Conceptual Artist | International Author | Educator | Creator of Core Awareness™
Mission Statement
“Stalking Wild Psoas is my passion and changing the language of body is my mission.” — Liz Koch
Summary Bio
Liz Koch is a conceptual artist, international author, educator, and creator of Core Awareness™ — a framework for developing human potential through direct perception. With more than 47 years of experience specializing in the Psoas, Liz is recognized across the somatic, bodywork, movement, and fitness professions as a leading authority on the core muscle of the human body.
She is an NCBTMB Approved Provider (Provider #: 387542-00) through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, offering continuing education to licensed professionals.
A Note from Liz Koch
People often ask me how I got interested in the psoas, which is considered such an unknown muscle yet so important and powerful! I first discovered the psoas while attending a human potential class in Boston over 45 years ago. At that particular moment, the teacher, Robert Cooley, was fascinated with the psoas muscle. Having previously been a dancer, he was exploring how injuries and a lack of movement might be tracked back to the midline or core issues expressed in the iliopsoas complex. Between my in-depth inquiry and Bob’s encouragement, I eventually shifted my career from being a conceptual artist and sculpture instructor at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts to the healing arts profession.
While working with my psoas, I discovered I had released years of back pain and emotional distress which awoke within me a deep sense of pleasure. I became passionate that people should know what an extraordinary role the psoas plays in recovering health and gaining a sense of wholeness. When I moved to California in the 1970s, my personal explorations of the psoas catapulted me into my current profession. I began by teaching courses on the psoas muscle for local community colleges, dance departments, and massage school programs. My vocation not only evolved throughout the years but also expanded into wider spheres of influence which included being a keynote speaker at two international conferences as well as teaching both national and international workshops and retreats. What began as a personal journey has continued as the psoas is no ordinary tissue, but a profound segway into the rich interior and exterior world of awareness.
My love for the psoas weaves me into a world of continual innovation, as naturalist John Muir so aptly expresses:
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, one finds it attached to the rest of the world.”
Books & Publications
Visit Liz Koch’s Author Bio on Amazon
Books
| Title | Details |
| The Psoas Book | Comprehensive guide to the iliopsoas muscle and its influence on body/mind/emotions. Self-pub. 1981; 2nd Ed. Guinea Pig Publications 1997; 30th Anniversary Edition 2012. Used as a text by Washington State University Dance Department. |
| Core Awareness: Enhancing Yoga, Pilates, Exercise & Dance | 174-page softbound. GPP/Booksurge 2003; 2nd Ed. North Atlantic Books/Random House 2012. |
| Maiden, Mother, Crone: Our Pleasure Playlist | Collaboration/contributor on female sexual health. GPP 2011. |
| Stalking Wild Psoas: Embodying Your Core Intelligence | Dissolves the objectification of “body” to reconceptualize human beings as biologically intelligent, self-organizing, and self-healing. Addresses educators and therapists; challenges mechanistic thinking and invites readers to engage with body as living process. First Edition, North Atlantic Books/Random House 2019. |
Audio / CD
| Title | Details |
| Unraveling Scoliosis | Audio CD. GPP 2001. |
| Psoas & Back Pain | Audio CD. GPP 2009. |
Featured Publications
Massage & Bodywork
- WILD PSOAS: Eco-Messenger for Thriving — January/February 2019
- Dem Bones — October/November 2007
- Trauma Protocol — December/January 2004
Massage Magazine
- The Iliopsoas, Part I: Bio-Intelligence — March/April 2005 (co-authored with International Trauma Expert David Berceli)
- The Iliopsoas, Part 2: Applications — May/June 2005 (co-authored with David Berceli)
Yoga Journal
- The Psoas Is… — May/June 1999 (4,500-word, 10-photo feature)
- Asana by Donna Farhi — September/October 1994 (quotes & references from The Psoas Book)
Positive Health
- Centering The Core — June 2004
- Walking with Your Iliopsoas Muscle — March 2002
Yoga & Health International
- How to Help Children Develop… — April 2002
- Core Awareness (London, England Journal) — October 1998
Midwifery Today
- Birthing Fear — July 2005
Vegetarian Times
- Back Pain In The Garden — 1980
Health Connections
- Your Back In Gardening — August 1996
The Doula Magazine
- Editor/Publisher/Owner, 1984–1991. National alternative publication for mothers, distributed 10,000 copies.
