Confused about muscle action needed for proper breath support

Hi! I just watched a tutorial on breath support and in that video they say to ‘engage the abs’ they said to pull the abs 'up and in. Here it says to ‘feel like you’re bearing down and out slightly as if you’re going to poop’ I’m confused about these instructions. Is the pelvic floor different from the abs and do you do something different with you pelvic floor vs. the abs? I realize that breath support is my main issue but I can’t figure out how to feel the correct ab/pelvic floor motion to get proper support. I’m still straining a bit. Thanks for the clarification 

Hi, Liza! The pelvic floor muscles are different from the abdominal muscles. I teach gentle downward engagement of the pelvic floor and gentle outward flexion of the abdominal muscles. Some teachers might recommend keeping the ribs out and pulling the abs up or in - I personally don't have good success with that method, but I encourage you to do what works for you! Our end goal is that the abdomen and lower body provide "support" for the vocal folds by holding the diaphragm in a lower position and resisting the rapid expulsion of air. Whatever method helps you control the release of air and takes pressure off of your throat - that's the method to use!