For about six months now, my psoas has been extremely tight and it has led to hip pain. Are there yoga poses or any aspect of yoga that might be able to help me alleviate this? I’m not sure what targets the psoas.
Absolutely!
The best yoga pose that effectively targets the psoas is a lunge. Here’s a video that explains exactly what you want to focus on, since there are ways of increasing and decreasing the intensity, as well as protecting your lower back while in the stretch.
http://www.doyogawithme.com/content/lunge-psoas-stretch
The psoas can be fairly stubborn, though, so be persistent. Stretch it well a few times a day.
You may also want to work on strengthening your core muscles, since the reason for its chronic tightness often has to do with a pelvis that tilts forward a little too much, creating a deeper curve in the lower back. Correcting involves both strengthening the core and stretching the hip flexors, including the psoas and the quads (most importantly the rectus femoris, since it’s the only quad muscle that crosses both the knee and the hip).
That make sense?
David
[QUOTE=Bennet;59252]For about six months now, my psoas has been extremely tight and it has led to hip pain. Are there yoga poses or any aspect of yoga that might be able to help me alleviate this? I’m not sure what targets the psoas.[/QUOTE]
Dear Bennet,
I’m sorry to hear that you are in pain. Hip pain is the most tricky one. There may be many reasons. Why do you think that your tight psoas give you this pain? Have you seen a professional?
Hello Bennet,
The psoas is a muscle which responds to our fears.
It brings the legs toward the torso as a form of protection.
I believe it’s hard wired though through yoga we address many things that are hard wired:-)
Further, these muscles are very close to the spine and therefore close to the nervous system. As such they tend to hold deep emotional issues, in contrast to superficial muscles which hold “lighter” issues. So this is deep and tougher to get at and release.
Finally, without the mind in the doing, the physical stuff snaps back into its pattern. So the scope of the work has to extend beyond lengthening muscles by moving one attachment away from the other.
But you ask about poses…
Here are the ones I would use though they require appropriate actions not just "doing:.
Virasana
Eka Pada Supta Virasana
Vanarasana (or lunge)
Trikonasana
Vira I
Vira II
Parsvakonasana
Bhujangasana
Ustrasana
Setu Bandha
Dhanurasana
Urdhva Dhanurasana
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Natarajasana
Some of these are NOT intended for beginners. I’m simply answering the question as you’ve asked it.
gordon