Fascia Class Notes

© Ric Weinman Apr 13, 2016

All fascia (connective tissue) is continuous throughout the body. The fascia represents one
of our sets of body energy pathways. Blocks or tension or distortions in the fascia also block and
distort body energy. In addition, energy blockages, whether from emotional patterns, traumas or
genetic patterns will show up in the fascia. So working with the fascia is a way of accessing and
working with our emotional system and other aspects of our energy system. We do this through a
technique we call ‘unwinding the fascia energy’.
Basic Principles for Unwinding Fascia:
1) You are always working with the body, following its intelligence. The body tells you
what to do and how much force to use. Therefore, the body should always feel comfortable with
how you are moving it and with the pressure you are using.
2) When you are unwinding the fascia, you are exploring and freeing the ‘relationship’
between 2 (or 3) points in the fascia system and helping that relationship to come into greater
harmony. The 2 points may be close together (as in the 2 sides of a joint) or further apart (which
may encompass more than 1 joint).
3) If there is tension and contraction in the tissue connecting the 2 points, then freeing the
relationship of those points involves ‘unwinding’ that tension in the tissue. To do so, we work
with compressing and de-compressing the tissue, as we also follow any rotational movement the
tension in the tissue is creating.4) Patience: When you have helped the fascia to get into a
position where a release can occur (whether unwinding from a compression or decompression),
you must be patient and wait for the release; you cannot force it. The only way to speed it up is
to channel Vortex or Jewel into fascia while waiting, or occasionally to ‘jiggle’ the tissue of the
boundary for a second, intending to ‘activate’ it.
5) Because the fascia system is continuous, any pull or distortion in it on one side of the
body will have some kind of matching distortion on the other side, and the front affects the back
and vice versa. Sometimes the key is on one side of the body, and sometimes there is a key on
both sides of the body interacting with each other (from related emotional positions) creating the
tension and distortion.
6) There are 4 horizontal bands of fascia, also called ‘diaphragms’, which are a key for
allowing the vertical energies to get up and down through the body. These diaphragms are at the
pelvis, the bottom of the rib cage, the thoracic area and the occiput (base of the skull). All of
these should be thought of as bands of fascia connecting back to front and front to back, and so
in working with them, you are releasing the front in relation to the back.
7) Joints are major intersections for fascia. And because the fascia comes together there, it
means that lots of energy pathways also pass through the joints in a concentrated way. Hence, we
do a lot of the fascia work with the joints.
8) When we work with joints that can be compressed, we ‘compress and unwind’ before we
‘decompress and unwind’. For other kinds of joints (like where the hand meets the wrist), and for
everywhere else, we simply ‘decompress and unwind’.
9) Think of bones as ‘handles’. Since the fascia is connected to the bones, rather than move
the fascia directly, we mostly use the bones to move the fascia.
10) You can soften the tissue and speed up release by channeling Vortex or Running Divine
Lines into it. You can also create the Fascia Alignment Structures first; when you channel Vortex
into the tissues, they will pick up some of the Vortex Energy and become activated.
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11) For any sore spot, you can always put a finger on it, channel into it, and unwind fascia in
relation to it.
12) Always ask the receiver, at the beginning of a session, to let you know at any point if
there is any pain or discomfort. Because you are following the body, if you are attuned to it,
there should never be discomfort. In fact, the unwinding positions should make the body feel
more comfortable there. But if you are unwinding in one area of the body and it is creating
discomfort in another area, that is fine. That is just the movement of the release banging into
tension and bringing it to the surface somewhere else in the body. That discomfort is not an
indication of doing anything wrong.
This is an excellent short video for understanding the nature of Fascia tissue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSXpX4wyoY8&hohtml5=False

Details for Fascia Unwinding:

