diaphragmatic breathing delivers 600% more oxygen and activates the parasympathetic nervous system 49:17 Why we exhale as we lift: the pelvic floor's job explained through the exhale 50:35 How the Cooch Ball was developed and what makes it different from a regular ball 57:46 Kids and pelvic floor health: bedwetting in children linked to hypertonic pelvic floor 58:43 Pelvic floor and orgasm: why so many people can't quite get there 1:00:47 The $21 billion incontinence product industry and the leaky roof analogy 1:04:42 Pelvic floor and constipation: a connection almost nobody talks about 1:05:36 Research study: pelvic floor is the first muscle to fire under stress and the last to release 1:07:27 How to tell if you're hypertonic vs. hypotonic (too tight vs. too weak) 1:10:49 The pelvic floor as a crystal ball: what it tells you about stress, illness, and emotion 1:12:19 Releasing fascia and emotional release 1:13:10 Why a healing crisis is a good sign 1:15:01 Why leaking more at first on the Cooch Ball is actually a great sign 1:18:20 The daily Cooch ball protocol 1:19:00 The trifecta for anyone starting without a Cooch Ball: breathing, posture, blood flow 1:20:26 Seated posture: using your sit bones to create space for your organs 1:21:36 The Eeyore effect: how slumped posture drains energy and movement creates ATP 1:23:41 Most people have 80% of weight forward; how to safely shift to 60/40 1:28:07 Jana's message: "I've been there" — the nights of crying in chronic pain 1:30:32 The invitation: check in with where you're breathing from, where your tongue is, where your shoulders are — right now 1:33:48 and more! If you enjoyed this episode, please share and consider going to www.sovereigncollective.org/shop to check out my offerings and get a deal while supporting the podcast. I'll be adding more great offerings there over time Find Jana: Website: https://bloombetter.life/sascha Use code SASCHA10 to save 10% off your order IG: https://www.instagram.com/jana.danielson/ - so many great tidbits here!! --------------------------------------------- Find me: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saschakalivoda/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/saschaksays/ Website: www.sovereigncollective.org You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/@saschasays/videos Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Tfl1Zo021FcX Get Lifewave Patches: www.lifewave.com/saschak (choose 'shop' to be a customer or 'join' to be a Brand Partner if you wish to do it as a business) Email: sascha @ sovereigncollective.org
