Hydrate and optimize your fascia system in order to heal the rest of your body.
WHAT IT IS:
The fascia system is a biological fabric, a 3D fluid-based tension and compression management structure. There are many layers and different types of fascia tissue within this system, some more elastic, stretchable and responsive than others.
The outer layer, the superficial fascia, surrounds the entire body like a superhero suit just under the skin.
Multiple types and layers surround every bone, every muscle fiber and muscle group, every tendon, every ligament, every artery/vein/capillary, every nerve, every organ, even each eyeball.
Cotton ball type layers permeate throughout the gut and brain.
Everything is connected.
You are a superhero through and through!
It is a ‘fascia’nating new-ish doorway into healing chronic conditions.
WHAT IT DOES:
This intricate web of connective tissue woven throughout affects our health and wellbeing.
It holds our body up and together, influencing our shape and mobility that was previously thought to be achieved just through bones and muscles
It’s a crucial fabric or substance in which vital information is communicated throughout the body in many ways.
The web interfaces with all your body systems (nervous, immune, circulatory, lymph, digestive, …)
Hydrates the body
WHY IT MATTERS:
With this expanded understanding of our physiology, we can engage with the fascia tissue to alleviate chronic pain, release tension, restore mobility, systematically help hydrate the body, and other far-reaching health bonuses.
It’s like stumbling upon a hidden treasure map.
Besides the direct physiological effects of enhancing the flow of the fascia system, the ability to perceive our body and regain a sense of wholeness, connectedness, supportiveness, and calm, is also powerful - even magical.
BACKSTORY:
Wrestling with a chronic condition, diagnosed or not, can be a complex and deeply personal struggle. The path to managing your health can make you feel:
overwhelmed, disembodied, anxious
searching for help like a squirrel hunting nuts.
Even though the fascia system is OBVIOUSLY an integral part of our health, it’s not commonly recognized in conventional medicine, YET. As a result, fascia research is new-ish. Terms and concepts within the field are currently being workshopped. Watch out. It can be confusing from one source to another.
THE BRIGHT SIDE:
Despite the complexity of chronic conditions and our unique biological, genetic, and energetic differences —every action matters.
The baby steps towards healing can sometimes lead to profound results.
Finding resolution for a chronic condition tends to be a process and not a quick fix, SO baby steps can be the breadcrumb trail leading to feeling better.
Baby steps can tap into and amplify the body’s innate healing ability.
Every step counts and sparks momentum.
BABY STEP OPTIONS:
In the many approaches to healing, I find engaging with the fascia system is a key way to amplify the body’s innate healing ability.
Indirect/passive:
Hands-on work by practitioners such as acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, osteopathy, physical therapy, and energy therapy, all access the fascia system,
Effectiveness can depend on the practitioner’s understanding of the system.
Direct/active:
Self-discovery and empowerment through mindful practices such as yoga, meditation, and movement can access the fascia system
The MELT Method (A practice I have trained in and adopted) provides self-care fascia strategies that systematically hydrates the body and provides techniques to alleviate chronic pain, release tension, and restore mobility.
A bonus to direct/active work:
o We can cultivate a deeper awareness of our body's subtle cues and signals (or interoception). What is our body telling us?
o Boosting interoception in this way is actively participating in our own healing and empowering, rather than just passive recipients of external interventions.
Both is Best
MORE TO IT:
We have just skimmed the surface.
Thanks so much for being here.