The Feeling of a Release: A release may happen in different ways. You may feel an
energetic movement, or the tissue may warm up first and/or soften first and then have an
energetic movement. There may be ‘layers’ of these kinds of releases before the release is
finished.
Engaging the Boundaries: If you are compressing (a joint) or decompressing (a joint or
other fascia connection), you run into a boundary, also called a barrier. It is called a boundary (or
barrier) because to compress or decompress further without first getting a release, you would
have to override what the tissue is telling you; it wants you to stop there. So, you stop at that
point and ENGAGE the boundary. Engaging a boundary is like a handshake: too much pressure
and you’re overriding the other person, but not enough pressure and you’re not really meeting
the other person there. So, engaging the boundary means you use whatever pressure is needed to
go into the the boundary without overriding it. As you do so, the tissue will want to either twist,
contract, or more typically, a do a combination of both. As you follow that, moving the tissue in
the way it wants to go, you are engaging the boundary more deeply by being more aligned with
it. You reach a point where the boundary is fully engaged. At that point, you WAIT. You don’t
force it; you just stay engaged with the barrier and wait. When the boundary moves, often with
some heat and release of energy flow, you follow it into the opening, deeper into the barrier,
following whichever way the tissue wants to move, and continue to hold and wait for another
release. At any point, you come back to neutral and start again.
The only way to speed it up a release is to channel Vortex (and/or some level of Jewel) into
fascia while waiting, or occasionally to ‘jiggle’ the tissue of the boundary for a second, intending
to ‘activate’ it.
Strategies:
(a) For a general treatment, open the core, the 4 diaphragms, starting with the regular
diaphragm or pelvis. You can start at the feet for a few minutes.
(b) For acute fascia strains in the extremities or vertebra, you can go directly there to start.
For chest issues, you should open space in the pelvis first. For head issues, you should open
space in the regular diaphragm and pelvis first, and then the feet.
Pelvis & Pelvic Diaphragm: When the pelvis is open and balanced, it does not rotate and
the pubic bone and sacrum move apart with each inhalation (letting energy flow through, to and
from the legs). To create this, you want to (a) harmonize the relationship between the pubic bone
and the sacrum (eliminating rotations and twists), (b) unwind the sacrum and free up any
adhering pivot spots (often needed to accomplish (a)—see The Sacrum, below),(c) unwind the
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sacrum in relation to each hip bone in the front, and (d) unwind the pubic bone in relation to each
hip bone.
By holding the hipbones, you can easily diagnose the direction of twisting (as well as create
some release by using them as ‘handles’ for unwinding the pelvic fascia). (Typically, the twisting
is opposite on the back of the pelvis from the front—if the left front hip goes up, the left back hip
may torque down.)
The Sacrum: If the sacrum has been twisted for some time, it may have developed a pivot
spot, a little below the center of the sacrum and to either side that acts as an adhesion, holding
the sacrum in its rotated position. If the tissue around the sacrum has gotten thick, simply
unwinding the sacrum may not get to the congestion in that spot. To release it, press into it,
channel Vortex, and unwind the sacrum around it. This is most easily done while the receiver is
on their stomach. .
* Be careful not to press hard in the very center of a woman’s pubic bone, as it is not
actually bone there—it is cartilage (holding 2 pubic bones together) that softens during
pregnancy so it can stretch to allow a baby to squeeze through.
Sometimes, from the pelvis being twisted, the sacrum in the back can slide a bit over a
hipbone and get caught there. To release this, have the receiver on their back, squeeze their
hipbones together between your hand and elbow (using the arm closest to their head), and then
with your other hand underneath their sacrum, gently pull their sacrum towards you, which pulls
it free.
Unwinding the upper legs in relation to the pelvis also opens the pelvis, but it is hard to get
much movement this way.
Regular Diaphragm: The diaphragm is attached underneath the sternum area and the front
of the lower 6 the ribs, and behind the navel, to lumbars 1-3. The diaphragm has fascia
attachments to the pericardium, which is a sac-like structure of fascia surrounding and connected
to the heart (and filled with fluid). For simplicity, for unwinding, instead of referring to the
pericardium/heart area, we’ll simply refer to that as the heart.
For us, working on the regular diaphragm will include its relation to the heart. So, you want
to balance the front of the diaphragm in relation to the back (sandwiching the diaphragm and
unwinding its fascia), the diaphragm in relation to the heart, the heart itself (sandwiching the
heart), the front of the diaphragm in relation to the lower diaphragm attached to the spine behind
the navel, and you want to stretch the diaphragm, stretching it in relation to its two ends (where it
attaches to bones)—from under the sternum/ribs to its other end at the spine behind the navel
(Lumbars 1-3). This last release will help the chest to drop down if the diaphragm has pulled it
up.
When unwinding the heart, you can work generally or you can consider the center of the
heart as a pivot spot and unwind from there, in which case you are unwinding a small circle
around that spot, which may take some pressure between the two hands to engage the tension
pattern there.
