Psoas Assessment & Release

The psoas (SO-az) muscle directly impacts more joints of your body than any other single muscle. You've got a pair of them, one on each side of your spine. They connect through your pelvis to your femur. A "sticky" psoas has the ability to alter the orientation of your spine, hips, pelvis or knee--and potentially all four of these parts at once.

ASSESSMENT
~Place a bolster, sleeping bag, or stack of pillows behind you. 
~Sit on the floor with legs extended.
~Relax the muscles of the thighs until the hamstrings rest on the ground. (If you need to untuck the pelvis to allow this to happen, it's a sign that your psoas is short.)
~Once your thighs are down, begin to recline, stopping just before the hamstrings lift away from the ground. Keep the legs extended on the floor.
~At this angle, bolster your head and scapulae, leaving space for the ribs to lower to the floor.

RELEASE
~The point is to allow the ribs to make their own ways to the ground, no flexing of muscles to push them down.
~This can take anywhere from ten minutes to ten years.
~Do it often to lengthen the muscle and allow your parts to find their proper positions.
~Remember, legs extended!