Like a lot of people, I would like to think that I am smart. When I watch Gil Hedley, I am reminded that there is always someone smarter than myself. He is absolutely brilliant in his ability to render complex concepts in a way that is understandable to the rest of us. I was on the edge of my seat during his summary hoping that he would mention core flexibility in its relationship to the psoas with special attention to the QL, Rectus Femoris and Psoas muscles.

As always, you are genius. This is the best use of clay I've seen since my daughter replicated my chicken coop and al lthe chickens. And your aunt's table leg to demonstrate the importance of core stability...don't blame the toy poodle!

Wow, thanks for sharing such a great lesson and perspective. You're always giving me an opportunity to step back and see the body as a more cohesive whole. Always a joy to watch your videos!

This was almost Shakespearean…until you got to the 'poodle'! Loved the sculpture that you developed; almost as beautiful as the pars intimate necklace you have created. Thank you for the 'effort heuristic'…you definitely are getting the message across-'don't blame the piriformis'! That could be a t-shirt logo!

Your modeling work is superb! I especially appreciated seeing the anterior view of the nerve plexus. And now I'll always think of a toy poodle when considering the piriformis :). 🙏

Yes Yes Yes. As a massage therapist, I stretched and kneaded my piriformis diligently and it didn't work for my butt and hip pain. I'm now working to stabilize my core. And I can see your cray modeling skill is evolving to next level since the nerve project.

Your clay models are brilliant, Gil - thank you! And thank you for sharing a new approach to addressing sciatica and not blaming the piriformis! I've always said that the piriformis is overworking but never made the connection with stabilising the spinal column. I always thought that it was taking over the role of the bigger muscles like the glutes. I believe that it is best addressed by a whole-body approach based on bony alignment and interdependent movement. Can we stabilise the pelvis? Can we move the pelvis? What's its default position? Can we relax and stabilise the ribcage? Can we move the ribcage independently of the pelvis and vice versa? I look forward to checking out the content of the subscriber area of your website. Thanks again! Isabelle

Many thanks to you, your great aunt and that vicious toy poodle! This makes so much sense. I'd call this a very successful rehab of the much maligned piriformis.

Wow that is sooo helpful to understand the task of piriformis! Thank you 🙏🏼

Loved the great aunt table leg representation, I feel lat strength also plays a part in the spine stability to relieve pressure off the piriformis, along with the core strength 😊 shows how much strength plays a part in pain relief

Thank you so much, Gil, for ALL your Great videos. I love them all and I love the way they make me feel. 😁 I always get excited and amused by your excitement and your unique way to „meet“ tissues or nerves and to „rehabilitate“ the bad guys 😅 Thank you for your being !!!

Thank you for being an outstanding educator. I like your table leg analogy. I would also include the pelvic floor in assisting the piriformis to stabilize the table leg (spine). Sometimes therapists focusing on stretching or massaging a tight piriformis/pelvic floor when they really have to look from a different point of view and think why the muscle may be tight (to stabilize). Focusing on improving stabilization will resolve the muscle clenching/overuse.

Love seeing the plexus anteriorly. See you soon.

Excellent informational presentation. Thank you:)

Awesome lesson, thank you!! I love finding these videos at just the right time. I have hEDS so instability in all of my joints throughout my body. When you have so much peripheral pain it's easy to forget about the core. And all to often, a little postural correction of my neck can release tension in my upper abdomen and pelvic floor and vice versa. Thanks again!!

Thank you , thank you , thank you, I am sharing this with everyone on my email list!!!!!

hahaha "Woes in our butts" love it and so true. We blame it all on the piriformis.. No more Gil

Makes so much sense. Thank you.

Gorgeous! Mind blowing as always !! Thanks for this 🫶🏽🪷

So relevant for physiotherapy Gill. I am treating a few pregnant women with PGP at the moment and as you eloquently eluded, there is so much more than just piriformis doing the work, or things not working affecting piriformis. I think I will use your table leg analogy ahah!! I might not bring it into clinic though ;-)

Gil, thank you for your brilliant illustrious articulation - and FUN presentations!🌠

My four year old thinks you are so funny and loved this video and laughed at “woes in your butt” in particular

I love your clay models. Thanks a lot

The use of the table leg to help one conceptualize what's happening in the sacral area is fantastic. I too have questions about what is meant by "core stability", coming from my point of view as an Alexander Technique teacher. One of our maxims is "mobility = stability", and the opposite being rigidity = instability. I want to keep an open mind and wait til core stability is defined also! as it can mean so many different things. In AT teaching and practice, we have a set of relationships we encourage such that the spine is not stiff, the head is not pulled down on the spinal column (causing compression), the arms are not rigid or pulled in, and the legs are energized in such a way that the sacrum would not get locked in a rigid relationship with either leg, thus encourages a gliding environment for all the tissues. Think of a Hula dancer, with their head gliding along at the same level while their hips are flowing side to side in a wave like motion...thus, your table leg would be waving, which creates stability/balance.

Thank you very much, Gil!

Wow: This so explains a situation from 2 years ago, after a lot of yoga I thought I was practicing correctly; tried acupuncture, massage therapy; focusing on the piriformis....Core balance; I have intuitively been employing and this has helped immensely. You just turned on the lights. Thank you, Gil!

another excellent video! but as you skated away from teaching about "the core" and strengthening it, I thought YOU'D be The Best person to excavate & evaluate the workings of the three bandhas in yoga practice: mula bandha in the pelvis through uddiyana at the solar plexus to julandhara in the throat, which I believe most truly represent the concept of core strength(ening) and structural integration. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Awesome as always.

Always learning! Thanks again Gil!!

THANK YOU GIL!

I like this Gil Hedley

I love this and it is So helpful. Thank you❤❤❤

Fantastic and well needed

Thank you 😊 great as usual... Now another thought popped up, what determines why and how a "variation" would happen in the process of developing? Reminds me of Blechschmidts try to describe the Embryo as a fluid, intelligent organism (what it certainly is) ... but who has done some research in that topic? Would you mind naming some sources that would be worth reading?

THANK_YOU!!! finally someone points out that the piriformis is not necessarily the bad guy. Spinal instability. lower appendage instability, and hip instability have much more to do with potential sciatic problem. IE beathing it up to treat sciatica is only picking on the victim!

Thanks Gil for another great video

As Taya Countryman said in one of her classes it acts as an antagonist to the adductors of the femur. So the pair adjust the top of the leg to stay laterally over the foot.

Wonderful, Gil ;-) Thank you! xoxo

Mine is more like a chihuahua! As always thank you 🙏🏽

Beautiful model! 😍

You are a metaphor MASTER!!

So helpful!

Wonderful, more of these 😊

Amazing now I focus more on core and back muscle strength..😊

Thanks a lot. You are great. 🙏🏾

The toy poodle metaphor is great!!! I'm gonna get me a great pyrenees piriformis, to protect me from the spine wolves : ).

YESSSS! Thank you!!! 4:58

"im just trying to lighten the blame and burden on the piriformis from all our woes...in our butts" 😂

So, the piriformis muscle assumes the responsibility of being a postural muscle in the presence of core instability? Also, did you say nerves can be hypertonic, and can impinge upon the muscle?

i hearso much about the vagus nerve to you have information, all these techniques to stimulate it,i don't feel what the say.

Wow Unbelievable pirifimis muscle Belfast Ireland 🇮🇪 💪 😍

"PromoSM" 👊

How about, we were put off balance in some way and our brain sensed danger so the pirifirmis came to the rescue. All that really needs to be done is for the brain to be convinced of safety and the piriformis can relax instead of focus on aa "weak core"