The psoas muscle: what it is, where it is.
I know that many yogis have felt how we store our emotions, tensions, thoughts and judgments not only in our mind but also in our bodies. After all, one of the most precious aspects of yoga is the connection between the physical self and the mental and spiritual self. It is amazing to explore how our internal and external experiences affect our physical body in the form of stiffness / flexibility, opening / closing, balance / imbalance.
Since the body influences the mind and vice versa, it is completely understandable that thanks to yoga we are able to release the superfluous and get rid of tension. And it’s wonderful, but it also arouses our emotions. Because we cannot free ourselves physically without letting ourselves go emotionally too. By opening our tight spots during practice, we feel emotional, we may cry or / and feel relieved, as if a weight has been lifted from the chest. On the other hand, it is clear that when we are stressed, our bodies respond by squeezing and squeezing.
“The best doctor is already inside you”. There is no substitute for cultivating a practice that heals, fills and relaxes you from the inside out. There are numerous yoga poses that can help you on your journey to release this stress, anxiety and fear stored in your psoas. Yoga calls this “the muscle of the soul,” so any attention here is sure to give great results to your overall well-being.
“THE PSOAS MUSCLE IS THE MAIN MUSCLE THAT RESPONDS TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM DURING THE ESCAPE, THE FIGHT, THE FREEZING OF THE RESPONSE IN THE BODY. WHEN SURPRISED OR UNDER MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL STRESS, THE PSOAS CONTRACTS AND CRUSHES, A LITTLE LIKE A CATERPILLAR HIT BY A STICK. “
– LIZ KOCH
“The psoas is literally the deepest muscle in the human body. The Psoas has the unique characteristic of being the only muscle that connects the spine to the legs. It gives strength and stability to our center, affects posture, balance, on joint mobility, on the amplitude and quality of movement, as well as on the functioning of the organs of the abdomen and on
the breath, since it is connected to the diaphragm. A healthy psoas stabilizes the spine, allows you to stand upright with good skeletal alignment and therefore without effort, as well as moving with agility and freedom.
Responsible for keeping us stable, affecting our structural balance and muscle integrity, it also affects our flexibility, strength, range of motion, joint mobility, and even organ functioning. Without this muscle, we wouldn’t be able to stand or lift our legs to walk. This is because it is the only muscle that connects the spine with the legs “.
The psoas is a deeply internal and esoteric muscle that stabilizes the postural and energetic core of the human being. Originating in the mid back proximal to the diaphragm and aorta, this fan-like bilateral muscle spirals along the spine, crossing three major joints in the lower back, including the hips, before inserting into the upper bone of the spine. leg. Through a band of soft tissue this long muscle supports the spine and vital organs including the heart and lungs, as well as the pelvic organs including the bladder, intestines and reproductive organs. These fascial threads also extend through the nervous system to the brain and to the lumbar spinal nerves.
Like two pillars that support the spine, the psoas allows us to bend down and pick up something, and start walking, running or dancing. All graceful movements and powers emanate from this central psoas axis. A healthy psoas promotes good posture, where the body is stacked vertically and aligned with gravity from top to bottom. When we have good posture all the muscles in the body are relaxed, because the skeleton and bones bear the greatest weight, as they were designed to do. The brain and nervous system are functioning optimally and we enjoy emotional and spiritual well-being.
The psoas muscle and the relationship with stress hormones
Furthermore, Ileo psoas is a muscle that responds to the stimulation of stress hormones. In stressful situations the body produces certain hormones such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. Stress hormones begin to be produced when the body feels “threatened” by possible stress and the instinctual response would be that of fight or flight.
This reaction is a physiological response that prepares the body to “fight” or “flee” depending on the perceived attack: it is an automatic, primitive response that always occurs when we experience stress of any kind. (The boss who is breathing down his neck, a fight with a loved one, a fight between colleagues, a concern about something or someone, an exam or a test to take, etc.).
Because in stressful situations we can neither attack nor escape; then the psoas is activated and stiffens; the psoas muscles will deform under this unbalanced load resulting in a “pull” throughout the brain and the entire nervous system. It is a natural and involuntary response for the psoas muscle to block and protect our vital organs and prepare us to flee or fight.
But it is not natural for psoas to remain chronically portrayed for months or years after the original stress has long since passed. When this happens, an exhausting pattern of tension wreaks havoc on our health resulting in problems with pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, immunity, digestion and mood.
The psoas muscle and the reaction to stress: escape, attack, freezing
This tension causes a variety of ailments including back, hip, groin and knee pain, as well as organ dysfunction including, but not limited to, renal and adrenal exhaustion. Emotionally we lose our balance and spiritually we feel disconnected from our sacred depths.
The psoas muscle in response to the escape
While humans need to engage the psoas to escape a real threat, a healthy psoas returns to a relaxed state once the danger is over. If the psoas stays on defense, it will activate parts of the brain that cause hyper-alertness and anxiety. As a result, the flexor muscles at the front of the body anchor downward, causing a tightening of the intestines, swelling of the shoulders, and a collapse in the chest and heart. These prolonged postural and psychic distortions cause concern, paranoia and even panic attacks. Because the instinctive need for safety and security is a top priority, expansive opportunities and healthful challenges are often avoided. Meditation, stillness, and rest are particularly difficult for the person stuck in an escape response.
