Virtual Body Yoga Anatomy - Release Your Psoas Use this practice to create the internal awareness to break habits and access this deep muscle key for freedom and ease in the hips. The internal awareness that develops through yoga is the most important tool for learning to release the psoas. And releasing the psoas will bring new freedom, ease, and structural integrity to your yoga practice. It can be difficult at first to access the subtle sensations of the psoas. Buried in the body, engaged in habitual patterns of holding (especially when you’re sitting or standing), and deeply linked to your emotions, the psoas is best approached with quiet attention, patience, and perseverance. Awareness is the first key. Constructive Rest Position Rather than trying to instantly correct all the imbalances and habitual compensations you’ve developed throughout your life, we’ll begin by simply releasing the psoas in a posture called constructive rest position. Now that you’re in position, shift your awareness to the support of your bones.
Neuroscience For Kids The smell of a flower - The memory of a walk in the park - The pain of stepping on a nail. These experiences are made possible by the 3 pounds of tissue in our heads...the BRAIN!! Neuroscience for Kids has been created for all students and teachers who would like to learn about the nervous system. Discover the exciting world of the brain, spinal cord, neurons and the senses. Use the experiments, activities and games to help you learn about the nervous system. There are plenty of links to other web sites for you to explore. Can't find what you are looking for? Portions of Neuroscience for Kids are available in Spanish, Slovene, Portuguese, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Serbian, Russian, Slovak, Romanian, Polish, Albanian, Czech, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Punjabi, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Ukranian and Turkish. "Neuroscience for Kids" is maintained by Eric H.
Filet Mignon AKA the Psoas | Justine @ Elements Several people have commented on the photo of the psoas muscle in our last newsletter. It is quite an impressive muscle, the thickest muscle in our bodies and the only muscle that connects our thighs to our trunk. It originates from the front of the lumbar and last thoracic vertebra (transverse process of T12-L5 and the lateral aspect of the disks) and attaches to the inside of the thigh (lesser tubercle of the femur). The psoas is joined at the hip, by the iliacus, which travels from hip to thigh. Together, the psoas and iliacus make up the iliopsoas, the body’s most powerful hip flexor. For the expert athlete and the regular exerciser it is very important to keep this powerful muscle in tune. Sitting for long hours can be just as destructive for the psoas. As you can see a weak or overworked psoas can wreck havoc on your spine. One way to test if your psoas is tight is to lie on your back with your legs straight, hug one knee to your chest. Like this: Like Loading...
Lengthening Iliopsoas Specific exercises for each of the alignment problems discussed in this chapter are readily available elsewhere. However, I have found that information on two areas seems to be limited or erroneously covered in popular sources. The first area is the lengthening of the iliopsoas, and the second is toe touching. The stretching of the iliopsoas is probably the most neglected area of possible difficulty. Few people have ever heard of this muscle, although it contributes to countless backaches every year. The iliopsoas is attached to the inside of the vertebral column in the region of the lower back (lumbar area), passes over the front of the bony pelvis, and then runs downward and attaches to the inside of the upper leg bone (femur). Here are three exercises that can be used to help keep the iliopsoas muscles lengthened: Flattening the small of your back while lying flat: Try to keep your thighs (iliopsoas attachment) on the floor while attempting to hold your lower back on the floor.
Combining the Trapezius and Serratus Anterior in Full Arm Balance Scientific Keys Co-Activating the Trapezius and Serratus Anterior to Expand the Chest Take a look at the videos on shoulder anatomy and kinematics. Now, let's see how to link the scapulae and ribcage to expand the chest in Full Arm Balance (handstand). This has two effects: first, it helps to stabilize the shoulder girdle. Here’s the Anatomy: Here's the Cue: Once you're up in Full Arm Balance, draw the shoulders away from the ears by engaging the lower third of the trapezius. Also, feel free to check out our blog, The Daily Bandha. Namaste' Ray and Chris