Just under our skin, encasing our body, is a web of long-neglected connective tissue. We say long-neglected because until recently, you wouldn’t have found information on fascia within anatomy textbooks, it was just something to cut through to get to the ‘important’ parts of the body, like the muscles, organs or bones.

Sometimes referred to as ‘the fabric of the body’ the fascia is the connective tissue that wraps, holds, supports and guides all of our organs, muscles, bones & nervous systems. It’s integral, and as such requires care and consideration from movement practitioners, teachers and therapists.

Perhaps this important tissue was neglected for so long because it seems so passive, sitting there, seemingly not doing anything without clear start or endpoints unlike muscles, joints and bone next to it. Like any part of the body, it can become damaged over time through the general wear and tear of daily life, injury, operations, or trauma – but with the right techniques, it can be supported and encouraged to heal and remain healthy.

While in the western world fascia was largely neglected for most of modern medical history, this wasn’t the case in yoga. While they didn’t call it fascia, yogi’s knew about the flow of energy (prana) in the body and mind, the life force that when nurtured, contributed to a whole, easeful, happy body and a balanced mind.

Looking at old maps of the nadis it’s hard to ignore the wild and wonderful way they weave through the body, similar to the map of our circulatory, nervous and the multidimensional webbing of the fascial systems.

The fascia supports all of our bodily systems, without which we would simply collapse. It holds a rich network of nerves providing feedback loops between the brain and the body, which aids body awareness (proprioception), coordination, and our ability to control our movements. When we practice yoga asana we are working deeply with the fascial system.

Fascia is a whole, complete system, so it seems that tension in one area might also lead to restrictions in another area- this is described as a bio-tensegrity model, since a restriction in one area of the body can affect the surround areas, or perhaps even be felt through the body. Some critiques however question the accuracy of this and feel that the cross- body effect is exaggerated.

Nonetheless the way Thomas Myers, one fascial researcher describes the fascial body is as a series of “slings” or lines that run across of through the body. For example the whole back body has a superficial back-line or across the body from hip to shoulder there is a cross-body pattern which we could see in throwing a ball- reaching back near the right hip and throwing over the left shoulder as we swing through with the hip. This way of perceiving and feeling into the body can be a useful tool when preparing asana or improving any movement. Even if the body & movement is more complex than this.

It is often said and believed that repetitive movements, physical or even psychological traumas, can damage the fascia, creating “adhesions” that become more fibrous than fluid. But this idea has been cast into doubt by researchers who believe we cannot think of the body in such simplistic, mechanical terms. Rather we need to always refer to the complexity at play with the body-tissues and nervous system together.

Holistic therapists and yoga teachers often cite healing the fascia as a reason to practice their movement or therapy. But since we cannot isolate the fascia, we cannot simply target the fascia or therefore “heal” the fascia in isolation. This does not mean there are not other benefits to the practice- perhaps through the nervous system rather than directly on the tissues of the body.

There are serious medical conditions where the fascia can press onto nerves or blood vessels, but these require medical treatment rather than a yoga practice or massage.

Maintaining general health and wellbeing is definitely well within the role of yoga and this includes benefits to the nervous system- the mind, nervous system and physical structures all benefit from varied movement and tuning into our fascial- systems can be one way to inspire creativity. The fascia will also benefit from movement- the myofascia or muscle fascia in particular is likely to becoming more efficient at passing force through the body as we train the muscles- because we cannot separate the fascia froth muscle tissue. The fascia effectively encases muscle at every level, providing the structure of the muscles throughout the whole body.

Fascia is a collagenous tissue- ie it contains collagen, and research on other collagenous tissues such as tendons and ligaments, show that these tissues respond to “load” and “force” ie to weigh bearing and movement at speed. They become stronger, or to use the correct term for these tissues “stiffer” as they are trained.

Rather than thinking of needing to “soothe and smooth” the fascia with relaxation techniques and stillness- aka yin yoga, it seems likely they also benefit from movement and strengthening.

Integrating knowledge about the fascia into our teaching, classes or bodywork practices allows us to support, empower and guide our students to a greater understanding of our bodies and the interconnection of the nervous system. So that rather than thinking in mechanical terms we can appreciate our complexity. But we need to let go of some of the narrative of “fascial release” and give a more comprehensive picture.

Where I used to offer a “Fascia release” course, I now offer a “Fascia in focus” Intensive to share this new understanding and changing world of research. We explore hyper mobility as this is a connective tissues disorder alongside ways to creatively move and provide variability to the nervous system.

Further Resources

Fascia in Focus Intensive with Laura Gilmore

The Secret Life of Fascia directed by Bruce Sconfeld

While this watch isn’t for the faint of heart (expect close-ups and dissections of real fascia!) this documentary shines an evidence-informed spotlight on the missing link this connective tissue plays in sports, medicine, athletic training, health, and wellness.

Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapist by Thomas W. Myers

Utilising the latest scientific research, this anatomy book presents a unique understanding of the role of fascia in healthy movement and postural distortion which is of vital importance to bodyworkers and movement therapists worldwide.