Urbanyogi

I'm fascinated with the psoas. But it's also the part of my body giving me the most trouble with getting energy flow going. It seems like anything I do causes energy to pool above the lower abdomen, and just trickle down the legs, affecting the free flowing through the channels. I've tried a lot of energetic interventions, and nothing seems to have touched this like working directly with the physical body. Recently started a spontaneous Qigong practice, and in a few days my body went from stiff to supple, and energy flow from slow and turbid to somewhat decent. And it also loosened up my mostly unresponsive psoas. I currently do a hip mobility routine and yoga stretches for the hip, David Berceli's Trauma / Tension Release Exercises, the couch stretch for the hip flexors and the Egoscue Supine groin progressive release. If anyone has any experience with this part of the body or can point me to something I could do that would help, I'd appreciate it greatly. In any case, I'm always up for a discussion about the psoas. Love, urbanyogi

Whoops! That post turned out to be longer than I remember writing.

Hi all... I've been a lurker here for a long time now and everything you guys share has been really helpful and I really appreciate you giving your time. Tl:Dr on the bottom. My current journey started off with Vipassana meditation (did the 10 day Goenka retreat in 2010). Then onto what is now being called as neo-advaita, power of now, observing thoughts etc. I had a brief foray into Vipassana noting practice (the Dharma overground forum and Daniel Ingram's MCTB) and while reading Ingram's book, I realised what my aim was with doing spiritual practices. Right now my aim is to be at peak performance, develop intuition and joy and peace, develop creativity bubble with vitality and health. I should also clarify that I've been battling a chronic illness through all this, and was bedridden for almost the whole of 2011. Oh yeah, and I'm 29 right now. Trying different things and gradually getting better, and I started realising the limitations of working only with energy while ignoring the physical structure, the muscles, Fascia and connective tissue that form the substrate for the energy to flow. (this is only my own insight, and I may well be wrong about the whole thing). When I started working on mobility, stretching, freeing up my pelvis and hips, I found my energy levels soaring. I started to feel the energy start to flow down my legs and feet. The heaviness in my head and brain fog started to clear, and little by little, I started coming into flow. I also experienced weird psychological reactions to the stretching, for which I could find no conventional explanation except Qi releasing. Recently, I started swaying during meditation again. Some meditation teachers told me to let it happen, others told me to keep myself still. Synchronously, I found myself back on The Daobums, reading about spontaneous Qigong. So then I decided to go deeper into the swaying. Something about it felt like a deeper part inside of me calling me. And that was the best decision I've ever made. I'm able to maintain a good flow of energy inside me, with minimal energy pooling in any one place. My body has become much more supple, like a cats. My pain and stiffness is quite now, and is easily dealt with with a session of swaying. After years of tight hamstrings, I gained 2 inches of reach and can touch my knuckles to the ground. And recently, I've been having unity experiences of bliss and joy and connectedness to everything, able to feel, quite literally, the oceans of energy around me. Of course, it didn't last, but I don't mind. Last couple of things I'm struggling with, a psoas muscle that's locked tight, and really seems to be restricting the flow of energy down my legs. And when after my spontaneous Qigong practice I place my hands on my lower Dantian, after about 20-30 minutes my lower belly and psoas starts to tremble and vibrate, and I feel it releasing. And any mental work or stimulation still tires me to no end, (which is why I've never posted before), feels like the energy starts pooling above my lower abdomen and builds up, instead of flowing down the leg, and I have to let it flow all out which takes a lot of time. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for reading (if you made it this far!). Tl:Dr - I had chronic illness and was bedridden. A long spiritual and healing journey has finally brought me to Qigong. I have experienced fixing the structural aspects of the body such as posture, muscles, Fascia and connective tissue is amazing to optimise energy flow. I started spontaneously moving during meditation, and after reading about it on The Daobums, decided to go deeper into spontaneous Qigong practice. I feel like a new man now, energy flowing better, energy levels up, muscles looser and stronger and having unity experiences occasionally. Last couple of things I'm struggling with, a psoas muscle that's locked tight, and really seems to be restricting the flow of energy down my legs. And when after my spontaneous Qigong practice I place my hands on my lower Dantian, after about 20-30 minutes my lower belly and psoas starts to tremble and vibrate, and I feel it releasing. And any mental work or stimulation still tires me to no end, (which is why I've never posted before), feels like the energy starts pooling above my lower abdomen and builds up, instead of flowing down the leg, and I have to let it flow all out which takes a lot of time. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Love, urbanyogi