Have you ever felt off balance, experienced respiratory difficulties, or struggled with poor posture? You might be surprised to learn that the culprit could be your psoas muscle.
What is the Psoas?
The psoas muscle plays a crucial role in your body’s structure, positioned deep within the posterior abdominal wall on either side of the vertebral column. It’s one of the strongest muscles in the body and is responsible for stabilizing the hip joint. Despite its importance, many people overlook the psoas, even though it can impact physical and mental well-being.
By the way, the psoas has a funny name, right? It’s pronounced *SO-as* – the “P” is silent. But even with its odd name, this muscle should not be underestimated. If neglected, an unhealthy psoas can lead to various health issues that affect your entire body.
Lower back problems
A tight or shortened psoas can create a shortened abdominal wall, tightness, and even spasming in the lower back, quads, hamstrings, inner thighs, and hips. The tight psoas can also cause compression of the discs of the lower back, leading to localised pain or pain that radiates into the hips.
On the other hand a weak psoas will cause other muscles to take over, causing strain in those muscles, also leading to lower back and hip pain.
Postural Changes and Oxygen Supply
Because a weak or tight psoas can lead to postural changes, we may experience forward-rotating shoulders, causing overworked and fatigued deltoids. As we rotate our shoulders forward we tend to round our back and compress our chest and shoulder muscles which can lead to compromised lung function, disruption to oxygen supply can place stress on the heart and internal organs, impairing their ability to function properly. If organs become stressed, over time, this can increase the risk of disease and other health complications.
Contributing factors to an unhealthy psoas.
It is said that our sedentary behaviour of spending long hours sitting at a desk or relaxing in front of the TV causes your hip flexor muscles to shorte,n causing pain and or poor posture. However its not just that the unhealthy psoas causes postural problems! Strain in the psoas can be caused by a rounded back which as we know can be caused from any number of reasons such as excessive phone use, manual labour, sports, repetitive tasks etc.
How to Restore a Healthy Psoas?
The key to improving the health of your psoas muscle is by creating space in the body and working toward neutral spinal alignment. By doing so, you can ease tension and support optimal body function.
By paying attention to your psoas and making intentional choices, you can restore balance, improve posture, and support the well-being of your entire body.
Strength and flexibility training play a significant role in maintaining the health of your psoas.
It should be noted however that it’s important to not overstretch the psoas. Balance is key. Incorporating both stretching and strengthening exercises will help the muscle return to its optimal state. A balance is needed between strengthening and lengthening which can slowly release repetitive muscle-holding patterns, improving lower back alignment and creating a more balanced posture.
Here are some Yoga Asana poses You may like to try.
Strengthen the psoas with:
Supine knee-to-chest stretch.
Standing with a knee raised (to add a stronger experience add a weighted dumbbell to the foot )
Lengthen the psoas with:
Bridge pose
Lunges (with or with out supported blocks),
Camel pose (with or without support blocks),
Sphinx pose
Quad stretch against a wall
Relax the psoas
Once the psoas begins to release, you’ll start to feel the benefits throughout your entire body. However along with this release we also need to relax the psoas, therefore it’s essential to incorporate rest and relaxation into your routine. Practices like yoga nidra, pranayama (breathwork), and meditation can help unwind both body and mind.
Start small by setting achievable goals. For example, a gentle yoga class focused on stretching and relaxation may be the perfect way to begin your journey. As you progress, you can move from beginner poses to more intermediate and advanced positions, always listening to your body’s needs.
Stay Present and Consistent
Finally, remember that even a small daily practice can lead you toward your goal of a strong and healthy psoas. Stay present in the moment, be patient with yourself, and allow your journey to unfold over time.
The Australian School of Meditation and Yoga has a wide range of classes to meet you where you’re at. From Stretch & Relax to Yin or the more challenging Vinyasa Flow, you’ll be on your way to a healthy psoas in no time. Feel free to speak to any of our experienced, welcoming yoga teachers for any advice.
As an alternative, look to get a postural alignment test from an health professional such as an osteopath or physiotherapist.
I hope this article serves you well!
By Nathan Douglas Lowe
Yoga & meditation teacher at ASMY