There is no doubt that we live in a muscle culture. We are obsessed with muscle and spend a great deal of our lives building and developing muscle. In fact, from gyms to supplement companies, it is commonly believed that there is an industrial muscle system that promotes muscle on many levels and in many ways.
But unbeknownst to many, there is another more vital tissue that resides in the human body that often is neglected and holds greater importance than muscle. This important tissue is called fascia and it weaves its way through the body like a three-dimensional fibrous material. From the tips of your toes to the top of your head, fascia is a remarkable and important part of who we are.
Fascia has many critical roles in our lives. Fascia is a unique force that holds us upright. It is not our bones that keep us upright. It is the tensional pull from the fascia network that becomes the guiding force that keeps us upright. Fascia acts like the cables in a circus tent that keep us tall and on our feet.
Fascia Transmits Chi, Life Force Energy
The most important and often obscure role of fascia is that it is the main transport system for the life force energy to be transported throughout our bodies. The life force (also called Chi) is the human battery and fascia is the means by which Chi moves throughout the body.
We often think of nutrients like protein, fats, and carbohydrates as the most important aspect of nourishing our cells. But we have severely neglected the force of Chi that is vital to nourishing our cells. The fascia is like an electrical grid that moves Chi to all aspects of our body. Chi is the human battery and fascia is its transport network. Without fascia and Chi, we could not exist.
When fascia is healthy, it transports Chi easily and powerfully throughout the body. Healthy fascia is fascia that is soft and remains in a liquid state. This healthy state could be achieved through regular bodywork, massages, and regular yoga sessions.
Hard Body Training Limits Flow Of Chi
Moreover, the problem arises when the fascia becomes dried out and diseased, mostly by our own doing. Most of our current exercise practices will shorten, harden and dry out the fascia in the body. A “hard body” will create a body where the human fascia becomes human jerky. This dried-out and dense tissue then is restricted in its ability to transport Chi.
The muscle culture has done a great disservice to the fascia in the body. Every day you practice the hard body concept, you are limiting the flow of your own life force.
Other factors like stress, trauma, injuries, surgeries, and lack of movement are ways that fascia can dry out and reduce the flow of Chi. Any time a muscle remains in a contracted state, it will cause the fascia to dry out. Chi needs a liquid medium in order to flow unimpeded.
Piezo-Electricity
Dr. Robert Becker says that it is the collagen fibers within the fascia that are responsible for this energy transmission throughout the body. Becker noted that something remarkable occurred when the correct type of pressure was applied to the fascia while stretching. A polarization of the positive and negative poles was generated and a reaction called “piezo-electricity” was created. Fascia can be changed, for the positive or the negative.
Another recognized scientist, James Oschman confirms the theories of Dr. Becker. He asserts the belief in Energy Medicine in Therapeutic and Human Performance that the fascia is the pathway by which the energy stream of Chi travels.
Acupuncture Meridians and Chi
Furthermore, under this theory, it is the fascia that is the pathway by which acupuncture can heal the body. An acupuncturist will insert a tiny needle into a pathway of interconnected fascia (called a meridian), and in doing so will unblock any disruptions to the human energy network leading to an organ or gland. Thus, a needle placed strategically in the ankle can greatly affect an organ some distance away as the fascia becomes the energetic lifeline for that to happen.
Our perception of our own human body is experiencing a dramatic paradigm shift. We have ignored fascia and the human energy grid for thousands of years. The more we make fascia important, the more our Chi will be able to flow unimpeded throughout our bodies. If you wish to enhance your human battery, start making your fascia important.
Jon Burras is a true renaissance man. He is a connective tissue bodyworker, yoga therapist, body/mind therapist, movement educator, international lecturer, and author. Jon believes that nature is our greatest teacher and attempts to understand and follow the natural rhythm of nature. He is a seeker of knowledge and teaches with compassion and insight. His first book was Return to Nature: The Five Pillars of Healing. For more information refer to his website.
