Yoga anatomy and the psoas

Revisiting anatomy is most definitely one of the things I really enjoy doing. To me understanding how the body can move safely is very important and for that to be true, as yoga teachers and students, we have to understand how it works in the first place. Have you ever heard of psoas muscles? The psoas originates from the lumbar spine and by forming a strip of muscle almost as big as a wrist along each side of the spine, it moves down the body towards the legs and connects to the inner upper posterior femur (thigh bone) called the lesser trochanter.

As you can probably imagine, this is a muscle that plays an important role in yoga asana (poses) but it is also very important off the mat. It’s a connector between the torso and the leg and therefore affects posture and helps stabilise the spine. When it is out of balance, it can contribute to lower back pain, pelvic pain and bad posture.

So how do you stretch it and make sure it remains healthy? Postures such as anjaneyasana (crescent moon pose), virabhadrasana I (warrior one) and dhanurasana (bow pose) are examples of how you can work your psoas.

Finding a deep connection through the midline is vital in all poses but particularly in standing and inversions, and that’s why we aim to pay attention to our posture in poses like tadasana (mountain pose) before we move.

What’s your experience of activating the psoas through yoga practice? Which poses do you enjoy the most and which ones you find challenging?

Do share your thoughts and go well, N x