Amrita 6: Asana through the ages - Magazine - Page 50
A New Movement Vocabulary
While the ancient yogis did not refer to fascia, they knew
state of “social engagement” or reabout the flow of prana in the body and mind, the life force
laxed interaction with others or in this
that when nurtured, contributed to a whole, easeful, happy
case ourselves. Trauma can become
body and a balanced mind. When we explore the Upaniembedded in the fascial tissue, so
shads, we can find descriptions that seem to link prana and
yoga can heal through this neurologwhat we now know to be fascia. Looking at old maps of the
ical circuit too.
nadis we see similarities to the map of our circulatory, nerSince asana is movement comvous and the multidimensional webbing of the fascial sysbined with breath awareness, asana
tems. The rich network of nerves in the fascia provides feedtunes us into the fascial system which
back loops between the brain and the body, which aids body
is both musculoskeletal and neuroawareness coordination, and our ability to control our movelogical. For lasting tissue release to
ments. When we practice yoga asana we are working deeply
take place in the fascial system, eviwith the fascial system.
dence shows that there needs to be
Fascia consists of three main materials – firstly strong,
an active contribution of the central
dense collagenous fibres which give it structure. Then elastin
nervous system and, particularly, fasfibres which creates a responsive elasticity through the body,
cial mechanoreceptors. So, while
and allows the body to rebound as a
massage
can
protection from bumps. These two are
“Trauma can become embedded in the help with fascia
hold within a dense fluid called ground
release, yoga is
fascial tissue, so yoga can heal through perhaps even
substance which keeps the fascia hydrated, and responds to repair the fascia
better placed to
this neurological circuit too.”
in a type of “cellular matrix”. Fascia is a
heal the fascial
fluid loving system, when hydrated, the muscles, organs,
tissues. Integrating knowledge about
lymph vessels, and circulatory system can function unimthe fascia into our teaching, classes or
peded by pressure from the surrounding fascia. Repetitive
bodywork practices allows us to supmovements, physical and even psychological traumas, can
port, empower and guide our studamage the fascia, creating “adhesions” that become more
dents and ourselves towards healfibrous than fluid. Aging is also associated with increased
ing. But what would an asana practice
stiffness and reduced elasticity of fascia, and a reduction in
that supports the full health of fascia
the efficacy of muscle fibres as their nerves atrophy. Fascia is
look like?
a unified system, so that tension in one area can also lead to
Firstly, ground substance which
restrictions in another seemingly unrelated area, this is desupports the health of all the fascial
scribed as a bio-tensegrity model.
tissues, relies on adequate hydrationYoga asana can be an excellent way to maintain the
simple.
health of fascia. The lengthening of muscles involves gliding
The elastin responds to holds of
the fascial layers past each other in a way that can release
about 90 seconds, so a steady paced
adhesions. But also, the process of interception, of feeling
asana practice has the potential to reinwardly, can help us to process trauma, due to its stimulus
dress a loss of elasticity in these fibres.
of the ventral branch of the vagus nerve, which enables a
Elastin fibres respond to bouncing, so
48 AMRITA Issue 6 / Spring 2021
