Iliopsoas Deep Anatomy and Why Daily Stretching Matters | Tapas Yoga HK

Iliopsoas Deep Anatomy and Why Daily Stretching Matters | Tapas Yoga HK

Author - Davis (Yoga Teacher @Tapas Yoga HK)

This article focuses on muscles - welcome if you enjoy diving deep into anatomy!

Scenario Questions:

• Do you feel lower back pressure in Upward Facing Dog?
• Has your teacher mentioned you have anterior pelvic tilt?
• Are your hip joints inflexible, making you want to do more hip flexor stretches?
• Why can you do forward folds but not the splits?

Have you ever wondered what hip flexors actually are? Is it just one muscle?

Hip Flexors Are Actually 5 Main Muscle Groups

1. Psoas (Psoas Major) The only muscle connecting your upper body (spine T12-L4) to your lower body (femur, inner thigh).
   • Function and Effects:
     • Responsible for hip flexion, external rotation, and anterior pelvic tilt.
     • When tight, can cause anterior pelvic tilt, increased lumbar lordosis, and protruding belly, leading to lower back or knee pain.
     • Closely connected to the sympathetic nervous system, affecting mood, blood pressure, and emotions - impacting mind, body, and spirit.

Iliopsoas anatomy and function illustration.

2. Iliacus Located on the inner surface of the pelvis, innervated by the femoral nerve.
   • Function and Daily Impact:
     • Used for tying shoes, bending over, and sitting up from bed.
     • If too tight, can affect pelvic position and lead to poor posture.

These two muscles are often grouped together as the iliopsoas muscle.

Why Does My Iliopsoas Get So Tight?

1. Prolonged Sitting (If you're sitting while reading this, observe right now - are these two muscle groups shortened or lengthened?)

2. Wearing High Heels or Shoes with Raised Heels When the heel is higher than the forefoot, your center of gravity shifts forward, gradually shortening the iliopsoas and contributing to anterior pelvic tilt.

Daily hip flexor stretching is crucial, especially for the iliopsoas. In yoga stretch classes, you can focus more on observing the target muscle groups for each movement.

Parts 3-5 will be updated sporadically depending on my mood, or you can come to class and ask me in person!

Want to learn more? Visit our yoga studios in Yuen Long or Tsuen Wan for an experience.

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• Unit 206F, Gee Tat Centre, 129 On Lok Road, Yuen Long (3 mins walk from Long Ping MTR Exit E)
• Unit 05, 19/F, 99 Plaza, 99 Tai Ho Road, Tsuen Wan

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Thanks for reading! We hope this article helps deepen your yoga knowledge. I'm Davis from Tapas Yoga HK. We're a dedicated yoga studio with locations in Yuen Long and Tsuen Wan. If you'd like to start your yoga journey, contact us via WhatsApp: (Yuen Long) 68287318 or (Tsuen Wan) 54700838.