Myofascial Self Release
A chance to simultaneously experience both tissue release and awareness.
As we all know, daily exercise is widely accepted as beneficial for most people; but the activity itself doesn’t always need to be strenuous or exhausting. The following simple sequence of Myofascial Release positions provides a baseline activation and a ‘tuning in’ to the body, the senses and the breath. You can explore the following positions as isolated tasks or perhaps include them in your existing meditation or breathwork practice.
Why?
To reap the benefits of:
Proprioceptive Stimulation– understanding and experiencing the body’s ability to know it’s position in space and in movement, through nervous system feedback
Nervous System Down-regulation – feel tension in your body drop down a few gears as you release into and indulge in gravity
Stimulation of cellular activity– dialing up the body’s cellular regenerative and tissue healing processes.
Mechanical Lengthening using a fulcrum (the foam roller) to isolate soft tissue segments through the body. This improves alignment and sense of symmetry.
Some key components of optimal myofascial change:
Duration
Maintain the positions with minimal active movement for 5-10 breath cycles: 1 cycle = 1 full breath in and out. Stay relaxed and progressively more ‘heavy’, not rigid, in the body. If the roller contact point starts to feel uncomfortable, come out of the position. Consistency over time will improve this.
Breath
Use each long inhalation to flood the body with oxygen, then each long exhalation to release into the weightiness of the tissue on the roller.
Hydration
Always prioritize water intake over other fluids. Realistically it is difficult to suddenly increase your daily intake by litres; start with a couple of extra glasses of a morning. Perhaps increase the size of the vessel to a large glass, or even a glass bottle. Starting the morning (pre-coffee!) with a healthy 500mL carafe of water is surprisingly easy!
Regularity
Fascia responds optimally when addressed a little bit every day. This is how the deeply set myofascial patterns in the body are positively changed to a new, elongated ‘normal’. Before long we can say ‘Goodbye’ to the soft tissue holding patterns keeping us from progressing.
Positions:
Seated Calves. Use the other leg to provide downward weight. Progress contact from the lowest to highest point of the calves.
Kneeling On Roller, hands (then forearms) on floor. Roller contact is the top of the shin, just below the knee.
Shoulder Flexion: Kneeling, arms overhead. Contact is the forearm near the wrist, chest dropping between arms toward the floor.
Lateral Thigh, with roller contacting upper outer thigh (IT Band). Lower leg, pelvis & skull aligned lengthwise with your mat, body propped on forearm, vision forward.
Lateral Thoracic Spine- Roller contact is on side ribs near the armpit. Legs in Z-Seat position.
Skull-Head Turn: Contact is the ridge at the base of the skull, turn the head slowly left and right.
Seated Thoracic extension: contact is the mid-back, vision is forward, then to the ceiling, then slightly behind that ceiling point (or the top of the wall behind you). Inhale to lean back, exhale to reach forward.
Inner Thigh + wide arms, head twist. Contact is the inside of the thigh, just above the knee.
Sacrum-Legs Up The Wall: Sacrum on roller, legs up the wall. Contact is the sacrum, legs vertical.
Myofascial self-release at home is the perfect adjunct to your ongoing Myotherapy with Timothy Harvey at Melbourne Natural Medicine Clinic. If you’re new to Myo, take advantage of our current offer of 2 complimentary Infra-Red Sauna appointments to accompany your Initial first follow-up consultations!
Chiropractic Clinic in Melbourne
Visit an experienced chiropractor in Melbourne Here at Melbourne Natural Medicine Clinic we aim to deliver a range of services that facilitate improved health and...
