WellBeing – August 2019

material that breaks when you move and

your favourite Lululemons. Healthy fascia

is hydrated fascia.

Schleip uses the example of an

immobilised knee. After a few weeks, he says,

you can no longer stretch the joint because

there is a chaotic growth of collagen fibres,

or fascia, in all directions. We can understand

how this translates to the bodies of office

workers or those of us who spend a lot of

time sitting in chairs. The fascia around the

neck, shoulders and hips becomes tight

and dehydrated, causing constriction and

inflammation and, over time, impacting on

mobility throughout the entire body.

Erin Bourne is also something of a fascia

expert. Currently writing a book on the topic,

she is a qualified exercise scientist and yoga

and Pilates teacher who has also trained in

Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilisation and

Myofascial Release. She explains, “Fascia

has more sensors than the eyes, tongue

and muscles and is able to communicate

more about the body than almost all other

tissues and organs.

“There are many different types of

mechanoreceptors [sensory receptors that

respond to mechanical pressure or distortion]

in the fascia that detect muscle contraction,

muscle length and vibration; this is how the

brain knows what is happening in the body,
where it is and how to control it. The fascia
stores and communicates information across
the entire body.”
And so, working the fascia through
physical movements can develop its strength
and responsiveness, giving you a much better
sense of yourself.
Given my own experiences, it feels clear
to me that my physical body can hold onto
certain emotions, which can then be released
through movement. Accompanied by a kind of
catharsis, this prompts the question for many
like myself: can our bodies actually physically
Ph store emotions or memories?

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Fascia is like the clingwrap

beneath the skin that wraps

around all of your organs

and muscles.

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