PSOAS, the muscle of the soul. Part 1
What is essential is invisible to the eye.
Author: Sara B. Levi
My life has been until today a constellation of different sports practices, competitions, and in general great passion and ease for physical activity and dynamism.
I love to dance, move, follow the rhythm.
I was a horse rider, but I ended up forgetting the real reason why I loved being in contact with these beautiful creatures, behind competitive and expensive inputs, of those who thought mostly for profit.
I went dancing to dance, but I ended up forgetting the real reason why I loved to feel the vibrations crossing my body, behind human input related to the sense of belonging to a group, to alcohol and the need to conquer to explore conquered.
I went skiing because the mountains speak through smells, sounds and because the snow creates a silent patina that dampens the noise of the material world, bringing you back to listening to what “is” the world, to the detriment of what appears.
The last time I skied I was so captive of my mind, of my dramas, that at some point I think I let myself go. It was a moment, but it cost me a cruciate and collateral ligament.
It was several years that I could no longer find in the physical activities that I practised, a real benefit for the soul, as happened previously, when I mounted, skied, danced, surfed, ran, climbed … I meditated.
What happened next, I think it can be defined as a long, slow but inexorable awakening, which has led me to be here today.
What you hear
About my yoga practice, when I decided to learn to teach, I felt as if I had emerged from the 1-minute shell; this feeling continues to occur every time I progress on a physical and mental level, and trough this path I can acquire new information so that I can bring back to the outside.
It is useful at this juncture to understand that it is in the very nature of the progression, days or periods of apparent recession; do not give up, don’t dump into frustration and let the body absorb and the soul speaks; they are a fundamental part of the growth process.
Over the last months, I have noticed a need to particularly stress an area of the body that I could perceive as a critical area, but for this reason, I was not able to “really feel”.
Hips and junction with the lower back, could not retain lasting well-being: I turned to a friend and little wizard, a self-taught man who has been studying the human body for 30 years through texts of anatomy, philosophy, nutrition, biology and ancient arts of Thai and Nepalese manipulation.
He was the first who, going over the back pains, the closed shoulder blades, the imbalances have given by broken bones and injured ligaments, directed me to the Psoas muscle.
“Everything is there: study, experiment with yourself, then let me know”.
Also, so I did.
What is Psoas
“What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
The Psoas is perhaps our deepest muscle: it joins the small trochanter of the femur (the upper and inner part of the leg) with the first four lumbar vertebrae and the last thoracic.
Another section, ileo-psoas, connects the same point of the femur with the iliac crests. It is not a visible muscle of the body, but its implications on our physical, mental and emotional efficiency are profound, so much so that, in some oriental cultures, it has been called the muscle of the soul.
The psoas is the muscle that allows us to lift the leg to walk, the adduce and the other rot, allows the torsion of the torso concerning the legs, helps maintain balance and gives support to our bone structure.
It is part of the bust flexors that are also the muscles that, stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system, trigger the unconscious defence mechanism from the world, “fight or run away”, along with other reactions such as adrenaline release, digestion blockage, increased pressure blood, sweating etc.
One of the effects of the stress response is precisely the contraction of the flexor muscles of the torso, those that make us harden the belly, bend the shoulders and close the chest to protect the heart.
The usual and unnecessary responses to unmanaged stress, cause slight tensions that over time intensify and become chronic: this chronicity could define the posture and consequently, the way we pose to ourselves and the world.
Psoas and Psyche
According to Liz Koch, author of the book “The Psoas Book”, this muscle embodies our deepest desire for survival and to prosper.
In particular, the proper functioning of this muscle and its correct position during relaxation would help us to overcome anxieties and fears.
On the other hand, the contracture of the Psoas muscle and related or back problems related to it, in the long run, prevent us from moving in the world as we wish and could lead us to renounce to come into play on our days with maximum energy.
At a physiological level, it’s important to consider the reactions of the Sympathetic Nervous System, understanding that this muscle is not only connected to the legs and the column but also the diaphragm.
The contraction of the hyper psoas extends the lumbar spine, causes the chest to collapse and compromises proper breathing.
The diaphragm is fundamental for our breathing, even more so when we talk about calm and deep breath.
It’s precisely the ability to calm, slow down and deepen the breath that relaxes both our body and the mind.
Anxiety and fear often occur with accelerated breathing.
