Disclaimer:
I am not a medical or scientific professional. The following is anecdotal evidence based on Liz Koch’s 30-year work with the Psoas Muscle.
Any information or advice provided by us is not a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, please contact your health care provider immediately to seek professional medical attention because the information provided here is not medical or psychological advice.
Before listening to guided meditation or hypnosis recordings, always consult your doctor or therapist.
Introduction:
Because of our fast-paced lifestyle and the resulting excessive demands on our bodies, stress has reached epidemic proportions. It can have an impact on both your physical and mental health. Gastric ulcers, osteoporosis, and sexual dysfunction can all be exacerbated by chronic stress. It has been linked to a variety of physical ailments, including hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and arthritis. Chronic stress can also weaken the immune system, increasing infections and worsening skin conditions like eczema. Stress hormones have also been linked to anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and mood disorders.
Why is the psoas such an important part of our physical, mental, and emotional health?
The significance of this deep core muscle has long been underestimated. We examine the role of the psoas in our physical, emotional, and mental well-being, as well as how stretching your psoas can help relieve stress.
Survival Muscle:
The Psoas Muscle is referred to as the “fight-or-flight” muscle.
The Psoas runs through our hip joint and connects our lumbar spine to our inner thighs. We can run and kick because of the connection between our back and legs. These are the two primary functions required in “fight-or-flight” mode (hence the name!).
When our nervous system detects a threat, it signals our Psoas to activate. This enables us to flee a lion that is pursuing us or fight off another predator that may be a better match for us. The neural connection between our brain and our muscles is bidirectional. Just as the brain tells the Psoas to fire up, when the Psoas is in flexion, it is sending neural messages to the brain that say, “We are in danger and will need some help!” When the brain receives this message from our tense muscles, our nervous system releases the cortisol and adrenalin that we require to survive.
Obviously, our Psoas is important in terms of survival. (It is also a major muscle in our stability and balance.)
The Psoas Strain:
When we are dealing with chronic stress or trauma, our Psoas is frequently in a state of flexion (activation).
When we have chronic stress or trauma, our nervous system becomes hyper-vigilant. Our brain and muscles are constantly ready, or even activated, to assist us in survival. Our nervous system lacks a rational thought process. It can’t tell the difference between the stress of traffic, cityscapes, or uncomfortable e-mails and a bear about to eat us. It can only say “let’s get out of here!!” or “it’s okay to relax….” Both of these things happen subconsciously in a fraction of a second.
Trauma research shows that stress and adverse experiences affect our physiology just as much (if not more) than our psychology.
How can you tell if you have a tight Psoas?
If you answered yes to any of the preceding questions, you might have a tight Psoas. Any of these events could have an effect on this muscle. Because of the neural firings that occur when our Psoas is tight, it can also have an effect on our mood and emotional well-being.
So, what is the point?
So, why am I bringing up the Psoas and how trauma affects it?
Our Psoas muscle, on the other hand, can serve as a litmus test for the rest of our body. When our Psoas is relaxed and resting, the rest of our body is likely to follow suit. And when our Psoas is tight and flexed, the rest of our body suffers! This can result in an excess of cortisol and adrenaline in our system, leading to a variety of stress-related health problems, including adrenal fatigue.
Our Psoas muscle is also linked to our Diaphragm, which is one of our main breathing muscle. Because the Diaphragm and Psoas connect along the same vertebrae in the lower spine, we are unable to fully extend our Diaphragm when the Psoas is tight. This means we can’t take a full breath! When we take short, shallow breaths instead of long, slow breaths, our bodies are in a constant state of Sympathetic Arousal (fight-flight). We cannot have both our Sympathetic and Parasympathetic (rest-digest) systems firing at the same time, and when our Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) is off, we are unable to properly digest and absorb our food nutrients, our immune system is not functioning optimally, and our ability to produce fresh blood cells is impaired… among many other general health functions carried out by our PNS
A tight Psoas muscle can indicate a problem with our overall health and well-being.
What should be done?
The good news is that we don’t have to be in constant fight-or-flight mode! The key is to learn to listen to and respond to our bodies’ messages. Here are some things you can do if your Psoas is tight (or if you have lower back pain as a potential symptom of a tight Psoas):
• Shake:
Please bear with me on this one; I know it sounds crazy. But shaking is one of the most amazing things we can do for our bodies (and something we almost never do). Literally. Shake your head, arms, legs, and hips while lying on your back (paying special attention to your psoas). This can help your body achieve a new state of relaxation by releasing extra energy and tension held in your viscera and nervous system.
• Rest:
Allow yourself to lie on your back with arms by your sides (palms up) and legs down with feet hanging open after stretching and/or shaking. If that is too much for your lower back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor, knees together. Close your eyes and focus solely on your breathing. Don’t bring your phone or any other distracting devices. Play some soothing instrumental music and just be. Try slowing down and increasing your breathing by focusing on your belly and chest rising with each inhale. This simulates rest for your body and can help you enter your Parasympathetic Nervous System.
Conclusion:
The events in our environment steal our attention and concentration. Humans have faced a variety of challenges and impediments as a result of their occupational activities. Mantra Meditation is necessary for humans to overcome the aforementioned difficulties. It is critical to achieve peace and calm. The repetition of mantra meditation has improved consciousness. This also brings calm and peace to the stressed mind. A person’s mental stress decreases as his or her mind stabilises. For more inner peace well-being and happiness; contact us to learn how to meditate and to learn more about our programme. Call us now to reserve your free meditation class.
From My Own Experience:
Mantra chanting is an ancient practice that relaxes both the mind and spirit.
I’ve been doing yoga for a long time, and when you chant and listen to Mantras, your mind releases positive energy, which reduces negative thoughts or stress.
Listening to mantras also regulates blood pressure, the heart rate, brain waves and the adrenalin level. It takes me to a place within myself, where my mind is quiet and still while listening to the sound that feeds the soul.
Namaste