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Understanding anatomy and biomechanics has greatly enhanced my practice of yoga. The psoas muscle turns out to be a common site of problems that we see in practice. Weakness, shortness, and imbalance between the R & L psoas muscles leads to low back pain, and can contribute to hip and knee problems. The key to keeping them, and you, happy is to internalize the information so you become aware of what and where your psoas musces are, what they feel like, and how they are integral to low back posture. Yoga is awareness! When you realize how big they are, and how much control they have over posture and movement, it becomes obvious how important they are. These videos should get you on the same page with your psoas muscles. 


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July 10, 2013 By Matt Fontaine

By Dr. Matt Fontaine

In countries where people spend a great deal of time squatting on their heels with their feet flat, there is a much lower incidence of low back pain and degenerative disc disease.  The squatting posture separates the interspinous space between vertebrae.  Patients with an increased curvature of the lower back (hyperlordosis) should practice this posture until they can squat comfortably for a total of 3 minutes.  Typically, the worse someone is at this exercise, the more they need it.

 

How to do it, the finer points:

Hold on to the doorway jam or the pole of a squat rack or pullup rack.  This allows for better balance and you can squat deeper and hold the position.

http://prehab4performance.com/squatting-to-relieve-low-back-pain/