Myofascial Unwinding

Myofascial unwinding: What it is and why you should do it

Myofascial unwinding is a type of intuitive movement that is based on "feeling" intelligence. Christine discusses how and why to try it, as well as its connection to yoga philosophy.

What is Myofascial Unwinding, and how does it work?

Myofascial unwinding is a term coined by John Barnes (the father of Myofascial release) to describe a form of physical movement that comes from a higher intelligence, which he often refers to as a "feeling" intelligence rather than a "thinking" intellect.

I recall having an epiphany the first time I attended John's unwinding seminar: I learned that moving can feel pleasant. I immediately realised that moving my body didn't have to hurt to be good for me, and that I could appreciate smaller, more subtle ranges of movement that bring me pleasure rather than agony.

Consider a cat awakening after a slumber. If you look closely, you'll notice that the cat isn't just extending out; it's going through a process known as pandiculation, which involves contraction, lengthening, and release. This is relaxing. You are welcome to try it right now. Make a yawn, then note what movements come naturally with it. Do you notice a contraction followed by a lengthening and finally a relaxation?

Unwinding can take various forms, including yoga, dance, or a hearty stretch, as shown above. The movement is intuitive and propelled by this feeling intelligence, which is a common thread. When you first wake up in the morning, this natural sort of unwinding is a wonderful example. Your body goes through a series of movements without even realising it: stretches, contractions, and releases. Tomorrow, I ask you to add some mindfulness to your morning stretch. Make it a point to stay in bed for a few minutes longer than usual and relax.

Before I go any further, I'd like to state that I feel all movement is beneficial. Pain, dysfunction, and damage are not signs of "poor" movement; they are merely the outcome of insufficient movement in some areas or repetitive and centralised movement.

The Relationship Between Myofascial Unwinding and Yoga Philosophy

There are eight limbs in the yogic philosophy and way of living. The fourth limb of yoga (named Asana) receives the most attention in the West, and it is usually what comes to mind when we hear the word "yoga." There are a variety of reasons why we practise yoga asana - some individuals do it to get more flexibility or strength, while others use it as a form of meditation to reach mental stability and calm.

Unwinding is movement that occurs as a result of mental tranquilly. Unwinding could also be referred to as "the following phase." Asana is used to calm the mind and bring inner peace, allow a fresh set of movements to flow from beyond the thinking mind from within the condition of stillness.

Unwinding could also be referred to as "the following phase." Asana is used to calm the mind and bring inner peace, allow a fresh set of movements to flow from beyond the thinking mind from within the condition of stillness.

Ether or Akasha

In the yoga tradition, there is a concept known as Akasha, which means "sky" or "ether" in Sanskrit. It refers to a field of energy prior to form - the source from which life flows and to which it returns – in the context of yoga. Some refer to the Akasha as containing a nonlinear, formless, and natural intelligence known as the "organising principle" or the primal OM.

Fractal patterns may be seen all over nature, from broccoli to seashells to the human lung, demonstrating that there is order within the chaos of creation. These patterns can also be seen in the human body's fascia. The fascial system is a nonlinear system with multidimensional and fractaled connections between fibres.

It makes obvious that if we want to act in such a way to target this incredible living system, our movements must emanate from a higher consciousness that is nonlinear itself.

The five levels of consciousness and intelligence are also discussed in the Koshas Yoga philosophy. These are known as Koshas and are often referred to as layers or sheaths (roughly translated). The physical body and the lowest components of the thinking (analysing) mind are made up of denser layers. The energy body and higher components of the intellect, such as creativity, intuition, and wisdom, make up the lighter layers. These layers support one another and make up the totality of a human being.

Any of the Koshas can cause movement: the linear mind (think of a highly technical choreographed ballet or gymnastics routine), the breath (think of the cat and cow sequence), or even the highest level of the Self or soul. The Anandamaya Kosha, loosely translated as "bliss body" in yoga philosophy, is propelled by a higher form of intellect that is difficult to describe but could be compared to the aforementioned self-organizing force.

Some people may feel anxious or even afraid when they perceive intuitive movement. Start slowly and trust your body if you're scared that losing deliberate control would force you to overstep your boundaries and possibly injure yourself. The same intelligence that expands your lungs and digests your food will also be able to determine how far you can stretch without harming yourself.

Tantra

The Tandava – or Shiva Dance – is a Tantric dance in which the motions are guided by an intuitive (felt) sense. It is customary for initiates to begin the dance by sitting and observing incense burn. After observing the smoke for a while, the initiate is then asked to tune into the energy currents that are active within their body. The next step is to allow their physical body to “become” the smoke as the energy currents carry and move the body through creative and intuitive patterns of movement. This quote on the Tandava by Diarmuid O’Murchu explains it quite poetically:

"Shiva's dance represents the dancing world itself, represented in the never-ending flow of energy through an infinite variety of patterns that blend into one another."

Organicity

Organicity is the natural intelligence within the body, or the same self-organizing principle mentioned in Akasha, according to the Hakomi tradition. The following is an excellent analogy for describing organicity:

The greenhouse symbolises a healthy environment in which our bodies can grow. It is built by eating good foods, scheduling self-care, cultivating meaningful connections, and being active by going to the gym.

When we are in a supportive environment, the plant represents our body's potential to grow, adapt, and evolve. To put it another way, I have no idea how to make cells, clot blood, or grow hair. I'm not required to. That is the organicity or structuring essence of my body, which was produced by the intelligence that created it. I can, however, assist my body in prospering and co-create a healthy state with her.

