Amrita 6: Asana through the ages - Magazine - Page 54
A New Movement Vocabulary
or jolting as the body moves, most
likely relates to fascia adhesions, or a
lack of integration between body and
mind. Practicing to create smooth actions, with awareness may simultaneously reconnect the nervous system and enable the fascial layers to
glide. Krishnamacharya and later his
son Desikachar developed Viniyoga a
practice of flowing in and out of the
end range pose, which supports fascial health.
“Any trembling, or jolting as the body
moves, most likely relates to fascia
adhesions, or a lack of integration
between body and mind.”
One way to reconnect the nervous
system, where the neural pathways in
the fascia may be underused, is to include “micromovements” with attention to detail. By focusing our awareness we facilitate new neural
pathways that connect to fascia that
may be dormant or “numb”. The somatic movement practices of Moshe
Feldenkrais- known as Feldenkrais,
and of Thomas Hanna his student, in
Hanna Somatics, provide a map of
small, subtle movements that can be
deeply enlightening and revise unhealthy movement patterns. More
recently the advent of functional
training as a way to create active mo-
52 AMRITA Issue 6 / Spring 2021
bility alongside strength, can also awaken neurological
pathways.
The biotensegrity model of fascia, explains how every
area of fascia is responsive to every other area through its
multidimensional, weblike structure, interwoven with
nerves. Yogasana often involves linear movement in one or
two planes, integrating multi-dimensional movement enables us to feel, follow and release the fascia more fully. For
example adding spinal flexion and extension to a lateral
pose, or a rotation to a forward bend, may facilitate release
along “fascial lines”. Because while the body is a complete
web of fascia, there are also common movement and compensation patterns we might follow. This is what Thomas
Myers describes in his book “Anatomy Trains”.
The fascia of the organs is also affected by yoga asana
and breath. By positioning the body in ways that allow freedom of movement for the lungs, lengthening the abdomen
and sidebody, freeing the fascia along the back, will create
space for the ribcage and diaphragm to move freely, and in
turn massage the related organs and fascia- heart, kidneys,
digestive tract etc. The interstitial receptors respond to pressure change, change in the blood flow or vasodilation and
change in lymph flow as well as changes in heart rate. These
receptors are found abundantly in the periosteu – the outer
layer of bones, but also in the smooth muscle e.g. the gut.
Recent years have heard more frequent and sometimes
loud, reassessment of yogaasana from the perspective of
the musculoskeletal body, often by physiotherapists. Who
suggest asana should be designed to build strength and mobility, keeping these in balance, and in the process suggest
certain postures are not “good” for the body. They rightly
point out that many students do not have the means to perform headstand or shoulder stand well and may damage
their necks. The call is for these postures to not be taught, in
case they are done wrong. This makes total sense for many,
the combination of strength and mobility required to do the
postures safety is often lacking.
However this does not take into consideration the benefits conveyed through the fascial system and nervous sys-
