The iliopsoas muscles run along the lumbar spine, through the pelvis and attach at the lesser trochanter at the top of the femur. Courtesy photo

By JACCI GRUNINGER, MS, C-IAYT
Los Alamos

As I mentioned last month, the psoas is instrumental in our ability to move, walk and perform day-to-day activities. In some Buddhist, yogic and mental health practices, the psoas is said to be the seat of the soul, storing trauma, emotion, and tension. It can also play a big role in our flight, fight and freeze complex.

The iliopsoas muscles run along your lumbar spine, through the pelvis (the iliacus sits inside the pelvis) and attach at the lesser trochanter at the top of your femur (thigh bone). It flexes the trunk towards the legs (as in bending forward) and lifts the legs toward the trunk (as in squatting), supports the abdominal organs and acts as a pump driving fluids such as lymph and blood in and out of our body’s cells. It is also connected to our breathing as its origins are interwoven with the muscle fibers of the diaphragm.

Tension in the psoas can affect how we walk and how we breathe.In addition, your psoas is connected to your vagus nerve. If I feel threatened in any way, my outward appearance and gestures might be calm but the psoas muscles are getting ready to fight or flee. As mentioned above, your psoas muscle fibers are connected to your diaphragm, your breathing apparatus. When we are afraid, stressed or have trauma our breath constricts which also constricts the psoas.

This continues the stress/fear response in the body. The psoas complex also houses an extensive number of sensory nerve endings. If the psoas/iliacus are constricted, guess what else is compressed or constricted? Our nerves! All of this leads our nervous system to always be on alert and ready to fight or flee. Over time, our adrenal glands become exhausted and we set ourselves up for stress related illnesses. From an anatomical perspective, the psoas and iliacus don’t always work together.

One can become shorter than the other, which can create alignment problems in the pelvis and in leg length. And, because the psoas muscle crosses the hip joint, tightness can also affect the movement of your femur and your knee. When your psoas is chronically shortened, connective tissue called fascia is created to support the stressed muscle and then the muscle fibers can dry up and lose their elasticity which in turn shortens and weakens the psoas which inhibits our ability to move freely.

Tension in the psoas can also restrict breathing creating a shallow breathing pattern. There are multiple ways to support your psoas including deep breathing, body-work and target exercises. Working through our trauma, stress and held emotions can also help release the psoas. We want to work on hydrating, lengthening and softening the psoas.

Here are a few suggestions for learning to release your iliopsoas complex:

The Unequal Breath

• As you do this breath, keep your awareness on breathing softly and smoothly in the pelvic region.
• Breathe in for a count of 4 and out for a count of 6 or 8.
• Don’t rush into the longer exhale, add a count after every few breaths.
• Try this breath while in constructive rest.

Constructive Rest

• Place a chair either with a blanket on the seat or not on your yoga mat, towel or blanket.
• Sit facing the chair with your legs on either side of the chair.
• Use your hands for support and place your lower legs on the chair so that your knees and hips are as close to 90 degrees as possible.
• Draw your tailbone under, support your head as needed.
• Relax you legs and hip flexor muscles as much as possible.
• Stay here for at least 5 minutes and up to 15 minutes.
• When you are ready to come out of the posture – bring your knees to your chest; roll to one side into fetal position – stay here for 1-2 minutes and then slowly press up to sitting.

Constructive Rest with a Block or Strap

• Lie down with your knees bent, feet hip distance apart.
• Place a block, short side to you in between your legs. Secure a strap around your legs and the blocks to the body doesn’t have to do any work to hold the block.
• Draw your tailbone under, support your head as needed.
• Relax you legs and hip flexor muscles as much as possible.
• Stay here for at least 5 minutes and up to 15 minutes.
  When you are ready to come out of the posture – bring your knees to your chest; roll to one side into fetal position – stay here for 1-2 minutes and then slowly press up to sitting.

Passive Psoas Release

• Tri Fold a yoga blanket or fold a bath towel in half and then make a trifold or accordion fold (you may eventually want two towels for more height).
• Place the tri fold blanket in the middle of your mat, short side of the blanket to the long side of your mat.
• Come into table position over the blanket.
• Slowly lower yourself onto the blanket so that your hip bones and pubic bones are resting on the blanket (adjust for comfort).
• Make a “pillow” with your hands and rest your forehead on your hands (you can also rest the head on the mat with it turned to one side if that is more comfortable).
• Stay here for 3-7 minutes.
• To release, engage your abdominal wall, place your hands under your shoulders and press back into table position.

While you do any of these practices, stay present with your thoughts, feelings and emotions. Remember you are always able to move away or out of the posture as needed.

Jacci Gruninger is a Certified Yoga Therapist, Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and Focusing Coach. She has been teaching for over two decades and spent 12 of those years training yoga teachers for the Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts. She regularly helps clients manage the ups and downs of life with yoga, meditation, breathwork and bodywork. Her Yoga Therapy Center is at 190 Central Park Square #212. For her teaching schedule and information on other services, visit www.yogawithjacci.com.