Feeling and consciously using the psoas muscles
Once you feel comfortable with the details of Door or Bar Hanging, and can expand the chest during Spinal Elongation Breathing without tightening the abdomen, then consciously relax the abdominal wall while you practice. While relaxing the abdominal muscles, straighten the spine against the door. Notice a feeling of "pulling in and up" deep inside the upper abdomen, behind the front lower ribs. This feeling will help you develop awareness of the left and right psoas muscles.
Feel this same sensation of pulling in and up deep inside the upper abdomen, behind the front lower ribs, when you walk and sit. This will keep your lower spine more lengthened, without "sucking in your gut". Tightening the abdominal wall in order to pull in and flatten the belly, or straighten the lower spine, will hamper your energy flow and constrict the abdominal organ space, resulting in increased overall tension of your field. However, using the psoas muscles in this way will increase alignment of the lumbar spine, as well as drawing the belly in, without tightening it.
When the head is held as if gently pushed back from the upper lip and suspended from the crown, there may be a tendency for the lower ribs to push forward. In the early stages of postural realignment, prevent this by keeping the lower ribs tucked back slightly. As with all aspects of the postural change process, practice leads to a decreasing need to “posture” consciously, as the changes become the new normal structural state.
Remember to keep the lower ribs tucked back from inside, not from tightening the abdomen. This will put you in touch with the psoas muscles. You are not actually sinking the lower ribs back, which would result in a forward slouch. You are instead keeping them in a straight line with the abdomen below and the chest above. Feeling the tucking sensation will stabilize the mid-torso, and allow the spine to lengthen equally along its front and back. The feeling, once developed, is of a subtle pulling in and up deep inside the mid-torso, at the lower rib area. Feel this most easily in Door & Bar Hanging, and then apply it at all times. Like all structural improvement, intention is initially required. Gradually it will become automatic.
Door & Bar Hanging are the key to developing this awareness of the psoas muscles, and alignment of the mid-torso. With the middle and lower spine flat on the door and the abdomen relaxed, you need only feel what is already occurring inside. It also helps to have a clear mental picture of the anatomy involved.
Standing Pelvic Alignment
Balanced alignment of the psoas muscles is also essential for correct leg movement, and pelvic alignment. In whatever pattern the feet are placed, check your alignment so that the pelvis is not tilted back, or pushed to one side. The knees should remain at least slightly bent, and the arches of the feet lifted by distributing the weight equally on the three corners of each foot.
If the pelvis is misaligned or the knees locked back, stress will be triggered in the lower back and knees, and balanced integration between the lower and upper halves of the body becomes impossible. In early stages of the realignment process, maintaining structural alignment in the lower body while "standing around" requires greater intention than aligning the upper body, although it is also dependent on upper body alignment. This is often due to weakness in the legs and buttocks. Practicing an aligned lower body while standing will strengthen the lower body, improve energetic flow, and help in healing lower back problems.
Once you feel comfortable with the details of Door or Bar Hanging, and can expand the chest during Spinal Elongation Breathing without tightening the abdomen, then consciously relax the abdominal wall while you practice. While relaxing the abdominal muscles, straighten the spine against the door. Notice a feeling of "pulling in and up" deep inside the upper abdomen, behind the front lower ribs. This feeling will help you develop awareness of the left and right psoas muscles.
Feel this same sensation of pulling in and up deep inside the upper abdomen, behind the front lower ribs, when you walk and sit. This will keep your lower spine more lengthened, without "sucking in your gut". Tightening the abdominal wall in order to pull in and flatten the belly, or straighten the lower spine, will hamper your energy flow and constrict the abdominal organ space, resulting in increased overall tension of your field. However, using the psoas muscles in this way will increase alignment of the lumbar spine, as well as drawing the belly in, without tightening it.
When the head is held as if gently pushed back from the upper lip and suspended from the crown, there may be a tendency for the lower ribs to push forward. In the early stages of postural realignment, prevent this by keeping the lower ribs tucked back slightly. As with all aspects of the postural change process, practice leads to a decreasing need to “posture” consciously, as the changes become the new normal structural state.
Remember to keep the lower ribs tucked back from inside, not from tightening the abdomen. This will put you in touch with the psoas muscles. You are not actually sinking the lower ribs back, which would result in a forward slouch. You are instead keeping them in a straight line with the abdomen below and the chest above. Feeling the tucking sensation will stabilize the mid-torso, and allow the spine to lengthen equally along its front and back. The feeling, once developed, is of a subtle pulling in and up deep inside the mid-torso, at the lower rib area. Feel this most easily in Door & Bar Hanging, and then apply it at all times. Like all structural improvement, intention is initially required. Gradually it will become automatic.
Door & Bar Hanging are the key to developing this awareness of the psoas muscles, and alignment of the mid-torso. With the middle and lower spine flat on the door and the abdomen relaxed, you need only feel what is already occurring inside. It also helps to have a clear mental picture of the anatomy involved.
Standing Pelvic Alignment
Balanced alignment of the psoas muscles is also essential for correct leg movement, and pelvic alignment. In whatever pattern the feet are placed, check your alignment so that the pelvis is not tilted back, or pushed to one side. The knees should remain at least slightly bent, and the arches of the feet lifted by distributing the weight equally on the three corners of each foot.
If the pelvis is misaligned or the knees locked back, stress will be triggered in the lower back and knees, and balanced integration between the lower and upper halves of the body becomes impossible. In early stages of the realignment process, maintaining structural alignment in the lower body while "standing around" requires greater intention than aligning the upper body, although it is also dependent on upper body alignment. This is often due to weakness in the legs and buttocks. Practicing an aligned lower body while standing will strengthen the lower body, improve energetic flow, and help in healing lower back problems.
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