Free Download! Building Resilience and Strength- The Role of the Soft Tissues in Health and Healing
We don’t usually pay that much attention to the soft tissues of the body, but they impact the health of our body in numerous ways, says yoga therapist and Heller practitioner Anita Boser in this interview.
The soft tissues consist of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and the connective tissue, or fascia, that wraps around all the tissues of the body. The health of the soft tissues plays a crucial role in keeping proper alignment of e.g. the spine, and in preventing chronic pain issues as we get older.
While chiropractors focus on manipulation of the vertebrae to correct misalignment, in actuality, misalignments are often caused by the soft tissues. Ultimately, it’s the tension in the soft tissues that puts us out of alignment and creates pain, whether that’s the spine or a hip or any part.
Anita talks about the dynamic of the soft tissues as they apply to our yoga practice, both in terms of what we can do to prevent injuries as well as how we can progress faster and more safely in our practice. It is in the soft tissues of the body that the alchemy of yoga primarily takes place, she notes. In that sense, the soft tissues hold the key to tremendous transformation both physical and emotional.
The soft tissues are constantly responding to our environment. They get molded by our habits of alignment throughout the day, and in turn tend to lock us into habits of alignment. This is not just physical, but can affect us mentally and emotionally as well, Anita explains.
Whenever we work with the soft tissues, we also work with fascia, the connective tissue of the body, because it wraps around all the fibers of the body. The message of yoga is that we can learn to reshape and restore the health of the body’s soft tissues by performing certain yoga poses. However, the same dynamics that create the tremendous ability for change of the soft tissues, if pushed too far, are also the dynamics involved in injuries.
Anita discusses what makes the soft tissues resilient and what makes them more susceptible to injuries, and how we can know the difference between working at the right edge to make the soft tissues more resilient, versus overloading the soft tissues and predisposing ourselves to injury.
She further discusses the four stages of healing and the implications this hold for facilitating healing and preventing small injuries from developing into chronic pain issues.
Also be sure to check out Anita’s upcoming course:
Working with the Soft Tissues – Understanding, Preventing and Healing Injuries
To download the free interview, please click link at the bottom of the page.
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