What is Fascia Yoga?
Most people know the common yoga styles - Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Hot Yoga. But have you heard about Fascia Yoga?
Let’s start with understanding what fascia actually is. I’m completely obsessed with how this extraordinary organ influences almost every part of our lives, from how how we move to how we feel, how we recover from injury and even our posture. Fascia is the remarkable network of connective tissue that wraps and links every muscle, joint and organ in the body. It is responsive, intelligent and constantly communicating, but if you neglect it, your fascia can become stiff, dry and prone to adhesions. This is the reason so many of us can still feel restricted or tense even when we stretch regularly.
You can’t train fascia the same way you train muscles. Enter Fascia Yoga. A movement method that honours how the body moves as a whole and cultivates an integrated and deeply connected sense of strength and ease in your body. Fascia craves variety, elasticity and multi-dimensional movement. Our fascia focussed yoga sequences are designed to restore your body’s natural suppleness and resilience, bringing you back into effortless alignment with yourself.
How Fascia Yoga Differs From Traditional Yoga?
Fascia Yoga is a low-impact, whole body movement practice based on Vinyasa yoga but designed to specifically target and nourish your fascia. Traditional yoga is a beautiful, ancient practice that primarily works on muscles, energy channels and alignment with an emphasis on flexibility. I’ve spent many years as a yoga teacher and my yoga practice has brought so much richness to my life. However, a significant kee injury a few years ago meant I needed to adjust my yoga practice to help my recovery. And that is when I started incorporating everything I know about how to train fascia into my daily yoga practice. Why do separate movement practices when these two blend so seamlessly together?
Fascia Yoga focusses instead on fluidity. Continuous flowing movement that glides from one pose to the next, hydrating the fascia, releasing deep tension and improving overall mobility (and if you want to understand the difference between mobility and flexibility, check out my earlier journal post).
Fascia Yoga integrates fascial stretching, elastic rebound and sensory refinement into every sequence. Movements are slow, intentional and multi-dimensional, exploring different angles and variations within each pose to truly stimulate the fascia and create a body that feels supple strong and free from restriction.
Fascia also stores and releases kinetic energy, like a spring. To train and enhance this elasticity, we incorporate swinging, springing and rocking motions, gentle movements to develop responsive and resilient tissue. By maintaining elasticity in the connective tissue, we support joint stability, reduce the risk of injury and preserve our mobility well into later life.
Of course you also engage your fascial tissues in traditional yoga too, however Fascia Yoga places intentional focus on the body’s fascial trains, addressing the body as one interconnected system rather than isolated muscles. There is less emphasis on long, static stretches and more focus on continuous, playful transitions that invite more dynamic and intelligent stretching with movements that are low-impact, fluid and deeply effective.
Props like yoga blocks, bolsters and massage balls can also be used in Fascia Yoga to apply targeted pressure to help break up adhesions for deep tissue release. That targeted pressure is like wringing out a sponge, releasing stagnant fluid so that fresh hydration and nutrients can move through the tissues. As fascia that has become dry and tight begins to rehydrate, your body regains its natural glide. Movement becomes lighter, smoother and more effortless.
Who Can Benefit From Fascia Yoga?
If you have a body, Fascia Yoga is for you!
Fascia links every part of your body, so training it in a holistic way improves how your entire system works together. Subtle adjustments in how you move and flow can create profound changes across your fascia network. You might notice your posture improving, your usual morning stiffness disappearing or a greater sense of lightness and ease. You will experience improved joint mobility, better circulation and even enhanced metabolic function. And over time, Fascia Yoga can help ease chronic tension, relieve pain and awaken a deep sense of freedom in the body.
And because it is low-impact and endlessly adaptable, every pose and flow can be modified to suit any body at any level. Fascia Yoga is accessible to a wide range of abilities.
Fascia Yoga honours the body’s connectivity, we work with the whole body and not just a specific muscle.
Where to Experience Fascia Yoga?
You can experience Fascia Yoga in person through our small weekly group classes at our beautiful studio in eastern Sydney.
If you are not based in Sydney, you can experience our Fascia Yoga from anywhere in the world through our private online one on one sessions that are tailored to your needs and schedule. Check out our Prive page for more details.