The easiest place to start is holding the sides of the ribs, then go to sandwiching the
diaphragm and unwinding it, working up to the heart, and then stretch the diaphragm, pulling the
spine behind the navel towards the feet while you push the breastbone in the other direction,
stretching the front of the diaphragm away from the connection at the lower spine.
Direct Stretch Releases can be done under the ribs (but not for pregnant women). With a
man, start with going under the right ribs, then go to the left ribs and then back to the right. With
a woman, do left, right, left. (Your fingers will go in deeper under the left ribcage as there are no
large organs there.) Stand on the opposite side of the body. (For instance, if you are stretching
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the left diaphragm, you would stand on the receiver’s right side.) This way you can use the
weight of your body to push under the ribs. There is also a direct stretch release along the line
between the solar plexus and the navel. And a different kind of release that helps the diaphragm
is opening the membrane between the bones of the forearm (an ‘inter-osseous membrane’) by
squeezing it (by squeezing the arm muscles).
With deep diaphragm tension, the diaphragm and kidney(s) can sort of grab each other, like
scared children. So, if you can sense this, you want to unwind the diaphragm until you feel it let
go of the kidney (or the kidney let go of the diaphragm).
Note: after a heart attack, the pericardium can get very tight, either all over or in one area,
and this restricts the movement of the heart, making it work harder, making it more susceptible
to another heart attack. Loosening this can make a large difference for the person’s long-term
health.
Thoracic Diaphragm: In working on the thoracic diaphragm, you want to balance the front
(handles at the collar bones) with the back (handles at the first few thoracic vertebrae).
Shoulders: For the shoulders, you use the collarbone in the front & back as handles and
then unwind the arm in relation to that and then the neck in relation to that. This also helps the
neck. For the neck you would also decompress the neck from the fascia going from the neck
down the back, holding it for a minute or two. You can also unwind the neck in relation to that.
Neck: It is important when working with the neck to maintain control of the head and not
let it flop around. You also don’t want to push on the head bones, or you may push the cranium
out of balance. It is the neck fascia you are trying to engage here. Even if all you do is hold the
neck firmly and gently stretch the neck away from the torso, it will feel good and open up both
the neck and chest. While doing that, you can unwind that relationship of neck to torso, which
will engage many different muscles. Keep the neck and head supported and stable at all times.
To avoid pushing the cranium out of balance, when you hold the head it is best to hold the lower
third of the back of the head (the occipital bone), and not the sides of the head.
The Cranial Base: This will open better if you open the shoulders and neck first.
(1) The cranial base is usually tight, and it can be very helpful (and everyone loves this) to
simply stick your fingers in there, doing acupressure on those tight muscles first.
(2) Then you can unwind the neck through the cranial base.
(3) An important piece of the cranial base is also the fascia connecting the 2nd cervical (C2)
to the inside of the cranium. C2 is the first cervical you can touch, just below the hollow at the
base of the skull. Hold the base of the cranium with the little and ring fingers, and then use the
middle finger to de-compress C2 away from the head and unwind it.
(4) To create a cranial type of release—excellent for TMJ—very gently compress the lower
jaw towards the top of the head. Wait for the fascia to engage and open, bone by cranial bone,
until the movement opens through the top of the head (~1-2 minutes). Then slowly decompress
the lower jaw away from the top of the head, again waiting for the movement to open through
the top of the head..
(5) Decompress the ‘Adam’s apple’ (the laryngeal prominence) away from the cranial base,
with one hand on the cranial base and the other on the Adam’s apple. You can do this on the
upper and lower part of the Adam’s apples separately, as each will have different fascia
connected to it. This release may help snoring.
The knee joint: can be considered a box with 4 corners, so that you can unwind the corners
in relation to each other. Both the knee and elbow are joints with 3 bones meeting.
Ankles & Feet: Unwinding these creates a nice general relaxation, and so it can be good to
start a session here. Old ankle injuries will usually still have strains in the fascia in the core of
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ankle joint where the leg bones meet. Compressing the joint according to the relationship
between the two ankle bones, especially while channeling into the tissue, can release those old
injuries. The rest of what you can do with the ankles and feet is too complex to go into detail
here, but you practiced in class some of the possibilities.
Vertebrae: When opening the spine, you can work with the relationship between adjacent
vertebrae (both compressing and decompressing them), and you can work with the relationship
between vertebrae that have another vertebra between them. As these relationships open, you can
sense the breath moving deeper into the core of the vertebrae and spine.
When there are spasms in the back, this is usually a spasm in a tiny muscle between 2
vertebrae. You need to release that tiny muscle spasm through unwinding and channeling.
To unwind the first thoracic vertebra, you can access it via the first rib, which sits in the
hollows under the clavicles.

