How the fasciae and the psyche mutually influence one another.

The thoughts, feelings and body form an inseparable unit. Positive physical stimulation, thoughts and feelings thus have a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system.

Influencing factors from one’s environment, social context and information from one’s own body and psyche contribute to determining our state of health.

Here you will find out what influence the fasciae have over your psyche, and vice versa, and why you too can produce positive effects for your mental health with fascia training.

The fasciae are a large “sensory organ” and a communication system within your body, which stores water, provides structure, performs a transport & supply function, generates power and represents an important building block for your health. The fasciae are permeated with numerous nerve endings belonging to the sympathetic nervous system, and are in continuous connection with the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system).

For a long time, they were ignored as a body part by experts and their function overlooked. We now know how important they are for our mental and physical health.

“When you work with the fasciae, you are dealing with the branches of the brain; and as a general rule, the branches usually have the same properties as the main trunk. So why would we not treat the fasciae with the same degree of respect as we treat the brain?”

(Still/Founder of Osteopathy, 1899)

Fasciae react to both external and internal influences

The fascial tissue fills the gaps between organs, in order to protect them and to provide padding and stabilisation. Under the skin, in particular, the fasciae are connected to nerve endings and blood vessels, with a view to reacting to external sensory information, such as heat, pressure, movement, touch and temperature.

Have you ever experienced anxious thoughts that have left you feeling paralysed? Or stress? Under these conditions, your muscles and fasciae tense up or harden particularly quickly. Emotional, and also psychological stress can seriously disturb the structure and the balance of the fasciae. In turn, relaxed thoughts and emotions can also have a positive and relaxing effect on the fasciae.

If you stimulate your fasciae with a foam roller, this will not only affect your body, but also your emotions. Fascia training regulates the muscle tone, pulse, immune system, digestion, and respiratory rate, and also the psyche.

Foam rolling makes the fasciae loose and supple, which in turn has a positive influence on your wellbeing, and consequently on your psyche. Tension, stress, and spiralling or anxious thoughts can thus be relieved.

So, if you manage to eradicate your adhesions, you will thus have direct/ indirect access to your autonomic nervous system, and you will be rewarded with a positive feeling. When you start to loosen up, i.e. once you have induced a stress-pain reduction, you can think and learn more clearly. Your mental capacity improves.

An individual fascia training programme is therefore healthy for your psyche. Fascial relaxation is a major influencing factor on your mental health.

While it may not be possible to demonstrate this diagnostically, tension and imbalance in the fascial system can be triggers for various disorders.

The fasciae are linked with the body’s vegetative (autonomic) nervous system and forward information when subject to mechanical intervention by means of foam rolling (Deep Touch principle). Both the metabolism and the circulation are stimulated, rehydration occurs (re-filling with water) and pain is alleviated. Potential inflammatory substances are transported away from the fasciae as a result of the activation of the cytokines (neurotransmitters). Cramped or stiff muscles and fasciae become more elastic and supple. The reduction of stress induces feelings of relief, wellbeing, activation, vitality and calm. A sense of coherence is established. With the regular rolling of the fasciae and muscles, your day-to-day mood can be significantly improved.

“The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there exist doctors for the body and doctors for the mind, whereas the two actually cannot be separated.”

(Platon)

Your situation-based or general state of health can thus be noticeably improved by means of the foam rolling of the fascia. If you use a BLACKROLL® on a regular basis, you will transform stiffness into a feeling of looseness, pain into a feeling of relief, or anxiety into a feeling of serenity, thus allowing you to breathe freely.