Yoga Poses with Ball
You might have heard about this web of connective tissue in yoga, physical therapy, and movement classes. Fascia links every cell in the body. Think of this system as an information superhighway where messages can travel instantly from one part of the body to another. Far from merely a physical entity, the fascial web is sentient and intelligent. It plays a key role in many elements of mind-body health: the autonomic nervous system, emotional brain, belly brain, pain pathways, and more.
What Is Healthy Fascia?
You might think the most important element of healthy tissue is flexibility—and the more, the better. But in fact, a large number of yoga injuries are caused by overstretching dehydrated tissue. How do you create well-hydrated, resilient tissue? You can add a little “self-bodywork” to your practice using props like blocks, tennis balls, and our own hands. Self-bodywork is a great way to dialogue with our tissue in the places where we store acute and chronic tension and pain. Use this sequence to target tension hotspots in the shoulders and lower back.
