What's "Neutral Pelvis"?

When I was in school, (for Exercise Physiology) each movement began “from neutral pelvis”, but no one ever explained how to find neutral pelvis.  How far do you stick your backside out?  How much do you tuck your pelvis?  This has always concerned me.  And no wonder!  I recently looked up the psoas in one of my old Anatomy books, and it barely had a paragraph about it.  I can’t believe that.  It’s such an important muscle in the health of your back, and it just had a paragraph!  Of course I had a hard time finding neutral pelvis, not to mention what a hard time I had teaching my personal training clients about neutral pelvis. 

But then, I went to yoga teacher training.  I studied under Stephanie Keach, at Asheville Yoga Center (awesome yoga teacher training program, if you get a chance to go!).  Stephanie teaches a technique she calls “Pez”, like the candy.  I’ll show you what she’s talking about in the workshop.  Suddenly, I understood!  Yay for yoga.

But over the years, with so much teaching, I started to have trouble with my left hip and sacro-illiac joint.  What was going on?  I was practicing Pez!

Last fall, I went to the workshop at AYC with John Friend.  John looked at me, and immediately knew I had been tucking my pelvis under too much.  All these years of teaching yoga had strengthened my abs to the point that they overwhelmed my back muscles.

So, I’ve modified Stephanie’s Pez just a little bit, added a bit of John Friend’s advice,  as well as my own experiences, and have come up with a workshop I call “Neutral Pelvis”.  If you have back pain, or know someone who does, try this workshop!

Hope to see you there!

Psoas Release

The psoas muscle is often a buzz-word in yoga circles, but where is it and how do I release it?

The psoas and its counterpart, the iliacus (often referred to as one unit, the "iliopsoas") is located deep in your mid-section.  It attaches to the lower spine, runs through the pelvis & attaches to the femur, the large bone in your thigh.  These muscles act to flex the hip joint, advancing the thigh in walking-type movements.  Typically, I find that students with a tight psoas have low back pain, coupled with an excessive arch to their lower spine (lordosis).  They also may complain of tight hips, inflexible hip flexors, and sore quadricep muscles.

Engaging your low belly, and finding neutral pelvis while standing and engaging in yoga asana is a great way to strengthen the psoas muscle.  We will deal with neutral pelvis in another posting.

It's relatively easy, however, to allow the psoas muscle to release and relax.  Begin by lying on your back, with both knees bent, feet flat on the floor.  Now just breathe.  Meditate, or listen to music, but stay here and breathe.  As you begin to relax, notice how your low back seems to 'melt' into the mat.  Feel free to adjust your pose to accomodate this elongation of your psoas muscle.  Don't expect your psoas to release in 30 seconds, or even a few minutes.  For many people, especially those who don't have a regular yoga practice, this process can take as long as 20 minutes.  Give yourself time and enjoy the journey.

We'll address the psoas again, but for now, enjoy lengthening this very important hip-mover!