Resources for further explorations

Guided meditations

Remember what it felt like to go on explorations as a child? I invite you here to come on an exploration into a highly familiar yet probably totally forraign landscape: a journey into the cells of your body. This short 16 min somatic meditation is a guided meditation which is part of the lecture on the Fascia system.

In many ways the Fascia system can be said to be the interface between mind and body and using it as a focus point for a meditation is an excellent way of anchoring your awareness in your body and calming the nervoussystem during stress.

This short 15 min guided meditation is a gentle way to lower stress and to soothe the nervoussystem. It involves elements from somatic meditation and the two breath techniques Combined Coherent Breathing by Drs. Richard Brown and Patricia Gerbarg and Concious Connective Breathing by Jeremy Youst.

For the greatest benefit try turning it into a daily routine of 15 - 20 min each day.

 

Elements of this meditation is part of the Hawaiian Hakalau Practise but similar practices is also found in other traditions like in the GAAWO- practice of Sandy Newbigging.  It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helps to calm us down and make us present and aware, yet relaxed. Used when you are alone it is a great technique for relaxation but with practice it can also be used in order to be able to stay focused in situations that might be unpleasent or stressful. For musicians it can give an extra dimention when playing and can, in some situations, be a great tool to use against stage fright. If meditation tends to make you "zone out" or dissosiate this is a great way to bring more presence to your practice.

 

 

Great Playlists for musicians and movers

Playlist for breathwork

Playlist neuroscience for musicians

Playlist for movement

Playlist for meditation

Playlist for somatic self-regulation

Playlist about the mind-body connection

Somatic Practices for Stress release

Ever felt, during high levels of stress, that rest or relaxation feels almost counter-productive?

Our nervoussystem and endocrine system works in a delicate balance alowing us to respond and react to whatever we encounter but in times of constant strain we are sometimes forced to stay in states of high activation for a long period of time. In these times structured concious activation of the body can also trigger our biological built-in mechanisms of restoration (check out Peter Levine´s work in his book «Waking the tiger» for more on this). Here is a short follow-along video of a somatic routine which combines two types of physical activation which helps with overwhelm through movement and embodiment.

 

 

VIDEOS

Fascia - A New Concept - A great informative movie about fascia and some of the main researchers in the field of Fascia

The Fascia episode on Body Align Pro - Interview with Robert Schleip

Fascia: The body´s Remarkable Functional Glue  (This video should be seen in combination with the video "Does Fascia Stretch" by Gil Hedley, as it needs some important additions regarding the concept of "stretching" Fascia)

Does Fascia Stretch - Gil Hedley

Alice in Wonderland. Lecture by Robert Schleip on the Third International Fascia Research Congress

Stretching, Connective tissue, Chronic pain and Cancer. Lecture by Helen Langevin. Osher Center for integrative medicine at Harward Medical School

Fascia and the Mind-Body connection by David Lesondak - Great lecture from the Third International Fascia research Congress

Strolling under the skin - (Warning: Very dens scientific language but great images from Fascia in Vitro)

The integral Anatomy Series. by Gil Hedley - A wonderful series of 8 dissection videos which focuses on the fascia throughout the body, available for free on youtube. It will show pictures from human dissection so be prepared for this.

Anatomy trains. Tom Myers full interview

Tom Myers: Biomechanics- Isolation vsus Integration

Welcome to the world of EDS. Tips and trics for the newly Diagnosed - Webinar concerning the Fascial disorders EDS and HSD (Ehler-Danlos Syndroms and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders)

 

ARTICLES/

BLOGS

Langevin, H. Churchill, D. L. Cipolla, M. J: Mechanical signaling through connective tissue. The FASEB Journal. publ. 1 oct 2001

A. Stecco, M. Gesi, C. Stecco, R. Stern: Fascial components of the myofascial Pain Syndrom. 2013

Hongmei Yu, Janna Kay Mouw, Valerie M. Weaver: Forcing Form and Function: Biomechanical Regulation of Tumor Evolution. Trends Cell Biol. 2011; 21(1): 47 - 56

H. Langevin et al: Reduced thoracolumbar fascia shear strain in human chronic low back pain.  BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2011, 12:203

E. Weitzberg; J. O.N. Lundberg: Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide. 2002 Jul 15;166(2):144-5. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200202-138BC

Dr. Antonio Stecco MD, PhD: The relationship between fascia and pain

Fede, C, Pirri, C, Fan, C, Albertin, G, Porzionato, A, Macchi, V, De Caro, R and Stecco, C: Sensitivity of the fascia to sex hormone levels: Modulation of collagen I, collagen III and fibrillin production

The Fascia Guide - a comprehensive collection of research articles, news, blogs

Wilke, J. and Behringer, M: Is "Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness" a false friend? The potential implication of the Fascial Connective Tissue in Post-Exercise Discomfort. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 9482.

K. Hoppe, R. Schleip, F. Leehman-Horn, H. Jäger, W. Klingler: Contractile elements in muscular fascial tissue – implications for in-vitro contracture testing for malignant hyperthermia. Anaesthesia. vol 69. is. 69. 2014 (om nitrogen oxid)

Langevin, H: The Science of Stretch. The Scientist. 2013 

M. Zügel, R. Schelip et al: Fascial tissue research in sports medicine: from molecules to tissue adaptation, injury and diagnostics: consensus statement. 2018, second international CONNECT conference, Ulm. 

J. Tesarz et al: Altered pressure pain thresholds and increased wind-up in adult patients with chronic back pain with a history of childhood maltreatment: a quantitative sensory testing study. Pain. 2016 157(8):1799-1809