It is the deepest of the abdominal muscles. That means it is the one closest to your internal organs. It is sometimes referred to as the "corset" muscle. Its primary role is to provide support to the spine and increase pressure on the abdominal cavity (where the internal organs are) and thoracic cavity (where the lungs are). The fibers run transversely across the body (hence the muscle's name). When the transverse abdominis contracts, the linea alba (the center of the abdomen) moves in towards the center of the body as it is pulled towards all of the origins of the muscle. So when I tell you to pull your belly button into the spine or pull your belly down, it is to encourage activation of the transverse abdominis. The transverse abdominis is usually the weakest of the four abdominal muscles for many reasons, including back and hip pain, back and hip trauma, pregnancy, stress in one's life, etc. It is shut down and not firing in MOST people. However, Activation of your transverse abdominis is what flattens your belly, as well as supports the back and it is key in supporting your back and hips and working with any pain in those areas.
Being the deepest muscle in the center of the body and physically supporting the entire body, (particularly the lower back and hips) as well as being the connection between the lower part of the heart energetic center and the solar plexus (the center for personal power), it is very much a part of self-love, security/self-identity and belief in onesself. The lower back holds a lot of security issues, stress and tension of all kinds. The hips hold a lot of rigidity/flexibility issues as well as stress and tension. The transverse supports both of these and when properly functioning, helps them both stabilize, thus balancing a lot of the: rigidity, flow, adaptability to life and movement, belief in onesself, security in who one is in this world and feeling secure within this world. All stress comes from one trying to control the world around them instead of accepting what is, being with what is and moving with what is. Stress comes from trying to make something, very often times everything, into something it is not.
Learning to engage the tranverse take a lot of practice and focus, and many people want to just gloss over it and let the psoas, arms and legs take over in movements instead of truly learning how to use it as it is designed to be. There is true value in learning how to slow down and allow the body to be, allow yourself to be, and let something happen as it is supposed to happen instead of the forcing and making something work that we are all accustomed to and have come to believe is the only way to make changes...in fact, it very often stops true change from happening. In order to bring the new, the fluidity and flexibility within one's body and life, one has to accept that learning how to do something different and allow that there might be another way to do something, anything, rather than what one has always done. Learning how to truly use the transverse abdominis will translate into being more supportive and engaged in all of our movement, all of ourselves and all of our life.
I hope you have enjoyed the exploration of these different sections of the body! As always, Please let me know all questions, comments and feedback. Love to u...
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