Do you know about the muscle that allows you to move up the stairs, walk, run?
The muscle that connects your upper body with your lower body?
No? Well let's talk about that-The PSOAS, also known as the Muscle of the soul!
The simple answer to where the psoas muscle is… deep in the core.
Why do we tend to tighten/ contract our Psoas Muscle?
Lack of physical activities along with sitting for long durations .
Stress being common today and not responding to it correctly with lack of physical activity- we store the stress in our Psoas as a fight response.
What happens when our Psoas muscle is very tight?
Our Psoas is most central to our flight/ fight response. It continually signals our body that we are in danger, eventually causing many health issues including low immunity, anxiety, depression, insomnia etc. It is also partially responsible for menstrual cramps!
Chronically tight psoas triggers the stress hormone cortisol. The stress hormone stays in the body if nothing is done about it leaving you feeling a constant low state of anxiety and exhaustion. Lengthening out the psoas through gentle asanas will break this cycle and help to relieve this built up physical and mental tension.
The connection between the psoas muscle and emotions is a close one, and taking care of this muscle through asanas and other forms of movement can have a positive impact on our physical and emotional well-being.
Being aware of your psoas is the first step on opening the door to inner peace, calmness.
Asanas for PSOAS health
Setu Bandhasansa | Bridge Pose
Bhujangasana | Cobra pose
Naukasana | Boat pose