Q: I only know of one psoas stretch, the “runner’s stretch”, it is also one of the positions in some versions of the Sun Salutation. Do you have an opinion on using this stretch?
A: A wall support lunge can be great beginning stretch for the pelvis. Be sure to square your pelvis and face the wall.
Releasing through the ankles allows the torso to stay integrated. The tendency in all lunges is to thrust forward the chest or the pelvis. For the whole psoas to lengthen the torso must stay aligned in a diagonal plane. By softening joints a feeling of integrity and space is felt as your psoas is coherent from solar plexus to leg. When one foot is in front and one behind the pelvis is stable and thus it is possible to isolate the iliopsoas muscle and experience it stretching.
Ria Frith says
March 8, 2007 at 9:25 amI’ve found releasing, balancing and toning the psoas to be immensely important in recovery from lower back injury and long term postural misalignment….
Thank you, Ms. Koch, for this Q&A forum!
Finn says
April 25, 2007 at 4:57 amI know my psoas is very tight and I have a locked SI joint( anterior rotation). Do I need to get the joint sorted first or by working thw posas should I be able to sort it out myself?