Hello!
I'd like to take a minute to talk about something really fascia-initing (thank you, thank you) and relevant to both the functioning of Bowenwork as well as to all of our lives!
We animals have 6 types of connective tissue in the body: loose connective tissue (eg adipose (fat) tissue), dense/fibrous connective tissue (eg fascia, tendons), cartilage, bone, blood and lymph. These connective tissues function to support, protect, insulate, store fuel for a rainy day, and transport substances (nutrients and waste products) within the body. All of these systems are influenced by the fascial tissue! The fascia is comprised primarily of a sheet of densely bundled collagen fibers and it exists within the space between your skin and muscle/viscera. For any of you who eat meat or have ever seen a chicken breast, fascia is the white layer of material that you take off of the meat. This is fascial, fibrous connective tissue. And it contacts nearly all the structures in the body!
There are three fascial layers: superficial, visceral, and deep.
Superficial fascia is the lowest layer of the epidermis (skin) and it blends with the reticular layer of dermis. Additionally, this fascial type surrounds organs and glands, neuromuscular bundles and in other places traditionally seen as "unoccupied space." Functions as medium of fat and water storage, safe passage for lymph, nerve and blood vessels, and protective padding.
Visceral fascia functions to suspend organs within their cavities as well as swaddling them in a snug connective tissue blanket. Organs are protected by a double layer of fascia; the layers are separated by a serous membrane. This fascial tissue is more toned than elastic due to the role it plays. Lack of tone in this tissue will contribute to conditions such as organ prolapse.
Deep Fascia is a layer of dense connective tissue which surrounds individual muscles and also groups of muscles (eg the fascial compartments of the arm are comprised of two compartments—anterior and posterior muscles and nervto separate them into little compartments comprised of muscle and nerve
Hydrate, Hydrate Hydrate!
When it is healthy, unbound, and free to move around (you shall see how it does so in the video below) fascia is incredibly flexible (collagen is a big component of what gives our fascia its resilient nature) and capable of resisting great tension forces. While overall body dehydration can impact fascial health, the way the actual tissue is hydrated is through movement! It is essential that this tissue stay hydrated!
Fascia magnified 25x!!
When fascia becomes dehydrated and stressed from lack of healthy movement, it’s far less effective at doing its job of connecting and supporting the body’s overall functioning. It can become sticky and cause tissues to bind together and impede the flow of energy (qi/prana) and lymph/blood in the body. A common example of the malfunctioning of stressed fascial tissue is plantar fasciitis. Happily, there are some simple ways to keep fascia healthy!
Tips and Tricks for Fascial Health
Favor symmetry. Try a backpack which distributes weight evenly across the back/chest rather than a shoulder bag always worn on one side. Sit with feet on the floor rather than always crossing one leg over the other. Or, rotate which leg is on top. Friends, get that huge wallet out of your back right (or left) pocket; many back-pocket wallet carrying people have documented hip issues that stem from the simple act of repeatedly having one buttock slightly higher than the other while sitting.
Move! Hear that song on the radio? Does it make you want to dance or at least rock to-and-fro? Pay attention to your body and what it’s asking for. Our bodies are made to MOVE! It is when we resist the urges to skip around, roll on the ground, jump for joy, stomp our feet in anger (just pretend you are 2 or 3 and overcome with these urges to wildly express yourself) that we BLOCK our energy. Even crying or yelling or singing our favorite songs at the top of our lungs in the car are medicinal activities that help keep our energy centers, and thus our physical bodies, free and clear of blockages that result in dis-ease. You can take movement to the next level and roll out your tissues using a soft foam roller (soft is best as it helps rehydrate the fascial tissues without causing additional strain/pain which can have the reverse effect) while doing improvisational dance moves on the floor— or whatever it is that you choose to do during your movement time. Further, we all know by now that sitting is the enemy. If your work is tied to a desk, consider switching to a standing desk set-up or at minimum setting a timer on your phone ever 20 minutes that encourages you to get up and walk around or gently stretch before getting back to the grind!
Diversify! The body, especially the fascia, benefits from variability in the activities we do. Are you a runner? The body will benefit if you take a different route each day and/or switch up the intensity. Additionally, I’d like to remind you all that, generally speaking, less is more. The body responds well to consistent movement and muscle engagement but when the strain gets to be too intense, this can cause the tightened fascia to become sticky resulting in a mess of knotted fascia and muscle tissue—this is the precursor to a muscle or tendon tear. Regular, gentle stretches and exercises to explore the body’s full range of motion will help you keep your fascia tissue slipping and sliding over muscle fibers making your body’s tissues much more resilient.
Ditch the stress. Though perhaps easier said than done, perspective is everything. Developing healthy habits for relaxing and calming the mind will help your energy to flow in a more balanced, efficient way. And conscious breath work, part and parcel of life and certainly any meditation practice, will move the fascia that is deep in your body connecting your ribs to your diaphragm and other internal organs! All fascia matters!
Meditation is a practice! You never get it right and therefore you can never get it wrong. How great is that? Even sitting quietly for 2 minutes focusing on your breath and watching your thoughts counts! I promise it gets easier and easier the more you practice. Further, taking your emotional health into your hands by developing mindfulness will greatly improve the health of your fascia!
Explore yoga or similar activity that helps to engage the body and calm the mind! There are many classes available that gently guide beginners through the postures and you can then take what you learn and apply it to your other exercise regimens. I personally love the website doyogawithme.com. They have wonderful teachers, classes of varying ease and length, and you can explore the movements from your home. I will add that it can be essential to get hands on adjustments from a teacher if you’re just starting out so that you can develop the muscle memory that will ensure you are doing the poses correctly.
You can feed two birds with one hand by getting regular bodywork! An ounce of prevention… you know the rest. There are specific myofascial release massages which are great for fascial health, and are deeply relaxing. Bowenwork functions similarly in the body and is a potent tool for harmonizing the fascial connective tissue network in the body.
Lastly,
I recommend a healthy dose of laughter and love. Some of the biggest tools for healing we have.
Thanks for reading! I wish you all health as wealth!
Yours truly,
Rachael Williams