Stretching and Fascia

We commonly relate to stretching as a muscle based practice.  I invite you to consider that there are other tissues of the body that have the ability to stretch and benefit from specific stretching practices.   All your tissue are plastic and have the ability to stretch, change and move, including the bones.

Fascia is considered to be the main tissue that holds the structures of the body, not the muscles and the bones.  Fascia is a system in itself similar to that of all the other major systems like the cardiovascular, endocrine, GI.  If you were to remove all your fascia it would still look just like you because it holds everything together.  I have heard it thought of as a structural "one-sie", by Marc Drobnick.

The most profound thing about fascia is that it is everywhere in the body and can move, change and communicates.  Becoming aware of the feeling of fascia is one of the first ways to sense the interconnectedness of all the tissues that form you. If you move one part of you all other parts will be effected.

The idea of moving and stretching more than just muscle is common place in practices like Yoga and Qigong/Tai Chi.  The view of the body is expanded, instead of emphasizing muscles, all the tissues of the body are concentrated on and have a relationship to one another.

Tai Chi movement or Yoga poses can be specifically effecting an entire energy meridian from head to toe. When you do a forward bend you effect the entire backside of the body as well as the Kidney channels that are embedded in the fascia.

Bing Lee, Tai Chi/Qigong Teacher in Denver Colorado explains that the energy meridians are embedded in the fascia and if you move the fascia you move the energy. If the fascia is not moving the energy is not.

Fascia is a system that is well known to all physical therapist, massage therapist, craniosacral therapist, personal trainers, and hopefully doctors.

by Wendy Woods