Unwinding the Psoas, So As to Walk In Integrity
A playful practice in following the natural expressions of who I really am
In All Honesty is a weekly-ish column that explores themes like emotional embodiment, nervous system attunement, becoming fluent in the language of the heart and somatic storymaking. Once a month, I offer a writing piece that’s available for both free and paid subscribers to read. While the piece below includes a preview that all subscribers can enjoy, only paid subscribers have access to read it in its entirety. If you value the offerings that I create here, please consider using your dollars to vote for more intimate online connections by becoming a paid subscriber of In All Honesty. You can also read more about why I started this column by clicking here.
My legs twist smoothly as I glide from pose to pose. I am soaring. My arms stabilize me, ground me, as I follow the wave of movement that arises from somewhere deep within. My legs have a mind of their own. They know just how far to extend, at just what angle to bend. The folding chair becomes my playground as my body wraps and writhes around it, a free-form dance that I allow to emerge.
I’ve moseyed over to this quiet slice of YouTube in search of a way to alleviate the tension in my psoas.
“So-as, So-as, So-as” I repeat, tossing the uncommon word back and forth, letting it slide across my tongue.
The video I’m watching is a somewhat unorthodox way of nourishing the psoas. That juicy bit of flesh that connects my spine to my legs, weaving its way through my lower back, my pelvis, the tops of my thighs. It’s been tight and uncomfortable since birthing my second son last November, and I’ve finally realized that I can give it some loving attention.
The Taoists christened this region “The Muscle of the Soul.” Others insist that the psoas is better conceived as an organ of perception. What I find most interesting is that many agree the psoas is something special. It is a messenger of the central nervous system. In the face of a threat, the psoas contracts in order to help the body mobilize towards fight or flight. Feelings like fear, anxiety and anger are intimately intertwined with the psoas, and it can become the holding place for both unexpressed emotions and unhealed traumas.