These days Fascia has become the word of trend in yoga. There are many theories and philosophies revolving around the term Fascia.
Does Fascia is essential? What is Fascia, and how is it related to Yoga? Are these questions hovering in your mind? If yes, here is a blog to answer all your questions.
What is Fascia?
Fascia is a connective tissue that connects various organs of the body. It can be called an extracellular net that holds us together. It forms a three-dimensional web around our body, extending from head to toe. Fascia surrounds every muscle, muscle fiber, blood vessel, nerve, and organ in our body. It directly affects the muscular and neurological systems of our body.
If you still need to understand fascia, think of an orange. You can easily segment every piece of orange, but a thick, translucent sheet of tissues surrounds it. That layer of tissue is like fascia. The same is true with our body; every organ is segmented yet connected with Fascia.
Fascia Yoga
Fascia has always been a part of our body, but no attention was paid to them. Various research and scientific studies recently proved that yogis had experienced Fascia for millennia.
Fascia Yoga is all about the intention involved in practicing yoga. When you practice Fascia yoga, you focus on connective tissue, while in traditional yoga, your primary focus is on physical and psychological effects.
Fascia Yoga requires specific asanas and techniques that are particularly beneficial for the Fascia network.
Fascia Yoga For Support
A happy Fascia is fluid, springy, and firm. Fascia needs hydration to work properly. If you run or walk, it emits right back at us, making us feel lighter and softer. It helps in increasing the efficiency of our bodies and also helps us to discover new strengths, flexibility, and space.
One would be amazed to know that Fascia Yoga help in implementing flexing and swinging movements that help make the Fascia network supple and elastic.
Fascia Yoga For Joints
We all know that our ligaments and tendons help in supporting joints. These are also the connective tissues that help muscles to attach to bones. To keep our joints intact, we need to keep our ligaments and tendons healthy, which is only possible when we are not caring for our Fascia.
Practicing Fascia Yoga will make the ligaments and tendons more flexible and relaxing and increase their strength. When you do a variety of movements, your fascia stretches and becomes more powerful and healthy. You must listen to your body while practicing Fascia Yoga.
Fascia Yoga Perfect Posture
Fascia helps in rendering support and stabilizing every movement of your body. An example can well understand it. Suppose you spread a piece of paper on the floor and start pulling it from one side. You will notice the fine wrinkles coming on the paper. These wrinkles are nothing but the stretching of fascia in our bodies.
So when one practice Yin Yoga or Fascia Yoga, it helps iron those wrinkles, ultimately leading to a correct posture of any movement in your body.
Fascia Yoga With Mind-Body Connection
Fascia is a connective tissue that starts and spreads all over our body. This connective tissue has been with us since the beginning of our life. Thus you should be okay with the fact that there is an intense connection between mind, body, and fascia.
Fascia connects us intimately not only to our physical form but also to our mental and emotional form. Thus, Fascia is connected with our neurological system and is responsible for postural habits, environmental factors, and our thoughts, emotions, and brain chemistry.
Introducing Fascial Release
Fascia is like a spider web that connects every part of our body. Thus when we talk about Fascial release is about using the techniques that are used to smooth and stretch out the web.
The myofascial technique is one of the techniques for fascial release. It uses massage to make the fascia solid and flexible. It allows the bones and joints to move freely, helps in releasing the pain, and gives the feeling of complete wellness and relaxation. Myofascial requires a special touch, an exceptional eye, and a tissue-specific technique.
How Does Myofascial Release?
Most Myofascial release treatments occur during massage therapy sessions. The therapist gently massages the area that is tightened or stiff. The therapist applies light pressure to the rigid areas. Then the therapist aids the tissue in releasing pressure and tightness. The process repeats on the same trigger points until the therapists feel the tension is released.
Myofascial can benefit people with below conditions:
- Patients who are suffering from the myofascial syndrome.
- People who experience chronic headaches.
- People with venous insufficiency.
- People with a vein in a leg get damaged.
Myofascial release is not ideal for:
- People with damaged bones
- People with burns and injuries
- People with deep vein issues
- People who take blood-thickening medication.
How do Yoga and Fascia Go together?
Research proves that a five-minute Fascia yoga daily is excellent for reducing stiffness and easing pain and discomfort. Many forms of yoga can help release stiff tissues, but the best is Yin Yoga.
One might need clarification with the poses of Hatha Yoga and Yin Yoga because the poses are all the same, but their names are different. Yin Yoga is a simple form of yoga that focuses more on meditation. Yin Yoga is a slow-paced yoga, where asanas are held longer. In Yin Yoga, prolonged pressure gets applied when you are in a particular position for a longer time. This, in return, helps in untying all the knots.
Initially, one must hold the pose for approximately 45 seconds to feel the fascia releasing the tension. Try floor-based asanas, as they are more effective in releasing tension.
Best Yoga Poses To Try For Fascial Release
Try the below poses for 90-120 seconds, and you will feel the heat in the part of the body you are trying to open.
Downward facing dog
The pose mainly targets the backline. Instead of thinking about the hamstring, you need to think about whole parts of the body feeling the stretch. You must also think about relaxing your voice box and then your tongue.
Sleeping Swan
The pose mainly targets the area outside the hip and thigh. It focuses on opening the hips and strengthening the fascia’s lateral line. You can ease yourself in the pose by keeping a cushion under the knee if you feel too much pressure.
Camel Pose
The pose focuses on the entire front of the body. It controls the movement is trucks, necks, and knees. It helps in the lengthening of the quads and jawline.
Seated Gate Pose
The pose runs through the arms’ sides and to the thumb’s end.
Half Lord Of The Fishes Pose
It targets the complex lines in the fascia. It creates a loop around the body in two opposite circles.
The Bottom Line
Sit in a moment of silence, and you will feel the warmth, cold, or pain in particular regions of your body. At that moment, you will feel the fascia. Fascia has a great capacity to change while supporting us in every way. Thus we must understand our bodies and reflect upon what we can do to make the happiest and healthy bodies.
Trust your strength and flexibility and go with the flow to adapt.