When the Body Speaks: Hip Tension, Trauma, and Ancestral Healing

Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for any medical concerns.

For years, I didn’t realize how much tension I was carrying deep in my hips. My awareness began to shift as I considered not just my own body, but my mother’s story as well. She had to have a double hip replacement, and reflecting on her life, I realized how often she didn’t fully speak up for what she truly wanted. She navigated a codependent relationship with my father, who struggled with narcissistic traits and addiction, often allowing his choices to guide hers. I want to be clear: this is not about blaming my mother—it’s about acknowledging how ancestral and inherited patterns of holding back, self-sacrifice, and not fully inhabiting one’s body or desires can travel across generations. Perhaps this is part of why my own psoas carried so much tension, guarding me from moving fully into life.

“Our bodies carry the stories of those who came before us. Healing begins when we notice, honor, and release what no longer serves.”

For me, the first time I really noticed my hip flexor—the psoas—tightening or hurting was in 2019. My partner and I had decided to build a home together, and by the summer, the left side of my hip would burn with pain after running. I had been running for years—sometimes two hours a day, five to six days a week—but this was different. It wasn’t just physical discomfort; it felt like my body was holding onto uncertainty and fear. Life was complicated by financial and relational stress, leaving me feeling untethered and out of sorts, unable to fully feel at home in my own body or in our spaces.

Even as I walked instead of ran, or did light weight training, the pain remained. Long periods of sitting during travel would flare it up again. Stretching, massage and physiotherapy helped, but never fully resolved the issue. It wasn’t until I began exploring somatic practices that I truly felt a shift.

Lately, I’ve been using a rebounder—about 15 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the late afternoon—and the results have been incredible. My hip pain is nearly gone, and rebounding brings not just physical relief but also a sense of childlike joy, playfulness, and freedom that I haven’t felt in years. Even on days when I feel tired or frustrated, just a few minutes of bouncing lifts my mood and reconnects me to my body in a way nothing else does. It feels like permission: permission to move, to release, to play, to inhabit my body fully.

The Psoas: Our Deep Core Connector

The psoas, often called the “muscle of the soul,” is a deep-seated muscle linking the lumbar spine to the femur, connecting our upper and lower bodies. It allows us to walk, run, and maintain posture—but energetically, it is far more than anatomy. The psoas responds immediately to perceived threat, contracting to protect us. Chronic tension here can hold patterns of fear, trauma, and unresolved emotion.

“Opening the hips is more than a stretch—it’s giving your body permission to release tension, fear, and old patterns, inviting freedom and flow.”

For me, the left side of my psoas tells a story of inherited tension, vulnerability, and suppressed feminine energy. It reminds me that the body remembers even when the mind tries to move forward.

Fight-or-Flight Lives Here

Trauma—big or small—often lodges in the body. The psoas tightens to prepare us to run, fight, or freeze. Over time, this survival response can become chronic, creating discomfort, shallow breathing, and the sensation of being “stuck” in life.

“Tension in the hips and shoulders isn’t just physical—it’s your body holding onto fear, stress, and unprocessed emotions. Listen, breathe, and give yourself permission to release.”Photo thanks to Daniel Johnson Flickr

My own tightness mirrored my emotional landscape: fear of instability, fear of moving forward, fear of not having a safe, grounded space to live. The psoas held the tension of years of uncertainty, waiting for me to offer it safety and freedom.

Louise Hay’s Perspective: What the Hips Hold

Louise Hay teaches that the hips reflect our willingness to move forward in life. Tightness in this area can represent fear, hesitation, or carrying burdens we haven’t released. The lower back and pelvis, where the psoas resides, symbolize support in life—emotional, relational, and financial. Affirmations such as “I am in perfect balance. I move forward easily with grace and confidence” help release fear and open the body to trust.

“Words have power. Journaling your intentions and affirmations helps release old patterns and invite your body and mind into alignment and flow.”

For me, the left-side tension connected to fear of moving forward and unresolved emotions from years of instability. Rebounding allowed me to soften that fear, inviting movement, joy, and a sense of support into my own body and energy.

The Mother Wound and Embodied Healing

The mother wound, as Bethany Webster describes, is the inherited pattern of self-sacrifice, unworthiness, or emotional suppression passed down through the maternal line. It’s not about blaming our mothers; it’s about recognizing patterns that shape how we receive love, nurture ourselves, and claim our power.

For me, the left-side psoas tension felt deeply connected to this wound. The left side of the body represents feminine energy—receiving, nurturing, being held. When the psoas is tight here, it reflects patterns of emotional restraint and difficulty feeling grounded and safe. My body was signaling that part of me had learned to protect itself rather than fully receive and rest.

“Reclaim your joy, release tension, and let your inner child play—movement is medicine for both body and soul.”

Rebounding became a form of embodied inner mothering. Each bounce was an invitation to move freely, to feel joy, and to give myself permission to play and receive pleasure. It helped me reclaim the left-side energy, releasing tension and reconnecting with my sacral chakra—the center of creativity, passion, and emotional flow.

Chakras, Energy, and Polarity

Energetically, the psoas connects to the root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras:

• Root: Safety, grounding, belonging

• Sacral: Creativity, pleasure, emotional fluidity

• Solar Plexus: Personal power, autonomy

“Root, sacral, solar plexus: when your energy flows freely here, your body feels safe, creative, and empowered.” Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Left-side tension can reflect feminine, receptive energy, while the right side expresses masculine, active energy. Recognizing where tension resides in the body offers insight into where emotional work is needed. For me, the left side reminded me to nurture, receive, and honor my own needs.

Somatic Practices to Support the Psoas

Healing the psoas is about movement, play, and embodiment as much as stretching. Some practices that supported me:

• Rebounding: Releases tension, signals safety, and brings joy

• Walking: Maintains hip mobility without aggravating pain

• Diaphragmatic breathing: Hand on belly, slow exhale calms the nervous system

• Meditation:  Helps quiet the mind, tune into the body, and release stored tension

• Mindful journaling: Checking in with the body: “What is this spot trying to tell me today?”

“Step by step, reconnect with your body, release tension, and let the rhythm of nature guide you back to balance and ease.”

Integration: From Bracing to Belonging

Releasing the psoas is more than alleviating pain—it’s spiritual, emotional, and deeply embodied. Each time I bounce, breathe, or gently stretch, I tell my body: It is safe to move. It is safe to receive. It is safe to be here.

“Embrace your body, your breath, your space—each stretch is a reminder that it’s safe to move, receive, and be fully present.”

Healing the mother wound, softening fight-or-flight patterns, and reclaiming joy and freedom are intertwined. By reconnecting with the body, especially with the psoas, we allow the nervous system to relax, the inner child to play, and the soul to feel at home in its own body.

Reflection Prompts

• Where in your body do you feel tension or guarding?

• Which side of your body is carrying more weight or resistance?

• How can you invite playful movement or joy into this area today?

• What old fear or hesitation might your body be holding, and what would it feel like to release it?

The psoas is more than a muscle—it is a messenger. It remembers our fears, unprocessed trauma, and inherited patterns we carry. By listening, moving, and nurturing this “muscle of the soul,” we reclaim our capacity to feel safe, grounded, and fully alive.

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