DailyOM: In this course, you teach students how to activate their fascia. What do you mean by activate?
Erin: Fascia is miraculous! We are learning more about it every day. It has incredible properties that can be tapped into and used to increase overall health and wellness in the human body. To help the fascia help you, it needs tension and compression. Think about what it feels like to get a massage and the indescribable feeling of relief when someone's hands are pressing into your tight muscles. The fascia work in this course is like a massage combined with a workout, from the inside out.
In order to activate the fascia, the muscle is first shortened and then contracted. While keeping the shortened muscle contracted, movement happens in the opposite direction. The contraction of the muscle "gathers" the fascia that surrounds and permeates through it. When the movement is happening, the fascia is being elongated. When you contract your muscle, the muscle expands and this transmits force to the fascia. I like to say, "You are taking the fascia for a ride!" Fascia reorganizes itself around local changes, and the reorganization affects the whole body. You will immediately feel the difference between a regular stretch and a fascia activation. Some say it feels "freeing" or as if they are "floating."
Think of fascia as the scaffolding that gives each person their shape and form. Like a statue, it is permanent. If your body is stuck in a posture and the posture leads to painful stiffness, we can break through our scaffolding and literally change our form. Unlike a statue, fascia can reorganize itself with proper stimulation and activation. We can no longer focus on one area of the body without considering the other parts. Nothing works independently; everything is connected through fascia.
DailyOM: Each lesson teaches the student a different way to think about and execute fascia bodywork. Please elaborate on the various topics within the course.
Erin: The techniques featured in this course offer an enlightened approach to movement. As we learn more about fascia, we also learn new ways in which to make it healthier. Many people are not aware that fascia can help us move better by supporting the muscles. This is explored more fully in Lesson 6. Some of the fascia techniques and topics featured in this course include the amount of muscle contraction to use, range of motion, number of repetitions, nervous system integration, manual fascia "hugs," strength training, and daily fascia routines.
Each lesson highlights a unique variation to the bodywork. Talking about fascia and movement is still very new to many people and I want to make sure each student obtains valuable information to take with them forever. There is fascia goodness for everyone! The student will be able to use unique elements from the course that work best for them to assist in achieving their goals.
DailyOM: The nervous system seems to play a significant role in the fascial system. How are the two systems connected?
Erin: Great question! Both the nervous system and fascial system are major communication networks within the body. The nervous system is composed of nerves that carry messages to and from your brain and spinal cord and the rest of your body. Your fascial system is your number one sensory organ. There are an estimated 250 million nerve endings in the superficial and deep fascia. You have pain receptors that live within your fascia.
What does this mean? It means that when you are experiencing pain, it is the nerve endings within the fascia that communicate with the nervous system to tell your brain there is a problem. It has always been thought that pain is in the muscles, but we now know this is not true. When someone tries to "fix" a muscle problem, it could potentially make it worse. It is better to focus on fascia first.
Another way in which the two systems are connected begins to emerge as one practices fascia activations. In Lesson 5, we slow things down in order for the student to identify dense fascia or scar tissue disturbances. What they might discover is an area or particular muscle that doesn't activate as quickly or as clearly on one side of the body. A reason for this could be fascia that is too dense, adhered, or disorganized, and thus blocking the nervous system pathway. I will cue the student to pause until they feel a stronger connection and then work through the stuck pathway. This will open the pathway for energy to flow again.
DailyOM: You emphasize the benefits of having a daily fascia practice. What are some of the ways in which students can incorporate fascia bodywork into their life?
Erin: Once a student has the preliminary foundation of fascia bodywork, they want to know how to incorporate it. As I continue with this work, I find myself craving fascia activation every day. It just feels so darn good! Soon I realized I was living inside a body that feels absolutely free, hence the name of this course. Incorporating the work into your life can be as simple as doing two fascia activations before taking your favorite yoga class.
For example, one for the hamstrings and one for the chest. On the other hand, it can also be a much more involved practice, wherein a student does a full-body flow for 45 minutes, two to three times a week. I teach various daily routines throughout the course including a morning routine, an evening routine, and a full-body fascia flow routine. Many options for everyone!
DailyOM: The course is designed to give each student the tools to tailor the work to their needs. How can the work be unique for each person?
Erin: There are so many ways the work can be individualized! Where I started and where I am now in my own fascia journey is night and day. Fascia bodywork naturally evolves. Each student will desire to reach their own unique goals. In Lesson 1 we go over the mind-to-body connection. This sets the stage for each individual to explore what they are feeling and experiencing within their body.
For the students seeking to increase their physical fitness, they would benefit from Lessons 3 and 6. And for the students who are looking for help in eliminating chronic pain in a particular area of the body, Lessons 8 and 9 offer routines tailored to the upper body and lower body respectively. For someone looking to decrease neck pain, they can revisit the upper-body routine over and over again until they reach their desired results. The beauty is that the course is theirs forever and they can return to any lesson they choose, any time they want!
DailyOM: You encourage each student to find new spaces within their body and to really listen to what their body is saying. How does this help the student get the most out of the course? What benefits would be expected?
Erin: Fascia bodywork can serve as an investigation into your own body. I cue the student throughout the lessons to be open minded, to listen to what their body is saying, and to visualize specific areas while they are contracting in order to discover something new. The first time a student feels a muscle contraction, because they made it happen in a unique way, is very exciting. It teaches them that they have so much more control over how they make their body move than they probably realized. That information is powerful.
I also help the students observe these nuances by suggesting micromovements, directional changes, and adjustments in range of motion. Another approach I use, for example, is when I instruct the student to "contract their glutes." I may follow up on the next activation to "contract the glute attachments closer to the hip," slightly changing the fascial fibers being affected. Intuitively, the student may sense that they need to activate in a slightly different location, allowing for stronger integration of the nervous system to the myofascial system. The difference they feel will help them get more out of the fascia work and reach new places within their body.
There are so many more benefits that come with fascia bodywork! Some of the benefits include increased flexibility, increased lymphatic flow (leading to better immunity), increased blood flow, improved neuro-myofascial integration, improved posture, faster muscle recovery following physical activity, fewer injuries, and decreased chronic pain. So many wins for fascia!
DailyOM: Wow! Thanks, Erin. The benefits that come from practicing fascia stretching seem endless, and well worth the effort. If you are new to fascia bodywork, you may notice that some of the techniques are quite subtle, but don't underestimate the powerfully positive effect these movements can have on activating and freeing your entire body. Until next time, be well.
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