When Psoas and diaphragm work well, and you learn to be aware of their presence in our body, you can exploit them at any time to quickly reconnect to a state of awareness and stillness, bringing attention to the present moment and reappropriating of the situation to solve it or merely leave it through.
“I am not my thought. I am giving life to my mind, thinking”.
According to author Liz Koch and neurologist Paul Mc Lean, this beneficial effect occurs because the Psoas has a direct link with the oldest part of our brainstem and spinal cord, called the reptilian brain.
We live hectic days in which we feel trapped in a context of escape and struggle as if we were still primitive men. We are overwhelmed by stress and agitation, but we can improve this condition by paying more attention to the mobility of our body and our ability to breathe well.
Body of Psoas
Among the muscles that accumulate tension, Psoas is one of those most responsive to emotional state and because of our sedentary lifestyle, is rarely relaxed and activated. Consequentially it is easily subject to rigidity;
when the psoas is hyper-stimulated by a hectic life or by excessive accumulations of unmanaged stress, the adrenaline overloads it by keeping it in a constant alert.
This defence mechanism, in the long run, makes it stiff and short and leads to its thinning.
A stiffening of the psoas can cause a series of disorders to the whole musculoskeletal system: back pain, hip pain, sciatica, knee pain, and perpetual tension in the shoulders and neck, forced to be continually activated to correct alignment defects that do not allow the weight to release to the ground.
A vital and healthy Psoas instead, gives a sense of lightness, control and deep connection with the movement that allows experiencing a type of natural walking that starts from the solar plexus instead of the hips or worse, from the knees.
Incorrect use of this muscle can also create pressure on the internal organs, causing painful digestive or moon cycle problems.
It can also interfere with the smooth movement of body fluids and energies through channels (or chakras) and Nadi (or ganglia).
In practice, many problems with balance or alignment during the asanas depend on this, as well as the difficulty in maintaining a sitting nice and long spine position during meditation.
Psoas, heart and soul in training:
The practice of asanas in the first place takes care of this aspect on a physical level by entering deep into the tissues and teaching us how to “feel”, and in a more subtle way how to breathe.
Poses as Navasana for example, help to strengthen the core, and also backbends and laterals.
Backbends and Laterals are very important to restore a healthy functionality of the Psoas.
Among the most effective: dhanurasana natarajasana, virabhadrasana, kapotanasana and, above all, anjaneyasana.
De-contracting the psoas as previously mentioned plays a substantial role for the general psychophysical relaxation; this is a mechanism that in neurosciences is called bottom-up or the possibility of modulating one’s mental and emotional state acting on the neuro-vegetative system.
However, as the Tradition has always supported, the opposite is also exact. To relax and to be able to move inwards, meditation, pranayama, and techniques such as Yoga Nidra, are the real game changer.
A goal is to be able to manage mental spinning by returning it to the function of a powerful tool, but always a tool.
At this stage, the neuro-vegetative system is activated through a conscious choice to focus on the relaxation of the musculoskeletal system.
In case of the contracted psoas, for example, during the relaxation in Shavasana, it is useful to use a pillow under the knees, relieving any tensions in the back and immersing the body in complete absorption.
In the case of sitting meditation, however, it is good to have the hips slightly higher than the knees so that no part of the psoas remains in a state of tension, so as not to collapse the back backwards.
Author: Sara B. Levi
About Sara B. Levi :
Made in Italy but literally daughter of the world, is a Yoga Teacher, writer and ex marketing and communication manager.
Degree in Economy and Study in Psychology, Sara decided to quit her old life 2 years ago, direction Bali, to go deeper into the world of Yoga.
She has been practicing since 2000, but the way she started to understand Yoga through the first teacher training at The Practice Bali, is something that has completely changed her point of view.
She began studying, practicing and teaching traditional tantric hatha yoga and yin yoga, finding the basis to deeply roots her knowledge and developing an authentic voice as a teacher, coach and as a channel between the world in which she lived and the one in which she lives.
Currently living in between Europe and Asia, she have completed the 200 and 300 Hours Teacher Trainings.
She works as writer, teacher, personal coach and is building a specific workshop format about Energy Management, dedicated to the integration of the Yoga System tool within specific categories of workers (office managers, doctors, teachers, people with traumas).
She is also working to create a Retreat Format for beginners and advanced Yogi, and Breathing Techniques Masterclasses for all levels.
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