The pelvis is the bony structure connecting the upper and lower skeletal bodies through the joints of the hips and sacrum. The proper alignment of the pelvis allows freedom of movement in the lower limbs and is the foundation from which the spine rises to the base of the skull. In yoga, the pelvis houses energetic stability. The stability and alignment of the pelvis allows us to carry ourselves through life with ease, one step at a time.

At the base of the pelvis are the sitting bones. When seated we can feel these protrusions grounding into our mats. This grounding sensation is used as a reference point for our foundation in seated postures.

At the bottom tip of the sacrum is the tailbone. The action of the tailbone is often referenced in yogic movements as "lifting" or "tucking" (you can locate the tailbone on the "anatomy of the spine" page, as it is not pictured above). The movements of the pelvis associated with lifting or tucking the tailbone are called "pelvic tilts" and are shown below.

The pelvis is kept in a neutral position by the engagement of the core, which we will consider next.