Bodywork for Everyone
Bodywork is a field of manual therapy that includes: all types of Massage, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Neuro-Somatic Therapy, Rolfing®, Structural Integration, Acupressure, Reiki and many others. All these methods are devoted to helping the body heal or work more efficiently and is done through a hands-on technique rather than a movement based method. MELT® trains you to be your own bodyworker, using tools like soft balls and rollers to create results similar to what a private bodywork session would bring, but with a fraction of the cost.
Getting Results
The bonus of learning how to do your own self-care bodywork, is that you are free to practice several times a week or whenever you need it. You don’t have to worry about a practitioner being available, rearranging your schedule to fit in appointments, or being able to afford the recommended frequency of sessions.
Are You Wondering “What is Fascia”? Read this….
Movement is not the same as Bodywork
Movement is wonderful and necessary for life. Good quality movement helps keep our myo-fascial system in good order, but it is not bodywork. Bodywork is like eating superfoods and supplements- whereas movement is like eating “healthy staples”. You could do one without the other, but together they create synergy- producing superior results. Pilates, Yoga and stretching will many times not help with tissue dehydration, trigger points or “stuck stress” in your fascia system. These issues can only be resolved through hands on/physical manipulation.
Everyone Needs Bodywork
Aging gracefully and without pain is possible- it’s just harder in our American culture. Most of us think we are functioning as well as to be expected because we go to the gym once or twice a week, and some work out very hard… but as a whole, Americans use the same handful of positions every day- which is considered repetitive movement. Even some forms of exercise can be repetitive movement. This leads to fascial dehydration- yes your fascia has fluid in it! Most Americans do not move with enough VARIETY and FREQUENCY of skeletal positions to avoid this deterioration. Humans were designed to walk cross-country, squat to eliminate, hang from trees, move to eat and physically work hard to live. Since we have outsourced most physical work to cars, shoes, chairs, carts and other conveniences – we are now dealing with chronic pain and stiff bodies as side effects. Bodywork is a way to ease the dehydrating effects of modern life and help our bodies work as efficient as possible- whether you are an athlete or a couch potato.
Fascial Dehydration and Pain
Everyone Needs Bodywork
Aging gracefully and without pain is possible- it’s just harder in our American culture. Most of us think we are functioning as well as to be expected because we go to the gym once or twice a week, and some work out very hard… but as a whole, Americans use the same handful of positions every day- which is considered repetitive movement. Even some forms of exercise can be repetitive movement. This leads to fascial dehydration- yes your fascia has fluid in it! Most Americans do not move with enough VARIETY and FREQUENCY of skeletal positions to avoid this deterioration. Humans were designed to walk cross-country, squat to eliminate, hang from trees, move to eat and physically work hard to live. Since we have outsourced most physical work to cars, shoes, chairs, carts and other conveniences – we are now dealing with chronic pain and stiff bodies as side effects. Bodywork is a way to ease the dehydrating effects of modern life and help our bodies work as efficient as possible- whether you are an athlete or a couch potato.
Fascial Dehydration is when the fluid in your fascial system gets sluggish and stops flowing due to lack of movement or repetitive movement. This can actually cause inflammation and what people call “trigger points” or “stuck stress”- tender spots on your body that are sore to the touch. This type of pain can occasionally be diagnosed by doctors as idiopathic (they don’t have an answer) and unfortunately exercise and stretching can aggravate these spots. If you are lucky enough to not have pain in your body, keeping your fascial system well hydrated is key to preventing “stuck stress”, injury and maintaining a happy and efficient body.
Will Drinking Water Hydrate Fascia?
The cells inside your fascia can form a seal around themselves to try to preserve the fluid inside when the fluid environment outside is stagnant and dry (from lack of movement or repetitive movement). So unfortunately, this means that essential nutrients, minerals, and available fluids (like water) are blocked from getting into the cell. This can lead to bone and muscle loss, increased fat storage (like cellulite) and premature cell death- all of which accelerate the ageing process.¹ Drinking 8oz of fresh water before and after you MELT® will help flush out and re-hydrate your fascial system.
Even your Organs Benefit!
Your organs are surrounded and supported by fascia and the nerves leading to your organs go through this fascial tissue. When deep abdominal fascial tissues are hydrated, it allows nutrients like hormones and enzyme production to flow better, cell to cell communication and metabolism are all increased. Improvements can be felt in how well you sleep, your mood, focus and digestion.²
For the Nerds that want to talk more about Nerves…
Your body has two main branches of nerves- the Central System which is your spinal cord and brain, and then the Periphery System which are all the nerve lines branching out from the spine. Within the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) there are two branches: the Somatic System- which controls your muscles, and your AUTOnomic system- which regulates your heart rate, breathing, digestion, urination and internal organs. This AUTOnomic system is sort of on auto-pilot, yet it is the same system that innervates your fascial web! This interdependent relationship between the connective tissue and the AUTOnomic Nervous System is what allows proper muscle contraction to occur. MELT® addresses this by increasing communication flow to your nervous system by hydrating the tissues that hold the nerves.
Enough of the Geeky stuff!!
All you ready to give MELT a try? Sign Up for Class HERE or CONTACT us to make an appointment for a private lesson.
See you in class!
Footnotes
1 & 2 – Taken from “The MELT® Method”, written by Sue Hitzmann, M.S, C.S.T., N.M.T.
