It is now increasingly recognized that the fundamental connective biological matrix of the body, the fascia, is far more than the inert wrapping material, it was previously believed to be. In fact, says Anatomy Trains author Tom Myers in this interview, fascia is now recognized as an independent regulatory system in the body.
And while the nervous system performs its regulatory function via neurons and connecting nerves, the language of the fascia is movement. New discoveries highlight how the tensional patterns within the fascial matrix communicates instantly and effortless what happens throughout the whole system.
Tom discusses how new discoveries in fascia research holds tremendous implications for changing not just human form but also behavior and emotional patterns. He also discusses why the emerging understanding of the central role played by the fascia in bodily health puts new emphasis on the role of movement therapies in healing. He predicts a medicine of the future in which the emphasis on movement as therapy will play a central role. He also discusses why new discoveries in fascia research imply that traditional approaches to exercise are counter-productive, and why more holistic movement forms like yoga is far more useful for training the fascia.
Tom Myers is the originator of the concept of Anatomy Trains, which maps the body as an interconnected network of whole-body fascial and myofascial linkages.
You may also be interested in Tom’s course, Anatomy Trains in Yoga: Mapping the Interconnectedness of the Body.