A few blogs ago, I talked about the importance of deep breathing and how that can relieve stress. In East Asian medicine, the Kidney Qi grasps the Lung Qi on inhalation. What that likely means is that the upper fibers of the iliopsoas muscle, which are attached to the diaphragm muscle, help drawn down the diaphragm on an inhalation so that the lungs can fill with air.
The iliopsoas muscle is a deep abdominal muscle comprised of the psoas major muscle and the iliacus muscle. This muscle sits near the kidneys and adrenal glands. This muscle can become tight due to injury, but it can also tense up due to stress, both short term and long term stress.
It's not an easy muscle to relieve tension because it's so deep in the abdomen. There are several acupuncture points, many located on the legs, that can help release tension in the iliopsoas. There's also a wonderful restorative yoga pose that can help a lot.
Take 2-3 firm blankets and fold them lengthwise so that they're longer than your torso. You can use towels, but likely you'll need to use a lot of towels to get the same thickness (maybe 5-7 or more).
Sit sideways at the short end of the blankets so that your hip meets the blankets. Let your legs rest comfortably to your side.
Gently twist your upper body towards the blankets.
Slowly bend forward and rest on the blankets. You can turn your head to the side for comfort.
Rest on each side for 7-10 minutes. This should feel relaxing. If it doesn't, you may need more blankets to raise the support higher. As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions.