Myofascial release technique or structural fascial release technique is a type of direct bodywork that engages the myofascia, using forearms, fists, knuckles and fingertips to slowly stretch the restricted areas. By applying firm pressure and encouraging movement initiated by the client, the tissue is slowly stretched or elongated. Pressure is always tailored to each individual client. I begin slowly working through the layers of fascia until the deeper layers of tissue are released.
So what is myofascia, you may ask? Very basically fascia is the tissue that gives us shapes and movement. Fascia holds us all together. Looking more microscopically than that though, fascia is in every cell of our body or more simply, every cell of our body is bathed in fascia. Myo means muscle. The term myofascia is a more appropriate term to apply to our muscles, since the fascia forms the walls of the muscle cells and describes more appropriately the relationship between muscle fibers and fascia. My work with the myofascia is based on my studies of “Anatomy Trains”, by Tom Myers. “Anatomy Trains is a unique map of the ‘anatomy of connection’ – whole-body fascial and myofascial linkages. The Anatomy Trains concept joins individual muscles into functional complexes within fascial planes – each with a defined anatomy and ‘meaning’ in human movement.”
A typical session begins with a visual assessment or body reading. This gives both myself and you, the client, the opportunity to look at both your strengths and weaknesses, giving us information about the patterns of both posture and function in your body and where we should focus our attention. Someone may be complaining of pain in their right neck, which is actually caused by a left tilt in their hips. I can work many sessions on that right neck, but if I don’t encourage the lengthening needed in the hips, the neck will continue to ache.
The visual assessment can be done either in one’s underwear, swimwear, or workout clothes. Please come prepared.