Release the psoas, relax the mood

Release the psoas, relax the mood

Many scientific studies have found yoga-based interventions to be effective in alleviating symptoms of depression ranging from mild to major forms of depression. One of the most well-known reasons as to why this is the case is the mind body connection.

Yoga recognises that the human body is an interconnected system of fascial connections, soft tissues, muscles, organs, vessels, nerves, ligaments and that a person’s physical state in one part of the body can greatly impact on another. The emotional state is also a contributing factor in the overall wellbeing of a person due to these connections as well as the way the automatic nervous system functions in particular the role of the vagus nerve and its relationship with nervous system, gut, heart, lungs and brain.

A good example of this interconnected nature of our bodies is to look at the function of the psoas muscle. A weak, tight psoas muscle can cause low back pain and poor posture, but it can also play a role in other issues such as pelvic pain, abdominal pain and mood disorders such as anxiety/depression. 

To explain why, it helps to understand a bit of anatomy. The psoas muscle is part of the Iliopsoas chain. The psoas major attaches from the 12th thoracic vertebra and goes down each lumber vertebra running over the pelvis to the lesser trochanter of the femur. Along the way it joins into the fibres of the iliacus muscle, a muscle that attaches to the inside of the iliac crest (the bony part when you place your hands on waist) and an area of the sacrum across the SI joint. 

These muscular links mean the psoas plays a huge role in our ability to flex and extend the spine as well as flex from the hips – affecting our core and posture.

 The psoas is a deep muscle and shares fascial connections with internal organs such as kidneys and intestines and the diaphragm. Any tightness or weakness in the psoas can therefore affect the functioning of our internal organs and our breathing.

 Lastly because the psoas has an intimate connection with the diaphragm, this can also affect a person’s mood. The psoas is anatomically connected to the ‘fight and flight’ response as we tend to flex the hips or take the ‘fetal’ position when we feel threatened or stressed. The muscle therefore holds or stores tension that can be linked a person’s emotional experiences in the past or present. Past trauma or a build-up of habitual responses to daily life can therefore cause ongoing weakness in the psoas. 

Protocols that release tension from the psoas will therefore assist activate the body’s relaxation response and overtime this can help sooth a hyper stimulated nervous system.

This is why passive and active stretches of the psoas is so amazing for the mind and body - and in the context of birth incredibly important because a relaxed and lengthened psoas muscle will contribute to better uterus and pelvic alignment, increase chance of getting baby into an optimal position and a more emotionally balanced and relaxed state.