Visceral Unwinding:
The trachea is the handle for unwinding the lungs.
The esophagus is the handle for the stomach, for unwinding the stomach as well as for
helping Hiatal Hernia. This condition arises when the stomach, which should be free to slide up
and down in the hole in the diaphragm that it hangs through, gets stuck in a higher position,
preventing its valve from closing properly. Unwinding the stomach can free this up.
A release that helps the liver/gut area is to hold the receiver’s navel with one finger and get
to hold the liver with the other hand (which is below and underneath the right ribs), and then
very gently stretch these two away from each other, unwinding as you go. (This works with a
ligament that attaches to the liver.) If there is a lot of tension here (which they will if they have
3rd chakra tension), the person may feel a bit nauseous as this lets go.

Bits & Bobs:

o The tighter the tissue in a joint the more pressure is needed for compression.
o When unwinding the wrist, do not torque the elbow; keep it comfortable.
o When unwinding the arm in relation to the shoulder, support the elbow joint; don’t hold
the arm up by the wrist, letting the elbow flop around—it could become injured like that.
o If the chest is tight, open the pelvis and then the arms before unwinding the chest.
o The wrists relate to the pelvis, elbows to the diaphragm & 3rd chakra, and the upper arm
to the chest.
o The shoulders relate to the pelvis, the neck to an energetic band near the diaphragm, and
the occiput to the mid chest (front & back) and has a strong relationship to the 1st chakra.
o The neck vertebrae relate to the lumbar vertebrae.
o The hands and feet have lots of bones, meaning that there are lots and lots of different
kinds of fascial connections there. You could spend a whole session on the hands or feet.
o In general, the closer your hands are to the joint you are unwinding, the easier it is to
manipulate the relationships. Sometimes, though, you can access different relationships
by moving your hands further apart. With the elbow, for example, often there is too much
muscle to hold the arm bones close to the joint, so you need to move down the arm a bit
for better access.
o One of the biggest causes of low back issues is weak stomach muscles. Here’s a simple
exercise for that: Exhale out all your air, and then suck in your stomach as tight as you
can, holding for 10-15 seconds. Relax for a few breaths, and then repeat. Repeat 25 or
more times., every day or a few times a day.
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Psoas Muscle Release: The psoas muscle connects the inside upper leg with the lumbars of the
lower spine. When it tightens, it pulls the lower spine towards the leg, over-curving it and
creating lower back issues in the lumbars. This is made worse when one psoas is tighter than the
other, as it often is, creating a twist in the pelvis.
To stretch the psoas, sit on the short side of a table so your sit-bones are on the edge. Then
let your sit-bones slide over the edge and lie back on the table. That should get you in the right
position, but if your legs can’t hang freely, then slide down a little more. Grasp your left knee
with your hands (which flattens the back against the table), pulling it toward your chest. Do this
for a minute or so, relaxing into it. (Do not overdo it when you first start to use this technique.)
This releases the right side psoas muscle. Then let your left leg drop and pull your right knee
towards your chest, holding for a minute or so. Repeat with each leg 3 or more times. This helps
lengthen the lower back, helps back and sciatica problems, and helps open the diaphragm and
pelvis. Can be very blissful.
If you can do this same stretch lying on the side of a table, it is a bit more effective.
Another way to stretch the psoas is to stand, take a long step forward, bend and lean onto
your front knee, while keeping your pelvis square & facing forward, and while keeping your
back straight, From this position, grab hold of your lumbar vertebrae and pull them up towards
your head. This stretches your lumbars and the inside of the back leg – the two places the psoas
muscles attach - away from each other, stretching the psoas. Hold for a couple of minutes and
then do it with the other leg forward. Repeat both a few times. Below is an image of the psoas.