pressure (keeping us from collapsing inward) and the outer pressure activated by gravity.

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Fluid balance​

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our body consists of about 60% water. What prevents the water from accumulating in the lower body? 

the fascia holds the liquids in small pouches similar to those holding liquids in oranges. It is important to drink lots of water to keep the fascia hydrated and saturated. When it is saturated it retains its flexibility and its layers can slide on top of each other.

Balancing the liquids in the body relates also to deep processes in the body and to the nervous system. Stress affects the liquid balance and dries the fascia, turns it to more brittle and fragile. What we call pulled muscle is in fact pulled collagen fibers. The fascia is made of this fibers and when they stuck together it prevents the sliding motion of the layers from happening. 

Collagen is the hard staff in the fascia and it acts a little bit like dough- if you knead it too much or to strong it will resist and harden. It is better to work with it slowly and gently to keep it flexible and elastic.

It is possible to keep the fascia this way  by working on the soft tissues, with myofascial therapy, to prevent sticking and to open " knots".  It is possible to train the fascia by conscious movement or any workout that addresses the body as a whole such as yoga, Pilates, Feldenkrais, Tai chi etc.

 

Orientation

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We use the fascia for proprioception and coordination. It is what balances the stress acting on the body. For example if you run with a healthy fascia the impact from the ground returns in a balanced way through out the whole body.

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Everything is connected

 

There is no separation in the body, all systems communicate with each other and work in synergy. Any cell in the body is affecting and being affected by any other cell. We create the separation by our perception of the body. For example when we train a specific muscle and we think it doesn't affect other muscle, or when there is a problem in the neck and we don't connect it to a past injury in the hand. Inside the body everything works together.

The fascia is wrapping the bones and connects them to the tendons, it organizes the muscle fiber and connects it to different areas of the the body. The deep fascia surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. It transfers information between the two and translates the information from the autonomic nervous system, the one responsible on processes like heart function, internal organs, blood flow and digestion. This means the fascia effects all movements and parts of the body and any  injury can escalate to more injuries in  areas that seems unrelated.

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Energy transition through the body

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Information and energy passes through our bodies if we aware of it or not. the ancient Chinese called it Chi, the Japaneses Ki, the yogis Prana, but all were talking about the same thing- the life force. The fascia is a living network and in it imprinted our life proceses. It remembers every injury, experience and every trauma. Memories and experiences are stored in our scars, tissues and organs. Feelings, anxieties, anger and stress affect the internal tissue meaning the fascia reacts to mental and emotional changes. For example, during depression the fascia shrinks and dries out.

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How to take care of the fascia

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The fascia reacts to gentle "intelligent" touch meaning aimed for a specific purpose or area. The myofascial treatment relies on gentle work on the connective tissue in order to move it, to open "knots" and encourage correct blood flow. The treatment is kind of  listening to the fascia,  to the stress in the tissue, and changing the information inside it. 

Even if your'e active it is important to vary the type of the activity and the way you do things, espacialy daily habits like caring bag on one shoulder, crossing the legs- one on top of the other. Reserch on the subject shows extended repetition of the same movements raises the chances for joint erosion, and hardening of the fascia in a specific pattern. Our bodies need variety in order to keep liveliness. it is also important to change the pace of movement and to work on the balance and proprioception. It is possible to practice barefoot walking on different surfaces like grass, sand, sea shells. Through every surface, our fascia receives new information and adaptive skills.

After a dynamic workout it is important to rest. It is  a basic way to relax and release the fascia and return the liquids in it to their place. It doesn't mean to sleep but  to preform an active rest where the body resets in a static position, preferably laying down on carpet or mat, to allow the tissue release the stress accumulated during the workout.