The psoas muscle in response to the attack
Sometimes the survival-oriented psoas muscle kicks in when an enemy is sensed, but we need to be able to “lay down our arms” once the challenge is over. Our posture reflects this with a high-strength tone in the musculature, a bulging head, clenched jaw, swollen chest and braces on the hips. If the psoas is unable to stabilize, it tows the entire brain and nervous system and triggers aggression and a cascade of stress hormones resulting in chronic frustration or irritability. It invokes a polemical skepticism often coupled with a divisive attitude towards others. As this instinctive need for defense is an instinctual priority, it becomes harder to relax and embody the tender transparency of our truest nature at the core of our being.
The psoas muscle in response to freezing
If fleeing or fighting is not an option and no escape route is available, the psoas tissue compulsively shrinks in the hope that the danger will disappear, protecting the vulnerable “womb” of vital organs. If the psoas remains contracted long after the danger is gone, the brain and nervous system also become immobilized and pervasive feelings of overwhelm, hopelessness, or depression ensue. Fatigued psoas penetrates with a collapsed, low or absent posture. The shoulders, solar plexus and pelvis all bend and the arches of the feet often crumble. The result is a habitual procrastination of impotence, with a concomitant propensity for dissociation, shame and emotional numbness. Left unaddressed, the enduring fatigue or pain associated with the freezing response makes it difficult for the strength and courage essential to overcome obstacles to self-realization.
The escape-free psoas fights the frozen response. Knowledge is wisdom and understanding and dealing with unsolved somatic stress helps to free the entire body-mind-spirit by initiating a profound personal healing and transformation. Once healed, this feeling-filled muscle offers the experience of a safe haven within. As survival instincts relax, our choices, movements and actions emanate from a graceful, grounded, and established basic connection deep within our depths. Feeling free and secure, we open ourselves to more embodying our true essential nature. Our health, sleep, energy and mood often improve. Instead of living all curled up like a caterpillar, we spread our wings and embody the vast expanse of our sacred true nature.
Healing takes time and doesn’t happen overnight for most of us. Taking a proactive stance to do what you can will allow you to create the momentum needed for healing. It is also important to work with trauma-informed therapists, psoas experts, body practitioners, and chiropractors to speed up the healing process.
The psoas is connected to our emotional state and stress
Recent studies claim that the psoas is closely linked to our emotions, as the primary messenger of the central nervous system. A hectic and stressful lifestyle releases high amounts of adrenaline in our body by keeping the psoas in constant tension (the body prepares to run). This “self-defense” mechanism is within the natural instinct of each of us which is connected to the reptilian brain linked precisely to the mechanisms of survival and self-defense.
What can you do:
1. Avoid sitting for prolonged periods and always sit stacked: with your hips higher than your knees, your thighs rolled in, and a gentle arch in your lower back. Avoid bucket seats that tuck you into a “C” curve. Set a timer to stand, stretch, and flex at least once an hour. Open and stretch the front body frequently.
2. Avoid excessive cycling, running or sit-ups, as these activities tend to bind and contract the psoas or during breaks, stretch and open the front body.
3. Walk, run and move from the solar plexus core with a “pendulum” swing in the legs as much as possible. The thigh muscles must not initiate the movement.
4. Alignment based yoga with an experienced teacher will help greatly. Properly done standing or lunge crescents will also help. The thighs must root backwards, the front body must stretch and the ribs must remain neutral.
5. Posture correction work with a professional is important so that you can bring proper alignment to your yoga or exercise regimen.
6. The constructive sleeping position for 10-15 minutes a day effectively relieves accumulated stress. Lie on your back with your knees bent on a sofa or chair. Your feet are hip-width apart and relaxed. The lower back is neutral with no crease or arch.
7. Schedule time to slow down the “busy beast” that today’s society seems to dictate to us to be and rest truly and regularly.
8. With authenticity, recognize and release emotions regularly. Breathing with compassionate curiosity into difficult sensations and releasing trapped sound and energy is beneficial for your body-mind-spirit spirit.
The “muscle of the soul”
In the East the psoas is known as “the muscle of the soul”: the more flexible and strong the psoas is, the more our vital energy will be able to flow through the bones, muscles and joints. The psoas would therefore be like an energy channeling organ, a core that connects us to the earth, allowing us to create a solid and balanced support from the center of our pelvis.
The psoas allows you to rest in the present moment when relaxed and tension is released from the body;
Allows you to feel grounded;
Makes breathing deep and relaxed;
The alignment of posture does not make us strain to stand up straight;
Improve centering;
Improves digestion and solves intestinal problems;
Solves back, hip and knee problems;
Dissolves the stiffness of the pelvis making it fluid.
Various internal problems are in fact associated with a stressed psoas muscle:
negatively affects the emotional state;
impact on relationships with others;
it affects feeling satisfied in life.
WORKING ON THE “MUSCLE OF THE SOUL” TO HAVE INCREDIBLE BENEFITS
It is an unknown muscle and yet it determines our entire posture, mobility and also mental health and vitality.
Liz Koch, author of The Book of the Psoas, states that our psoas “literally embody our deepest desire for survival, and most deeply, our elemental desire to thrive.” This means that there is much more to the psoas than one might initially think.