Spring Qi Chats | Week 5
Fascia + Flow
Let’s discuss the why behind feeling feeling sticky and stiff in your movement so you stop blaming your age!
Sinews & Science…
In Chinese medicine, the saying “the Liver governs the sinews (筋, jin)” highlights the importance of a targeted training and care plan for our tissues to promote better movement and health this Spring season. The Liver's primary role is to ensure that Qi flows freely and that Blood nourishes the sinews. When this system is well-supported, the body feels agile, adaptable, and capable. However, when it is not functioning properly, we may experience stiffness, tightness, and restrictions. Let’s explore the concept of 'sinews' and its impact on our movement and health.
The term “sinews” has evolved to encompass tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue, which we now recognize as part of the fascial system. These tissues are essential for allowing us to move without pain and stiffness, enabling us to maintain control over our slow movements and responsive reactions that keep us safe.
It’s also important to note that researchers like Robert Schleip describe fascia as a sensory organ rather than merely structural tissue. This perspective helps us understand the underlying issues that can arise from fascial tension. What Chinese medicine refers to as “Qi stagnation” can be interpreted today as disrupted communication within the tissue and diminished sensory clarity. When the connection between the body and brain becomes muddled or unclear, the brain often reacts by initiating protective responses, such as stiffness, guarding, or pain.
So how can we train the ‘sinews’?
Fascia plays a significant role in how we experience movement. If you find yourself feeling stiff or ‘sticky,’ it’s essential to incorporate daily practices and training exercises into your routine.
Each season, the Yin Shu and Su Wen provide movement ‘instructions’ for seasonal training. This is important because if you train the same way throughout the year (ex. linear, repetitive, and force-driven) you miss the chance to align with your body’s natural rhythms.
Spring Focus: Nourishing and Mobilizing the Sinews
In Spring, the objective is to nourish and mobilize the sinews through:
Spiraling movement
Gentle stretching with low load
Varied, non-linear motion
Coordinated breath and movement
In essence, movement and pressure function like a pump-and-squeeze system, facilitating fluid movement through the fascia and restoring its elasticity and responsiveness. This is where Qigong practices & Pai Da prove to be highly effective. These methods create rhythmic loading and release, which aids in rehydrating tissues, stimulating circulation, and enhancing nervous system perception.
While modern science might refer to this as improving tissue signaling, Chinese medicine would describe it as moving Qi and nourishing the sinews. Regardless of the terminology, the outcome is the same: improved communication within the body, reduced tension, and enhanced ease of movement.
Neuro-Qi Tip o’the day!
Go with the flow
Move the skin during your scrubs
Pai Da challenge for the suggested 15 minute session!
Just do Qigong
*Video posts every Friday by 11:30am MDT
Resources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12597954/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2024.1458385/full
