Sorry, we know some of these anatomical terms can be confusing!

Fascia is the web of connective tissue inside of our bodies. It’s like the white stuff inside of a tangerine. Just like each section of a tangerine is separately encased in that white webbing, that also connects the whole fruit together – fascia surrounds each section of our bodies (muscles, organs, etc) and is connected to every other section.

The fascia in our bodies is like a spider’s web: it connects every part. That means that tension in your feet can literally cause headaches (yes! that’s true!), because pulling on one part of the web impacts every other part.

If an insect gets stuck in a spider’s web, the spider can feel that impact from any other part of the web, because that pulling is felt throughout the whole thing.

Fascial Yoga is a practice that focuses on creating harmony and relieving tension in this web of connective tissue. Because the fascia surrounding our muscles is anchored in the ligaments and tendons, we can relieve tension; decrease pain; move better; and increase our overall bodily function by working with the fascia.

At Waynesville Yoga, we weave Fascial release into Yoga in several formats:

// Fascial Release and Renew, which is a Level 1 / 2 class that focuses on releasing tension and opening up blockages in the connective tissue of your body. It’s a unique blend of restorative, yin, and traditional yoga poses with gentle, hands-on release techniques based on the John Barnes system of Myofascial Release (MFR).

It can be incredibly relaxing, and is a powerful tool in self treatment of chronic pain. MFR will also compliment and enhance your traditional yoga practice by opening fascial lines that may have you “stuck” in your current practice.

// Fascial Flow, a vinyasa style class with mindful movement to loosen up and release chronic holding patterns throughout the body, including the fascial system.

// Merge Flow, a specific type is a unique movement therapy that emphasizes making fluid connections within your fascial system. With Merge, you can train, heal or recover by identifying healthy movement patters that support your structural integrity. Think of these movements as a massage for your central nervous system- helping you establish balance within your fascia.

And more… keep an eye on our main calendar and pop-up schedule for classes – and when you see “fascia” or “fascial” on the schedule, now you know what that means!