Yoga and Psoas

Here we are going to talk about Yoga and Psoas. The psoas is a deep-seated core muscle connecting the lumbar vertebrae to the femur. The psoas major is the biggest and strongest player in a group of muscles called the hip flexors, together they contract to pull the thigh and the torso toward each other. Some people also call psoas the muscle of the soul.

As the psoas muscle are made of both slow and fast twitching muscles and they are also the major flexor, weak psoas muscles can cause many of the surrounding muscles to compensate and become overused. That is why a tight or overstretched psoas muscle could be the cause of many of the aches and pain, including low back and pelvic pain. And so, here Iā€™m going to into introduce 3 Yoga poses to help awakening for the psoas muscle.

First is the Warrior Pose 1, it helps to strengthen the psoas of the front leg while stretching the psoas of the back leg. This action stimulates the psoas to contract, which help you feel the pelvis stabilize. You can practise by holding this pose for 5 to 10 deep breaths on each side. Next is the Extended Side Angle Pose, similar to warrior pose 1, this asana helps to strengthen the psoas of the front leg while stretching the psoas of the back and also feeling your psoas muscle isometrically engage in your pelvis. Last is the Full Boat Pose, while many think this pose is all about the abs, quite a bit of the work also happens in the legs and the psoas. This pose is actually a good way to strengthen the psoas isometrically.

By strengthening the psoas, it makes better posture, helps stabilize the spine. The right way of using the psoas in yoga practise can help to keep it healthy, strong and flexible.

-Danny Lee