There’s a new organ in your body.
Well. not really.
But science is recognizing the importance of the fascia or connective tissue – (something that yogis and bodywork folks have been working with for years). They’ve named it the “interstitium” and recognize it as the fluid-filled spaces all over the body, including just beneath the surface of the skin, lining the digestive tract, the lungs and the urinary system, and wrapping around muscles and organs.
The interstitium made its debut in an article called “The Structure and Distribution of an Unrecognized Interstitium in Human Tissues” earlier this year.
Science is recognizing that the fascia system is important for health.
One way to optimize this system is to hydrate. Which of course means drinking sufficient fluids but it also means moving that fluid efficiently through your system.
One way to do this is rebounding.
Rebouncing is ridiculously simple, but it can also be fun. It has an added benefit of helping to bring better balance to your nervous system, particularly if you are prone to anxiety.
Just bounce around a bit. Take a break and join me for some rebounding in this short video.
Enjoy!
Love this – and your face having fun! Yoga is usually so smooth but bounding (even for peri and post menapausal women) is really important. It is part of my daily wake up!
Thanks so much Kyczy! Yes good point – great time of life to shake things up!
Thank you for this. I love the idea of self-regulating movement.
Thanks Norine,
I feel like kids do this sort of stuff intuitively all the time – but then we tell them to cut it out because it annoys us. They are just self-regulating!!
Thanks for sharing this info on rebounding. I have been teaching this for a little while now not realising it was actually for fascia! Just liked it cos it felt good!
Reminds me a little of Oshos shaking meditation?!. Interesting…..
Hi Alison, Yeah, I feel like it’s good for so many different things – mind and body. Yes I remember Osho’s shaking meditation! He was on to something for sure!
I have also been teaching shaking for a while too, I slip it in with my Qigong as an energetic practice, and of course it’s wonderful for the fascia too. I also use rocking (harmonics) a lot in my bodywork for the same reason. But….. it had never occurred to me to use more shaking in between asanas. A eureka moment! I am going to be doing this a lot. Thanks Kristine xx
Yes, shaking or bouncing around is one of those universal practices, don’t you think Lyn? I learned it from my qi gong and tuina teachers in California in the early 90s and then my shiatsu teachers in the late 90s and then from some PTs – it’s everywhere because it’s so simple and so valuable! I love it between asanas neurobiologically also because it kind of allows the attention networks to have a little downtime and soften the focus which I find really lovely for the nervous system. thanks so much for writing and let me know how it goes!
Kaoverri,
I love reading your blogs and following what you’re doing! I’m wondering if Subtle Yoga has any plans to become a certified school for yoga therapy? I’m looking into that path and would love to learn from you.
Hi Heidi,
Thanks so much for writing and I’m so happy to hear that the blogs are fun to read! We are still bouncing that idea around. There are some big questions like: “Is yoga therapy eventually going to be reimbursable?”, “Are there too many yoga therapy schools already in this country for the demand?”, and “If someone invests to become a yoga therapist, what kind of employment opportunities are available to them upon graduation?” This is the biggest one really. So as much as we would like to provide a yoga therapy program, we are not certain that it is sustainable yet. Our 300 hour advanced training is entirely therapeutic, although we have to be careful about talking about that because of YA restrictions so we call it a “Wellness” program. I have been active in the development of the Yoga Therapy profession and will continue to do so and hopefully, at some point, it will become viable. In the meanwhile, we just keep plugging away trying to educate the public and yoga teachers about the therapeutic benefits of these practices. Thanks so much for asking!
I love these practices and find them very soothing. An energetic “wipe off” of your body’s dri-erase board, or a gentle shake of the etch-a-sketch that is you!
I love this so much, Kaoverii! It’s the lovely sort of movement I enjoy sharing with folks I have a chance to work with over a longer course of time–like during my weekend retreats. It gives us a chance to really incorporate it and discuss the feedback we get. Thank you so much for the work you do!