Day 2: Fascia, Flexibility, and Why Yoga Works Beyond Muscles
- shellie08
- Jan 11
- 3 min read
In yesterday’s post, I introduced collagen and why it might matter to yogis, especially as we move through midlife and hormonal change. Today, I want to go a little deeper into something many of us feel in our bodies but may not always have words for: fascia.
As a yoga teacher, I’ve long known that flexibility isn’t just about stretching muscles. There’s something more subtle at play, a sense of glide, elasticity, and connection that can feel very different depending on stress levels, hydration, age, and even emotional state. Increasingly, science is catching up with what many movement practitioners have observed for years.
What Is Fascia?
Fascia is a continuous connective tissue network that runs throughout the entire body. It surrounds muscles, bones, organs, nerves, and blood vessels, creating an integrated system rather than separate parts.
Rather than thinking of the body as layers of individual muscles, fascia invites us to see the body as a connected whole.
Modern research describes fascia as:
A body-wide connective tissue network
Highly responsive to mechanical load and movement
Rich in sensory receptors
Fascia as a Sensory Organ
One of the most fascinating developments in fascia research is the understanding that fascia is not passive tissue. Studies suggest it plays an important role in proprioception — our sense of body awareness.
Research by Schleip and colleagues proposes that fascia contains more sensory nerve endings than muscle tissue, which may help explain why slow, mindful movement can feel deeply regulating and grounding.
This perspective helps explain why yoga often feels effective even when movements are gentle.
Fascia and Flexibility: A Different Kind of Opening
Unlike muscle tissue, fascia appears to respond best to:
Slow loading
Sustained holds
Gentle, varied movement
Hydration and circulation
This is why practices such as yin yoga, slow flow, and longer-held poses often feel especially beneficial, particularly in later life.
Many people notice changes in flexibility during menopause or midlife. Fascia research offers a compassionate lens: tissues are adapting to new conditions and may simply require a different pace and approach.
Why Yoga Supports Fascia So Well
Yoga offers several elements that fascia seems to respond to positively:
Multi-directional movement
Time under gentle load
Conscious breathing
Consistency rather than intensity
Movement educators such as Thomas Myers (Anatomy Trains) describe fascia as a system that adapts over time, shaped by habitual movement patterns rather than single stretches.
From this perspective, yoga becomes less about achieving shapes and more about cultivating tissue health over time.
Where Collagen Fits into the Picture
Fascia is rich in collagen. As collagen production naturally declines with age, it’s understandable that some people become curious about how nutrition might support connective tissue health alongside movement.
Rather than seeing supplements as a solution, I’m exploring the idea that:
Yoga provides the stimulus. Nutrition provides the materials.
This series is about curiosity, not conclusions — and about understanding the body more deeply as it changes.
A Personal Reflection
What fascinates me about fascia is how closely it mirrors life itself: adaptable, responsive, shaped by how we move, how we rest, and how we pay attention.
Yoga reminds us that progress doesn’t come from force — it comes from patience, consistency, and awareness. Fascia seems to agree.
Coming Up Tomorrow
Day 3: Aging, Hormones, and Connective Tissue — What Changes and Why
If this resonates with you, I’d love you to:
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Join the conversation as we move through these 10 days together
This content is shared for educational purposes only and reflects my personal learning as a yoga teacher. It is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health or supplement routine.
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