Chances are that if you have taken my yoga class or come to my Roll+Restore workshops, you have experience some form of self-massage techniques AND you have also heard me talk about fascia, myofascia or connective tissue. So what is FASCIA anyway?
Way before I knew it as Fascia, I knew it as ‘energy.’ As soon as I began to teach Yoga, my eyes caught the whimsical forms that human bodies create or form. Individually and/or collectively my eyes were thrilled to find the fluidity and the fixedness of the student’s “space” or “energy.” I had no way of explaining what I was looking at till I learned about Fascia. Fascia in a simplified way is a thin layer of connective tissue that encases your body under your skin. Your myofascia (muscular tissue) forms a system of continuous, three-dimensional, body-suit-like tension that gives your body its shape or form. This system spreads without interruption through the entire body. It actually wraps itself around every muscle, joint, and organ.
Fascia, as I understand it, is the organ of form. Fascia tissue holds patterns of physical and/or emotional tension that if unchecked, or through accidents, becomes injuries (physical injuries or emotional ones!). These injuries and/or scared tissue cause the layers of fascia to tighten and stick together creating restriction and muscular pain. So for example when you have a stiff low back, often it isn’t damage to the muscle that is causing the pain, but a hardening or thickening of the fascia around the sacrum/lumbar region.
Interestingly, in Ayurveda toxins or ama can accumulate through your Fascia and these toxins are the product of lifestyle choices or emotional baggage.
The good news here in the west is that fascia is being recognized for its importance in maintaining a healthy, fit, toned, calm, and aligned body. Through myofascial release techniques we can relax muscles and break “injuries" and/or release “toxins.” Releasing the stored tension in the fascia allows for cellular memories to be forgiven, relaxing your mind and allowing the body to enjoy better flexibility in every sense.
