Many Layers of Fascia with Gil Hedley
How often have we said that we can’t do certain movements because of old age? What if that’s not a result of old age, but “fuzz” – a by-product of not enough movement in our bodies? Gil Hedley of The Fuzz Speech fame joins Shannon to bring the concepts of fascia, anatomy, movement and scar tissue to a whole new light.
Gil is a Rolfer, an author, and a strong proponent of encouraging somanauts to explore Inner Space a.k.a. the wonders of the human form. He became a Certified Rolfer at the Rolf Institute in Boulder, CO in the early ‘90s, and has also studied massage and tai chi. He has since developed an integral approach to the study of human anatomy, and published a number of books including The Integral Anatomy Series.
Our bodies receive a lot of flak for not being perfect or adhering to societal standards – Gil encourages us to approach our bodies from a place of appreciation and fascination instead. Whether it’s fat cells, scar tissue or any other perceived imperfection in our bodies, approaching it with appreciation is the key to understanding what’s going on inside our bodies.
Gil takes us through the three different layers of fascia, the key role of movement, massage, and grounding in our well-being, and why scar tissue is good and beneficial, in this incredibly enlightening episode. If you’ve ever wondered about the human form or movement or just need a push to appreciate your body more, this episode is sure to be an eye-opener.
Key Takeaways:
[5:06] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode – Gil Hedley.
[6:09] What started Gil’s journey into fascia and understanding the human body?
[6:47] What does the word “somanaut” mean?
[8:47] How does Gil wish people understood fascia?
[11:53] There’s nothing wrong with noticing differences, but it must be done with the heart to remain connected.
“I always invite people when they’re wanting to learn about the gift of the body, to start with a place of appreciation.” – Gil Hedley
[13:53] Gil explains more about the superficial layer of fascia, not just thinking about it in the head space, but also integrating the heart space.
[17:47] How are intuition and superficial fascia related?
[23:06] Gil dives into the next level of fascia – the perifascia.
[29:36] What are some methods that can help reintroduce slipperiness between tissues?
[34:21] How does grounding help fascia?
[36:17] What is the third layer of fascia – deep fascia?
[38:09] What happens to fascia when there is an injury?
“Scars are good. Scars are a blessing. Scars represent our healing function.” – Gil Hedley
[40:30] What can be done to heal scar tissue and improve the fascia?
[43:58] What are some of Gil’s questions about fascia that remain unanswered?
[45:31] Shannon and Gil discuss the need to balance between movement and relaxation.
[49:15] What does massage offer the body that movement can’t?
[52:02] Our bodies tend to fall into certain limiting movements. How can you invite new movement into your life?
“If you want to move differently, you have to move out differently.” -Gil Hedley
[55:39] Check out more of Gil’s videos and courses on his website.
[56:31] Shannon shares her key takeaways and would love for you to do the same.
Links:
- Gil Hedley
- Gil Hedley: Fascia and Stretching: The Fuzz Speech
- Emilie Conrad – Founder of Continuum
- Rolfing
- The Yoga Conference and Show, Toronto March 2019
- Mama Nurture Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training – (Training is no longer being offered by Shannon Crow because she has niched down)
- Yoga for Pelvic Health Teacher Training, November 2019
Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity
I really enjoyed this episode! I work as an MRI tech and I am very literal with my anatomy knowledge, IE “The adrednal glands are located superior to the kidneys, yet inferior to the pancreas” etc so at first listening to Gill was very challenging for me. Like he said, words are hard for the brain, and I am used to thinking about anatomy is such a different manner. So this whole episode was a challenge for my dogma about how we “should” be talking about anatomy. I have persistent pain and for the past 2 years I have been trying to take ahimsa into how I think about my body, so Gill’s approach to the body really resonates with me. Thanks for another great podcast Shannon!
Love listening to Gil. His passion for the body is so inspiring. I loved his take on appreciating your scars first before trying to do the work to make things better. Thanks for this podcast. Loved it!
thanx, very nice interview 🙂
Hey Shannon, I’ve been a fan of Gil for many years and loved this podcast. Thank you for sharing and giving so gracefully. I Loved the “How do you invite new movement”. I am a Somatic Educator and the creator of Body Sensing Inner Movement and Inner yoga. A practice that is intuitive and allows for spontaneous movement. Before then I used hands-on Myofascial Release or self-myofascial release (using softballs) to get slippery back. Guiding movement from within, from inner sensation, not only allows for self Myofascial release but taps into our inner movement blueprint. Pandiculation (the urge to stretch and yawn) being one of them. Pandiculation is the blueprint that uses movement to reset the nervous system. I use “Skin gliding” movements too to get slippery back. What’s great about a Somatic teaching approach is that there is no “right” way. It really helped me experience Fascia as the fabric of embodiment and find these Intuitive practices. Alignment-free, precision free and self-healing.
Omgoodness so good. Well done!
Great info. Thank you!
Oh my goodness, this is a FANTASTIC episode! So educational AND entertaining!
Gil is so funny!!
I love all the podcasts, Shannon, but I was particularly fascinated by this, because I think I need to learn more about physiology, but also because it really challenged me to look at human cadavers. And I’m not squeamish. I’ve a PhD in ecophilosophy and I’m interested in advocating for a non-dualistic response to the ecological emergency. I’ve been teaching yoga since 2002, and I’m learning all the time, exponentially. Or rather, I keep realising that I don’t know as much as I thought I did, in fact, I’m learning the golden rule: I increase the knowledge of what I don’t know! And yet, yoga has been a path to light for me, not because I honour only the light, but because I can increasingly embrace the dark. I really just wanted to thank you for your work and I would love to talk about my own work, my PhD, zazen, yoga, free will and all the associated issues around the ecological emergency, on your podcast, if you’re ever casting wider for input.
Namaste
Thank you. I’ve commented before but I don’t know if you received it. I think you’re amazing. Thanks. I’ve been teaching for a while. I wrote a book called Love is Green. Interview me!