Radiance MFR

08/22/2026

THE 3 P’s: PSOAS • PIRIFORMIS • PTERYGOIDS 💜
Three deep stabilizers. Three areas John F. Barnes taught us not to overlook.

When the body doesn’t feel stable, it often grips, guards, and compensates.

In John F. Barnes Myofascial Release, we don’t just chase the painful area. We look for the deeper restrictions influencing the entire system—and the 3 P’s can be important places to assess.

✨ PSOAS — Stabilizes the Spine & Pelvis
Deep in the core, the psoas connects the lumbar spine to the femur. When it becomes guarded or restricted, it can influence the low back, pelvis, hips, posture, and walking mechanics.

✨ PIRIFORMIS — Stabilizes the Pelvis & Hip
Running from the sacrum toward the femur, the piriformis helps control the hip and pelvis. When it’s working overtime, you may experience deep buttock, hip, low-back, or sciatic-type symptoms.

✨ PTERYGOIDS — Stabilize & Control the Jaw
These small, deep muscles help coordinate precise movement of the mandible and TMJ. Clenching, grinding, stress, and protective guarding can create significant tension through the jaw, face, head, and neck.

💜 WHAT DO ALL 3 HAVE IN COMMON?

They’re deep.
They’re powerful.
They help create stability and control.

And when the body is compensating, these muscles can become chronically overworked.

That’s why simply stretching or digging into the “tight muscle” may not be enough.

Why is it tight?
What is it stabilizing?
What restriction is causing it to work so hard?

John Barnes taught us to feel, follow, and treat the fascial restrictions—not force the body into change.

Sometimes the areas holding everything together are also the areas asking us to pay attention.

The 3 P’s: Psoas. Piriformis. Pterygoids.
Don’t forget the stabilizers. 💜

Rowena Cua 💜
Expert JFB Myofascial Release Therapist
Trauma Informed Healing
🌐 www.bodymfr.com

08/17/2026

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08/13/2026

08/11/2026

Love this! Cranial work is essential when the sphenoid is not functioning properly.
Book your next MFR session today and get some cranial work 💆🏼‍♀️💆🏻‍♂️

🧠 THE SPHENOID & THE PITUITARY GLAND
There’s a tiny “saddle” deep inside your skull—and it holds one of the body’s most important glands.

Deep in the center of your skull sits the sphenoid bone. Within it is a small, saddle-shaped depression called the sella turcica—Latin for “Turkish saddle.”

And sitting within that saddle?

✨ The pituitary gland.

The pituitary is often called the body’s “master gland” because its hormones help regulate or influence:

• Growth & development
• Thyroid activity
• Adrenal function
• Reproduction
• Menstrual cycles & ovulation
• Lactation
• Water balance
• Stress-response signaling

What makes this anatomy so fascinating is that the pituitary isn’t simply floating inside the skull.

It sits directly within the sphenoid bone.

The sphenoid also articulates with multiple cranial bones and contributes to the eye sockets and skull base, making it an important structural crossroads of the cranium.

💜 WHY DO I PAY ATTENTION TO THE SPHENOID IN MYOFASCIAL & CRANIAL WORK?

After birth compression, dental or orthodontic forces, whiplash, head trauma, jaw dysfunction, or other mechanical stresses, I assess the entire cranial-fascial system—not simply the location where symptoms are felt.

Gentle, sustained myofascial work may help address restrictions and improve mobility within the tissues surrounding the cranial system.

This does not mean manually “adjusting” the pituitary gland or treating a hormonal disorder through the sphenoid. It means recognizing just how interconnected our anatomy truly is.

The sphenoid may be small and hidden…

but anatomically, it sits at an extraordinary crossroads. 🧠✨

Your skull isn’t just a protective helmet. It’s a living, interconnected part of your fascial system.

Rowena Cua 💜
Expert JFB Myofascial Release Therapist
Trauma-Informed Healing
🌐 www.bodymfr.com

07/21/2026

Facts. But here it comes anyways. 😂

Happy Monday! 😬

07/13/2026

The PSOAS!

04/28/2026

Psoas work … every BODY needs this

The Psoas: Your Deep Core Survival Muscle

The psoas (pronounced so-az) is one of the most important muscles in the body, yet many people have never heard of it. It attaches from the lower spine through the pelvis to the top of the femur, connecting your spine to your legs. It helps you walk, lift your knees, stabilize your low back, support posture, and even influences how you breathe.

But the psoas is more than a movement muscle—it is often called the muscle of the soul because of its close relationship to the nervous system and emotional stress patterns.

When you experience stress, fear, trauma, or constant pressure, your body activates the fight, flight, or freeze response. The psoas contracts to prepare you to run, curl inward, brace, or protect yourself. This is a natural survival mechanism.

The problem is many people never fully discharge that stress. Instead, the body stays subtly guarded. Over time, the psoas can remain shortened, tight, or overactive.

This may contribute to:
✨ Low back pain
✨ Hip tightness
✨ Sciatica-like symptoms
✨ Shallow breathing
✨ Anxiety or feeling “on edge”
✨ Poor posture
✨ Pelvic tension
✨ Digestive discomfort
✨ Difficulty relaxing

Because the psoas sits deep near the diaphragm, kidneys, intestines, and solar plexus region, chronic tension there can feel physical and emotional.

Gentle positions like hanging one leg off the bed, supported stretching, diaphragmatic breathing, somatic work, and Myofascial Release can help the body feel safe enough to let go.

Healing the psoas is often not about forcing a stretch—it’s about signaling safety to the nervous system.

Sometimes low back pain is not just structural. Sometimes it’s the body still carrying yesterday’s stress.

When the psoas softens, many people feel grounded, calmer, taller, and more at peace.

04/05/2026

Happy Easter!