在我們的生活中，我們有時忙碌𡚒鬥工作，空閒時我們靜下來放鬆休息。動與靜之間的平衡，對我們的身心健康非常重要。不過現代都市高壓的生活及急速節奏， 令我們長期處於作戰狀態。我們的交感神經系統 -「戰鬥或逃跑反應」長期處於興奮狀態，就算工作或壓力過去，我們的身體很多時都未能調整放鬆下來。
腰大肌為主要的髖關節屈肌，位於腹部深處，對緊張及壓力都非常敏感。當身心長久處於壓力狀態，會引致腰大肌收縮；再加上現代人的生活多數偏向靜態，大多是坐著工作又缺少運動，久而久之容易引致腰大肌過緊。過緊的腰大肌會引致骨盤前傾，增加腰椎前凸，另人更容易有腰背痛等狀況。
當要伸展腰大肌時，一般都會做弓步伸展 (lunge stretch)。但今次我示範了一個能幫助放鬆腰大肌的靜態式子。
首先將瑜伽枕放於下腰及骶骨之下，放鬆平臥在枕上，腰背自然後彎，身體前面特別是腹部及深層的腰大肌都能得以伸展。在這位置上，可配合深呼吸，慢慢深吸至腹部，再緩緩完全呼氣，將我們的緊張壓力隨著呼氣放走，這不單幫助我們放鬆身體也放鬆我們的頭腦。如果你下腰在這位置上感到不舒適，可以一腳曲膝踏地，左右腳輪流伸直，做單邊伸展。
There's time we have to work hard and fight in life, there's time we just relax and take rest; the balance between work and rest is crucial to our physical and emotional health. However, due to high stress and fast pace of modern world, we struggle and fight in daily life, our sympathetic nervous system -"fight or flight" mode is always ON, it makes us more and more difficult to relax even when we are free.
Psoas muscles, the main hip flexors, located deep inside our tummy, are said to be very sensitive to stress and tension. It is believed that these muscles become tightened when we are in stress. The modern sedentary lifestyle and office desk work also contributes to the tightening of psoas. Tight and shortening of these muscles leads to anterior pelvic tilt and increase the lumbar lordosis, which in turn makes you prone to low back pain or other back disorder.
For stretching the psoas, people normally would do lunge pose which is more active in nature. However today I demonstrate a totally relaxing pose that can help to release the tension over the tight psoas muscles. With the support of a bolster under the sacrum, you just relax and lying on it. This will create spinal extension and lengthen the front side of the body, especially the tummy region, thus help to stretch the psoas muscles. In this position, inhale deeply into the tummy and exhale slowly and fully, letting go all your stress and tension, it can help to relax not only the body but your mind too. If you feel discomfort in your low back in this pose, you can bend one leg with foot on mat. Stretch one side, then the other.
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