A Journey Into Yin Yoga

62 A JOURNEY INTO YIN YOGA

fascia is made up of collagen, which provides tissue strength, and elastin,

which provides tissue resiliency.

• Collagen: The word collagen means glue producer, and it originally
  referred to the boiling of animal parts to obtain glue. Collagen has
  incredible strength and is the main component of fascia, cartilage,
  ligaments, tendons, bone, and skin. It keeps the skin strong, strength-
  ens blood vessels, and helps to build tissue by facilitating the role of
  fibroblasts.


• Elastin: Elastin is a highly elastic protein found in the connective tissue.
  After tissues in the body are stretched or contracted, elastin returns
  the tissues to their original shape. Imagine if you pinched your skin
  and pulled it away from the body and then when you let go, your
  skin was left drooping from the body. (Not a pretty sight.) Fortunately,
  elastin in the body keeps this from happening.

The deep fascia serves many important functions. Within the deep fascia

are an abundance of sensory receptors that detect pain, changes in move-

ment, fluctuation in temperature, changes in vibration and pressure, and

changes in chemistry. Based on this sensory input, the deep fascia adapts

by contracting, relaxing, or shifting its compositional materials. For exam-

ple, in the event of a sudden emergency, the body shifts into the fight or

flight response, which induces strong contractions within the fascia. This

rapid contraction can give normal people Herculean strength. When you

hear stories about mothers able to lift cars to save their children, this is

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Superficial

fascia

Deep

fascia

Body

wall

Fat

Bone Muscle

Skin

FIGURE 4.7 Superficial and deep fascia.