Somatic Exercises

Somatic Release for Chronic Pain & Tight Hips

The “Muscle of the Soul”: Why Your Hips Hold Your Stress

Do you have chronic lower back pain, tight hips, or a “twisted” feeling in your core that yoga just won’t fix?

You likely have a tight Psoas (pronounced so-as).

The Psoas is the only muscle connecting your legs to your spine. It is your primary “fight or flight” muscle. When you get startled or stressed, your psoas clenches to curl you into a protective ball.

If you live in chronic stress, your psoas never lets go. It stays tight, pulling on your lower back and exhausting your adrenal glands.

Image of psoas muscle anatomy diagram

3 Moves to Release the “Junk Drawer” of Emotions

1. Constructive Rest Position (CRP)

  • Why it works: This is the most passive, gentle way to release the psoas using gravity. It takes the weight of the legs off the muscle, allowing it to finally soften.
  • How to do it:
    • Lie on your back on the floor.
    • Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, wider than your hips.
    • Let your knees knock together so they support each other (you shouldn’t have to use muscles to hold them up).
    • Place your hands on your belly.
    • Do nothing. Just lie there for 10-15 minutes. Gravity does the work.

2. The Psoas Slide

  • Why it works: It retrains the muscle to lengthen without snapping back.
  • How to do it:
    • Lie on your back with knees bent (like above).
    • Slowly slide one heel forward along the floor until the leg is straight.
    • Keep your lower back relaxed (don’t let it arch wildly).
    • Slowly slide the heel back up.
    • Move slower than you think you need to.

3. The Hip Stirring

  • Why it works: This lubricates the hip socket and reminds the nervous system that your legs are safe to move freely.
  • How to do it:
    • Lie on your back. Hug one knee into your chest gently.
    • Place your hand on that knee cap.
    • Use your hand to guide the leg in small, easy circles.
    • Let the leg be completely heavy and dead weight. Your arm should do all the work.

The Deep Release Tool: It is almost impossible to massage your own psoas with your hands—it is too deep. I recommend using a Psoas Release Tool (like the Pso-Rite or Hip Hook). It is designed to mimic a therapist’s hand, pressing safely into the core to manually trigger the muscle to let go.