- The Psoas Muscle During Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum — 1988
Online Training / Professional Education
| Course | Platform | Year |
| Demystifying The Psoas – 4-Part Course | Yoga Journal Education | 2021 |
| Understanding the Iliopsoas Complex | eHealth Learning Professional | 2020 |
| Healthy Psoas / CEU Accredited Courses | Club Physio | 2020 |
Speaking & Presentations
| Year | Role | Event / Organization |
| 2025 | Summit Presenter | Somatic Healing Summit — HeartMind Online |
| 2023 | Summit Presenter | Somatic Movement Summit — Shift Network Online |
| 2022 | Summit Presenter | Move Better Feel Better — Feldenkrais Summit Online |
| 2008 | Keynote Speaker | Bowen International Conference — London, UK |
| 2008 | Keynote Speaker | Ortho-Bionomy International Conference — New Mexico |
| 2004 | Conference Presenter | Body Mind Spirit Conference — Santa Clara, California |
| 2003 | Co-Facilitator | Professional Training: Trauma Protocol (with David Berceli) |
Collaborations
- Amber Elizabeth Gray, Ph.D. — Advanced: Dynamic Nervous System; Clinical Restorative Psychotherapy & Polyvagal-Informed Movement
- Tom Myers — The Psoas-Diaphragm Dance; Anatomy Trains
- Emilie Conrad — Unraveling Scoliosis & Bones; Continuum Movement
- Dr. David Berceli — Trauma & The Iliopsoas; International Trauma Expert
- Jim Berns — Psoas & Ortho-Bionomy; Senior Trainer & Author, Ortho-Bionomy
- Anna Verwaal — Stalking Wild: Womb to World; Perinatal Educator, TED Talk
- Sue Hitzmann — Melt & the Psoas; Creator of the MELT Method
- Dr. Sam Berne — Psoas & Eyes; Behavioral Optometrist
- Alice Steurwald — Psoas & Women’s Sexual Health; Health Advocate
- Kara Hoppe — Stalking the Wild Soulful Psoas; Psychologist
- Deric Stockton — Core Strength; Powerlifter & Elite Trainer
- Carol Agneessens — Gravity & The Psoas; Rolfer/Biodynamic Educator
- Wendy LeBlanc Arbuckle — Pilates & The Dynamic Psoas; Pilates Trainer
- Linda Adams — Unraveling Scoliosis; Acupuncturist
- Ronnie Oliver — Unraveling Scoliosis; Aston Patterning Teacher
Radio & Podcast Interviews (2012–Present)
- Changing the Language of Body — with David L. Bile, DDS
- Self-Actualization, Thriving & Showing Up — with Psychologist Kristy Taylor
- Psoas, Pleasure & How to Nourish Your Well-Being — with Dr. Michelle Robin
- Eros, Motherhood & Sexuality — with Women’s Advocate Kimberly Johnson
- Psoas: A Chinese Medical Perspective (Parts 1 & 2) — with Brodie Welch
- Core Awareness as a Means for Creativity & Self-Actualization — with Personal Growth Coach Evrim Numanoglu Ozgen
- Stalking Wild Psoas — with Embodiment Podcast host March Walsh
- Stalking Wild Psoas: Embodying Your Core Intelligence — with The Magical Mystery Tour Radio host Tonio Epstein
Workshop Locations
United States
Santa Cruz CA · Santa Barbara CA · San Francisco CA · Oakland CA · Santa Monica CA · Palm Desert CA · Santa Rosa CA · Capitola CA · Aptos CA · Mill Valley CA · Chicago IL · Evanston IL · New York City NY · East Patchogue NY · Boston MA · Seattle WA · Sarasota FL · St. Petersburg FL · Tampa FL · Naples FL · Ft. Wayne IN · Austin TX · Santa Fe NM · Atlanta GA · Washington DC · Minneapolis/St. Paul MN
International
London UK · Edinburgh Scotland · Glasgow Scotland · Dublin Ireland · Amsterdam Netherlands · Copenhagen Denmark · Berlin Germany · Geneva Switzerland · Oslo Norway · Rome Italy · Lisbon Portugal · Sydney Australia · Brisbane Australia · Melbourne Australia · Vancouver Canada · Toronto Canada · Blue Lagoon Iceland · Guadalajara Mexico
Professional History & Credentials
| Years | Role | Organization / Location |
| 1973–1976 | Director, Flexibles Program / Sculpture Instructor | Boston Museum School of Fine Arts — Boston, MA |
| 1978–1997 | Certified Jin Shin Do Acupressure Practitioner | Private Practice |
| 1979–1982 | Staff Member / Resident Jin Shin Do Practitioner | San Francisco General Hospital Alternative Therapies Unit (Dir. Dorothy Waddell, M.D.) |
| 1979–1982 | Course Instructor — The Psoas Muscle | North American College of Natural Health Sciences; Holistic Life University; California Yoga Center; Healing Arts Center — San Francisco/Mill Valley, CA |
| 1984–1991 | Editor / Publisher / Owner | The Doula Magazine — National publication, dist. 10,000 |
| 1976–Present | Workshop Facilitator | Nationally & Internationally |
| 1997–Present | Educational Director — Health Lecture Series | Community TV Program & Audio Tape Series |
| 1997–Present | Author / Book Signing Lecturer | Various venues nationally |
Credentials & Certification
- NCBTMB Approved Provider —Liz Koch is approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) as a continuing education Approved Provider#: 387542-00