One of the beautiful things about yoga is that we consider the body (and indeed body-mind and environment) as one wonderous integrated system. This is different from the way we are often encouraged to think of the body, mind and environment. In the western world we often think of the mind as one thing, the world as another, the body as another, and parts of the body as individualised.
The early yogis understood, through paying attention, that the body is integrated and now modern science has caught up with this and is increasingly interested in the fascial system.
In yoga when we are in a posture the focus is never on just one joint, muscle or bone. We are feeling into the whole body. A forward fold expands the whole back body; a back bend opens the whole front body; in both we consider where we are rooting and where we are expanding.
When practicing and teaching yoga I like to think of the whole tissue field which is fluid yet as strong as steel mm for mm and to move and to be still with awareness of this.
If you come to my classes you will know that I am passionate about bringing the whole of your body with you - and synchronising that with the breath. If you raise an arm overhead you could just feel the arm lift, or the action of the shoulder, or expand that to feeling the sides of the waist extending which is the psoas structure lengthening. Raising an arm overhead with this psoas connection can help relieve lower back pain! What we do in one part of the body affects the rest, almost like a spider's web. Practicing with this awareness helps us to find more space in the body which can help us enjoy more physical, mental and emotional benefit from our yoga practice.
This tissue field approach contrasts with how most people in the west think of the body, which is as a skeleton and then of muscles over that skeleton, with some ligaments wrapping around joints. If something hurts we point directly to that place and think that this spot is the problem. In yoga, however we consider the body as a whole and science is catching up with this.
Over the past 10 years there has been growing understanding of the body as a fascial system. Fascia is a sheath of connective tissue that surrounds and is within every part of your body. It provides support to your muscles, tendons, ligaments, tissues, organs, nerves, joints and bones. Fascia surrounds all of the cells, nerves, joints, tendons, and ligaments in your body. When fascia is healthy, it’s flexible and stretches with you. When your fascia tightens up, it can restrict movement and cause painful health conditions.
In massage we often find that pain in one area can be tracked to and eased by massaging another area. Pain in the neck can often be released through hand massage, pain in the leg can often be tracked to and eased by massage of the glutes, pain in the lower back can often be tracked and relieved by massage of the feet.
As a yoga teacher I always look at the whole of a person when deciding how to assist someone to feel better or to benefit more from a posture.
I wish for you an appreciation of your whole tissue field, love Emma x