For most yoga students, they also know that the psoas major is also a major player in asana. The psoas major is the main connector between the trunk and the legs, it is also an important muscle off our mat: It influences posture, helps stabilise the spine and can be a significant cause of lower back and pelvic pain if it is out of balance. The way we use the psoas muscle in our yoga practice can both help keep it healthy, strong and flexible, and conversely can perpetuate harmful imbalances.
The psoas is the deep core muscle that connects the lumbar spine to the femur.
The large psoas muscles are the largest and strongest of the hip flexor groups: They contract together to pull the thighs and trunk towards each other. If you spend most of your life sitting, or enjoy things like sit-ups, cycling and certain weight training exercises, the hip flexors can become short and tight.
A tight psoas major can lead to serious postural problems: When you stand, it pulls the lower back vertebrae forward and down towards the femur, often leading to anterior kyphosis (the overall arch of the lumbar spine), which is a common cause of lower back pain and stiffness; it can also lead to arthritis in the small joints of the lumbar spine. On the other hand, lumbar muscle weakness and hyperextension can lead to a common postural problem in which the pelvis is pushed towards the front of the chest and knees. This disorder is characterised by a stretched hamstring pulling up to the sit bones, a vertical sacrum (rather than its usual gentle forward tilt) and a flattened lumbar spine. Without a normal curve, the lower back becomes weaker and more prone to injury, especially at the intervertebral discs.
To help you maintain balance in the psoas and keep your lower back healthy, it is important to first understand the anatomy. You will then learn why the psoas is essential for asanas like (boat pose) and (bridge pose), and how to engage and stretch this large muscle for optimal results.
How to find the psoas major
Although the psoas major is one of the most important muscles in yoga postures, it is also one of the most misunderstood. Many students and even teachers have only a vague idea of where it is located. The psoas major originates from the lumbar spine and forms a muscle almost as large as the wrist along each side of the spine. Looking at the front of the body, you have to remove the intestines and other digestive organs, as well as the female reproductive organs, to see the muscle at the back of the abdomen. It moves forward and down, across the outer edge of each pubic bone, and then moves back again to attach to the bony prominence of the medial femur posterior superior (thigh bone), commonly known as the lesser trochanter.
In this way, the psoas major acquires its synergist muscle, the iliacus, which originates in the inner bowl of the pelvis (or iliacus) and joins the psoas muscle on a downward path to the femur. These two muscles are closely linked and are often referred to as one, the iliopsoas muscle. Other hip flexors include the suture, broad fascial tensor, rectus femoris, pubococcygeus and short adductor muscles. In addition to flexion, these muscles may also contribute to the internal or external rotation of the hip joint.
This movement is important for yoga practitioners because the psoas muscle may try to rotate the hips outwards in poses where we do not want external rotation, such as backward or forward flexion.
Awakening the psoas major muscle
Now that you have an image of the psoas muscle in your mind, let's see if you can feel it contracting. When the psoas muscle contracts, it pulls the femur and spine closer together (hip flexion). If you are supine, contracting your right psoas muscle will help your right leg to come off the floor, like in supine hand-grip big toe pose or side-lying pulling big toe pose. If the back of your leg is flexible, you can bring it towards your torso over vertical, but the psoas muscle stops contracting about 90 degrees when the leg is vertical. At this point, gravity is no longer pulling the leg back to the ground, so the hip flexors can relax. On the other hand, if the back of your leg is too tight and you can't bring your leg up to 90 degrees, the psoas major will contract throughout the time you are lifting your leg, even with the band wrapped around your foot. By definition, this is an isometric contraction: The muscle is working, but not changing length. Any time you hold a part of your body to counteract gravity, this is an isometric contraction.
Boat pose
Boat pose is another yoga asana that strengthens the psoas major muscles isometrically. As you sit in the chair, you can feel the basic action of the psoas major. Sit in front of the chair with your arms stretched forward, parallel to the floor. Then lean into the back of the chair without touching it, while keeping your chest raised. As your body tilts backwards beyond vertical, gravity is trying to pull your torso towards the floor and the psoas muscle contracts to keep your arms suspended.
