 The honest truth...my favorite muscle and so much more! First off the psoas muscle is way more than just a muscle. It is 100% covered in fascia. Yeah, that's right not one tiny spec of it isn't covered in fascia. So when working in this area, and on that note the entire body, we need to have a fascial view point to get things to release. And what I mean by release is creating that chemical change in your body for things to open up and have a true release. Quick info on the psoas: -it is the only muscle that crosses over from the top half to the lower half of your body -there are actually two psoas muscles, there is a major and a minor -only 60% of the population has a psoas minor -it is a core muscle and a hip flexor that helps to stabilize the spine -tightness of the psoas muscle can cause back pain, so if you have low back pain make sure this area isn't missed when getting treatments -we use the psoas for literally everything we do such as sitting, standing, walking, bending, etc. What You can do to Free Your Fascial Psoas! Even though the posas is a back muscle to free this muscle work is done on the front side of your body. Would you have guessed that? I wouldn't have! The following are just a few ways I have found useful to help get some relief of this muscle that can get pretty upset at times! A) Yoga...I'm not yoga teacher or personal trained but I can say that these poses are wonderful: cobra, twisted lizard, tree, warrior I and boat pose. B) Pilates...you can do all the stretching you want but don't forget that the psoas also need strengthening exercises too! C) Myofascial release self-treatment...using small soft therapy balls you can create releases at home for your psoas. Make sure you place the ball just below your naval, and center it between your hip bone and naval. And remember to keep your position for at least three minutes or continue to five minutes for a myofascial release! D) Bodywork sessions...having a therapist work on your psoas manually is a great way to relax and get some deep releases to this area. "Shaped by personal, social and global flows of information, the psoas responds to not only stress signals but also impulses that stir our hearts and resonate deep within our bones. By having respect and support for our biological intelligence, the psoas emerges as a messenger that reveals deeply moving stories about compromise and sourcing as well as depletion and nourishment". -Liz Koch |
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