PSOAS: SOUL MUSCLE
The importance of the psoas for our health, vitality and emotional well-being.
The psoas is the deepest and most stabilizing muscle in the human body, affecting :
♂️ structural balance,
♂️ movement width,
♂️ joint mobility and
♂️ functioning of abdominal organs.
It’s the only muscle connecting the spine to the legs, responsible for keeping us upright and enabling us to lift our legs to walk.
A healthy psoas stabilizes the spine and provides support across the trunk, forming a good shelf for the abdominal organs.
Some recent studies also consider the psoas, a perceptive organ composed of bio-intelligent tissue – the main messenger of the central nervous system – as the mouthpiece of emotions. In fact, the psoas is connected to the diaphragm via connective tissue or fascia, so it’s affected by both breathing and fear.
If we constantly keep the psoas under tension due to stress, over time it begins to shorten and harden. This will make our posture and the functions of the organs that live in the abdomen difficult, leading to back pain, sciatica, disc problems, hip degeneration, painful periods or digestive problems.
This situation is aggravated by the way we sit or by the postures of our daily habits.
A tight psoas sends tension signals to the nervous system, interfering with fluid movement and affecting diaphragmatic breathing. In fact, the psoas is so intimately involved in fundamental physical and emotional reactions that when chronically strained, it sends continuous danger signals to the body, so it can resonate in the exhaustion of the adrenal glands and immune system.
A freed psoas allows the front of the thighs to lengthen, enabling the legs and pelvis to move with greater fluidity and independence. It improves the position of the spine and the whole torso, which has an impact on improving the functions of the abdominal organs and breathing.
In some Eastern philosophies, the psoas is known as the “soul muscle”, a major power of the body. The softer and stronger the psoas, the more our vital energy can flow through our bones, muscles and joints.
The psoas would be like an energy-channeling organ, creating a firm, balanced support from the center of our pelvis.
As a result, the spine lengthens, allowing all our vitality to flow through it.
IN PILATES, WE LITERALLY LENGTHEN THE PSOAS FOR THE WHOLE CLASS, THEN STRENGTHEN EVERYTHING AROUND IT TO HELP RELEASE IT!
Long live Pilates and a long, free Psoas!