To apply this manoeuvre in boat pose, move to the floor and sit up straight ((sit on your sit bones, do not roll backwards on your tailbone). Gently wrap your fingers around the top of your calves, pulling slightly to help lift your chest, then lean back until your elbows are straight. Release your shins so that your arms are parallel to the floor, place your feet on the floor and lift your chest. Although this is a beginner's introductory version of boat pose, you will be doing some isometric strengthening of the psoas major as well as the back and abdominal muscles.
If you want to hold the full pose, lean your torso back a little and find your balance with your feet off the ground. Even if your knees are still bent, the psoas major has to work harder because it is now bearing the weight of your torso and the weight of your legs against the pull of gravity. You can stay here for a few breaths or continue forward and challenge the muscle by straightening your knees. In the full expression of boat pose, the psoas acts as a zip wire between your spine and thighs, maintaining a beautiful v-shaped pose. This is a challenging pose that works not only the psoas, but also the abdominal and back muscles and quads; if you are a beginner, try practising regularly in the preparation phase, gradually building strength for the full asana expression.
Release the psoas major
In awakening the psoas major and making it work through contractions, this is the ideal time to stretch and lengthen the psoas muscle. To stretch any muscle we have to do the opposite of it; in this case we need to stretch the hips so that the lumbar spine and femur move away from each other. As the psoas major is a very large and strong muscle, you can lengthen it most effectively by stretching one side at a time: In lunge pose and warrior i, for example, the hips of the back leg are in extension in these poses.
Warrior i
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, a great way to isolate the lumbar major stretch is to practice warrior i at a doorway. Find an open door (or post) and approach so that the right side of your body is just behind the post. Step your left foot through the doorway and keep your right foot 50-100cm off the ground and your back heel off the ground. Extend your arms straight over your head and place your hands on the wall. The knees are slightly bent and the pubic bone, navel and sternum are aligned with the door frame.
The key to stretching the psoas is the tilt of the pelvis. Remember that a tight psoas muscle tilts the pelvis forward (pulling the spine and top of the pelvis forward and down), so you must tilt the pelvis back to stretch the hip flexors. The door can help you do this: Simply move the pubic bone towards the door frame, move the upper pelvis and belly button back through the door frame and then pull the sternum towards the door frame. These movements will help you to tilt your pelvis backwards, move your lumbar spine towards the back of your body (rather than allowing the tight psoas major to pull forward and down) and lift your thorax vertically from your lower back. You will lengthen the psoas and reduce the pressure and discomfort in your lower back.
When you are ready to deepen the stretch, completely straighten the back knee (keeping the heel off the floor, especially if you are a beginner or have knee or lower back problems) and then gradually bend the front knee. If you don't get enough stretch in the front of your right hip, double your efforts to move your pubic bone to the wall, then move your belly button out of the way and bend your front knee further. Hold the pose for a minute or more, keeping your breathing slow and steady to help the muscles relax into a deep stretch. Then repeat on the other side.
Bridge pose
You have stretched the psoas major and are now ready for the backbend pose, which requires both hips to be fully extended. In bridge pose, for example, as you lift the pelvis off the ground, the tight and short psoas major muscles cause the pelvis to tilt forward, causing intense compression of the lower lumbar spine. It is therefore important to prepare your body for backbends by first stretching the hip flexors, especially if you lead a sedentary lifestyle.
When you are ready to do the bridge pose, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, heels tucked in close to your sit bones. Place a block between your feet, down through your big toe and inner heel, then squeeze another block between your knees. These blocks ensure that your thighs remain parallel throughout the asana to prevent the psoas from rotating outwards as you extend your hips, which can lead to lower back compression and knee pain.
By strengthening and lengthening the psoas major muscles in the pose, you can release habitual muscle control patterns, improve your low back and create a more balanced posture.
As you begin to lift your pelvis off the floor, start by lifting your tailbone. This simple movement tilts the pelvis back and, if your hip flexors are long enough, can help you keep space in your lower back. Press your pubic bone into the skin of your lower abdomen as you continue to roll into bridge pose. Hold the pose for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat the pose two more times; as the hip flexors lengthen, you may find you can go deeper and lift higher.
A well-balanced asana practice helps to keep your muscles strong enough to do their job and flexible enough to allow for the full range of motion of the joints involved. By combining poses that strengthen and lengthen the psoas, you can release habitual muscle control patterns, improve your low back and create a more balanced and spacious asana.
