the TFL runs from the hip bone, side pocket area down to the IT band, it pulls on it
You can release it by pressing a massage ball against that area while standing against a wall, it should hurt if it's tight.
Run the ball from hip down to IT band.
And then lie on the ball when you want more pressure
Mine took 2 weeks everyday for a few minutes, before it stopped hurting....
There are several ways to stretch the TFL, as it has many functions
pull the thigh forward as a hip flexor, outwards and rotate the leg inward
So a full stretch is by doing the opposite of all the above at the same time
Leaning against a wall, bench, railing, or similar, lunge and pull the leg, straight behind you like a hip flexor stretch, but pulled towards the opposite side, with feet rotated outwards, while leaning your torso to the opposite side as well
Like this but keep feet pointed down to the floor and rotate outwards, and leg goes diagonally behind you
Not unlike a penultimate leg push in a running jump
another, but I prefer to use the top leg's foot to press down against the side of the bottom leg
also that Yoga sit where you place the legs ontop each other when cross legged