Four Yoga Postures to Release Your Psoas Muscle

by: Kaitlyn Rose Holsapple

The iliopsoas muscle group is becoming more and more well known for its role in low back pain, hip issues, digestive and reproductive issues, and chronic stress. It's a muscle group that is often simultaneously very tight and very weak in almost everyone I meet.

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Since I support individuals in releasing trauma and emotion stored in the tissues of the body, most all of my clients have chronic holding patterns connected to their psoas muscle.

The psoas, also known as "the muscle of the Soul," is one of the deepest muscles in the human body, and is connected to the pelvic floor, diaphragm, and inner throat. This deep fascial line is extremely connected with holding patterns, stored trauma, and repressed emotions.

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https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/muscle-pain-it-may-actually-be-your-fascia

The psoas is a fight or flight muscle and when you are under chronic stress or have experienced trauma, it ends to clench and tighten for the long-term. This leads to increased pain and dysfunction in the hips and other regions of the body, essentially locking your structure into a state of fight or flight.

When your fight or flight muscles, such as the psoas, are locked in the "on" position, it makes it much more challenging to relax and calm the mind. I believe this is why this specific muscular restriction is found so often in people who struggle with mental health balance.

So many people approach releasing their psoas through deep stretching or massage. However, since the posts is highly sensitive and so connected to our nervous system aggressive and forceful measures can often do the opposite of what you desire, causing this muscle group to clench and tighten more!

https://www.otpbooks.com/liz-koch-psoas/

I've found the most powerful way to release, soften, and lengthen the psoas muscle comes through a gentle, somatic approach. My approach includes yoga postures and somatic movements that allow the muscle to slacken, balancing the nervous system and fight/flight response, and emotional release work that discharges stuck emotion from the deep fascial line of the body.

Below are four yoga postures that can support your psoas muscle in slacking and softening:

LEGS UP THE WALL FOR 15 - 20 MINUTES

Find a clear wall space and scoot your hips up close to the wall. Lie on your back and bring your legs up the wall with the soles of the feet facing the ceiling. You can optionally elevate your hips under a pillow or find a sandbag to place on top of the soles of the feet. Give yourself plenty of time in this pose, breathing into your belly and letting your muscles be heavy.

BUTTERFLY UP THE WALL VARIATION FOR 5 - 10 MINUTES

From legs up the wall, bend the knees and bring the soles of the feet onto the wall at hip's distance apart. Bring the outer edges of the feet onto the wall, allowing the knees to come wide. The soles of the feet will be facing toward one another, but not touching.

CONSTRUCTIVE REST POSE FOR 15 - 20 MINUTES

Lie on your back with your knees bend. Plant your feet wider than hip's distance apart. Let your knees collapse inward, bringing a yoga block between you thighs on skinny setting.

FACE DOWN SAVASANA FOR 5 - 10 MINUTES

Place 1 - 2 bolsters stacked facedown on your mat. Line the short edge up with the front of your hips and lie face-down over the bolsters. Bend your knees and draw them slightly out to the side. Allow your head and arms to rest over the front edge of the bolster.

Note: if you have chronic psoas issues, I also recommend exploring somatic and emotional support for the muscle group to release and realign for the long term.