Why relax?

Let's be honest. We live in a fairly sedentary society. Most movement therapists would agree that one of the most pressing issues facing the human body today is a lack of different movements. When we sit in the same position all day, drive home in the same position, and then sit in front of the TV in the same posture, our fascia becomes conditioned and shortens and adapts to that position. Then, when we do move, it's frequently the same movements repeated over and over, resulting in body imbalances. Some places grow tight, while others become weak, putting our entire biological structure's biotensegrity at risk.

Unwinding is a creative and intuitive process that gives equilibrium to the unused portions of our bodies. We tap into regions that are tight, weak, dehydrated, and/or crave stimulation when we go through a pattern of irregular movement. Imagine that your soft tissues are dry and brittle, like a sponge that hasn't been squeezed in a long time. Imagine starting to move in such a way that you slowly and delicately compress all of the dry sponges, allowing moisture and nourishment to restore to them.

Habit

Humans are habitual creatures, and the human body is a habit-forming machine. For the purpose of efficiency, our bodies will learn a new movement and then store it in the subconscious as rapidly as feasible. As a result, even when we vary our movement diet, we tend to fall back on a few movement norms that may be stressful on certain joints or connective tissues. Consider folding a piece of paper over and over in the same spot, which eventually becomes the paper's weak spot. This "weak fold" in our bodies usually emerges as tendonitis or bursitis, resulting in injuries like "tennis elbow."

Unwinding, on the other hand, is a nonlinear and intuitive sort of movement that is less prone to develop into a habit. As a result, each time we unwind, the sequence is different, and the body is exposed to novel combinations of loads, forces, and input. Soft tissues, muscles, connective tissue, and even the brain benefit from this movement because it creates new neural pathways.

Unwinding is a movement that improves soft tissues, muscles, connective tissue, and even the brain by promoting the formation of new neural pathways.

Biotensegrity

Buckminster Fuller created the term tensegrity to describe the ability of architectural structures to distribute weight stresses in many directions. The word biotensegrity introduces the concept that human bodies are meant to distribute loads and forces uniformly in all directions because "bio" in our case refers to a living body. An injury created by overloading the body, according to this theory, leads us to "give" at a weak spot, similar to how repeatedly folded paper tears at its fold.

How to Relax

Unwinding can be done in a variety of ways. The goal is to connect with your intuition and feeling intelligence, and let that guide your movements, no matter how you choose to practise. If you're a yoga teacher, I recommend incorporating some unwinding into your personal routine first, and then teaching it to your students once you've mastered it. A two-minute warm-up at the beginning of each class will help you improve movement variation in your sessions and provide your students more opportunities to incorporate odd and unpredictable movement into their personal practise.

Myofascial unwinding strikes me as a spectrum of motion. Broader movements, such as the pandiculation of your morning intuitive stretch, are on one end of this continuum. On the other end, there are more subtle movements that emerge from a position of concentration and silence. These are minute micro-adjustments that you will feel are corrective and thoughtful, but are scarcely visible to the untrained eye. Unwinding encompasses any movement along this spectrum, from enormous graceful motions that mimic a body floating underwater, to big cat-like stretches, to small micro-movements, and occasionally even the uttering of certain noises or words.

1. Make a yawn.

It's better if you start by lying down, but if that's not possible, you can do it sitting or standing. Initiate a yawn and observe the movements that naturally follow. Repeat this process a few times to get more movements going, then focus on the movements themselves for five to ten minutes. Allow your body to move or stretch in whatever way feels comfortable to you. Allow yourself a few minutes of stillness or meditation once you've finished unwinding, experiencing how it feels to simply be centred and aware of your physiological sensations.

2. Shiva's Dance, or Tandava

As previously stated, the Tandava is an intuitive movement process directed by the spiritual body that replicates the movement of smoke rising from a fire. Begin by sitting down and allowing yourself to enter a contemplative and quiet state of being. You can use a genuine stick of incense as inspiration if you choose. Assume the incense is sitting at the base of your spine, and that the smoke is a force capable of pushing your spine in any direction.Let the random sway of the smoke (which symbolizes our kundalini energy) be what moves you, and allow your body to sway and move organically. Stay with this for five minutes or more, and then settle back into stillness and notice the results. Usually this takes the form of balance and calm within your body, but every person and every experience is unique.

3. Silence

Advanced meditators understand that our greatest power lies in silence and stillness. Unwinding is frequently a type of moving meditation for me, in which I first enter stillness and silence and then allow motions to emerge from that still and silent beingness. My motions become lighter as I go deeper into meditation, as if I'm floating through space, weightless and fluid.

4. A pause in between breaths

Take a moment to notice the space between your breaths. The still point is the micro-pause between the inhalation and exhale in the yoga discipline. One of my favourite ways to teach and practise unwinding is to focus on taking time with the breath, finding that still place, and learning to abide there.Once I am established there, I allow the stillness to be the starting point of the subtle movements, seeing if I can stay centered in the silence within as my body is moved by a higher intelligence. These movements, as subtle as they may be, are extremely impactful when it comes to deepening body awareness, and understanding and trusting the body’s natural ability to self-correct.

5. Collaborative practise

Face each other while you stand with a partner. Hold the intention: "I will not lead; I will follow." Place your hands palm to palm, fingers facing up. If movement occurs while both persons are following this concept, they will both realise that the momentum is coming from a higher intellect or the organicity of the link between their bodies and energy fields.