Psoas Muscle in Tai Chi
Location
- A muscle that is 16 inches long
- Connects the lower spine to the legs
- Connection from: twelfth thoracic to the fifth lumbar
- Connection to: lesser trochanter of the femur
- Made up of psoas minor and psoas major
- Both hip flexors are together known as the iliopsoas
Internal Body
- All of the internal organs connect with the psoas or diaphragm muscle
- Above diaphragm: heart, lungs
- Below diaphragm: stomach, liver, gallbladder, spleen, colon
- Outer edge of psoas: kidneys
- Inner edge of psoas: abdominal aorta (blood flow to the pelvis and legs)
- Parallel of psoas: ureters (tubes that propel urine from the kidneys to the bladder)
- In front of psoas: bladder, reproductive organs
Function
- Unites the upper body to the lower body
- Hip stabiliser, creating appropriate function/movement of the hip-joint
- Helps create a neutral pelvis alignment
- Hydraulic pump that helps nutrients be drawn in and pushed out of the cells (lymph and blood systems)
- The posture muscle supports the lower spine and abdomen muscles
- Hip flexor, bending the chest towards the thigh
- Supports the organs in the pelvic and abdominal cavity
Psoas and Movement
- A relaxed psoas muscle is short
- Movement lengthens the psoas muscle
- No movement means it shortens and does not lengthen, the less movement you do the more the psoas tightens and restricts mobility
Tai Chi / Qi Gong
- All movements in Tai Chi and Qi Gong come from the psoas muscle
- Responsible for the hip (Kua) squat in Tai Chi and Qi Gong practices
- The internal arts activate and condition the deep internal psoas muscle
What Creates a Weak / Shortened Psoas
- Sitting for long periods
- Walking for long periods
- Running for long periods
- Stress creates permanent contraction of the psoas muscle (linked with the brains fight or flight survival response, as this activates the psoas bringing the head and pelvis together into the fetal position)
- Sleeping in the fetal position
Effects of a Weak / Shortened Psoas Muscle
- Lower back, thoracic, hip, abdominal pain or discomfort, extending to difficulty with bowel movements
- Encourages shallow chest breathing as throws the ribs forward
- Trunk becomes compressed/shortened which restricts the organs in the pelvic and abdominal cavity (restricting digestive and elimination function)
- Hips thrust forward rotating pelvis and leg
- Hip socket is compressed affecting rotation of the hip-joint
- Lumbar spine compresses affecting blood flow, nerves and circulation
- Restricts pelvic area affecting sexual function and urine/waste function
- Restricts pelvic organs causing menstruation cramps
Psoas Muscle Resources
The importance of the psoas muscle
Need speed, don’t forget the psoas
Somatics and the psoas muscle
The link between the psoas muscle and the fight or flight brain response
Overview of the Psoas Muscle
Mantak Chia’s article on Tao Yin Chi Breathing and the Psoas muscle
Tom Myers author of Anatomy Trains and Liz Koch author of The Psoas Book discuss the Psoas
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