Resiliencewith Slings Myofascial Training

Karin Gurtner

©2016 art of motion training in movement

R e s i l i e n c e i s a b a l a n c e o f t o u g h n e s s a n d t e n d e r n e s s

Much success

and boundless energy

for your unique

movement journey!

Herzlich

Karin GurtnerFounder & Principal Educatorart of motion

©2016 art of motion training in movement® Switzerlandwww.art-of-motion.cominfo@art-of-motion.com+41 31 311 14 41

References

1. Robert Schleip, Thomas W. Findley, Leon Chaitow, Peter A. Huijing 2012. Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body, Introduction and Glossary2. Robert Schleip, Heike Jäger, Werner Klingler 2012. Fascia: Fascia is alive – how cells modulate the tonicity and architecture of fascial tissue.3. Thomas Myers, Christopher Frederick 2012. Fascia: Stretching and fascia, Page 431 – 438.4. Robert Schleip 2012. Fascia: Fascia as an organ of communication.5. Robert Schleip 2016. Sensory aspects of fascia.6. James Earls 2014. Born to Walk: Myofascial Effi ciency and the Body in Movement.7. Bruce H. Lipton 2008. Biology of Belief.8. Mina Bissell 2012. Experiments that point to a new understanding of cancer.9. Kelly Kelly McGonigal 2013. How to make stress your friend.10. Maja Storch und Gunter Frank 2010. Die Mañana-Kompetenz.11. Richard J. Davidson 2012. The Emotional Life of Your Brain.12. Ron Gutman 2011. The hidden power of smiling.

Herzlich

Resilience with Slings Myofascial Training

Fascia is the largest and most resilient sensory system in our body; connecting everything within, from

the tip of the toes all the way up to the brain and out to the skin. With Slings Myofascial Training we

aim to enhance fascial resilience, therefore strengthen three of our most valuable resources: adaptability,

regeneration and movement courage.

Basics fi rst. Resilience can refer to:

- Tissue elasticity.

- The body’s capacity to rise to challenge and meet demands with suffi cient stamina.

- The ability to psycho-emotionally cope with and recover from adversity.

Although some people seem to be naturally more resilient than others, resilience is not a trait that you either

have or do not have. It involves actions, thoughts and behaviours that can be developed in everyone.

I believe that all three forms of resilience are infl uenced by the triad of how we move, think and feel. Even

in terms of fascial elasticity in my experience as a mover and teacher, just bouncing around in training

is not suffi cient to make the most of it. In terms of physical and emotional resilience, it is important to

keep in mind that being resilient does not mean

that enduring pain is easy. It means that a person

can carry on, despite the pain they experience.

They might suffer just as much as someone less

resilient, yet he or she can meet the challenge,

where others break down.

I have been experiencing and observing that training

fascia consciously can be a pathway to increased

resilience all around; from enhanced fascial elasticity,

to physical durability, to emotional adaptability.

Being more resilient is not only useful when the

going gets tough, it actually comes with a whole

lot of positive side effects that benefi t us on our

worst, best and most ordinary days.

While the (visco)elasticity of fascia adds buoyancy

and effi ciency to our movements, its sensory qualities

can foster a feeling of energised relaxation (not a

paradox, but a real possibility). As the immediate living

environment of cells, well-nourished fascia supports

our physiological health and regeneration. It actually

gets even better; resilience boosts our movement

courage, which in turn enhances resilience.

Clearly, optimising and maintaining resilience is at

the very top of the Slings Myofascial Training wish

list. Practically speaking, we use purposeful exercise

sequences and specifi c training techniques along with

constructive cueing to utilise the body’s available res-

ources and awaken slumbering self-healing potential.

So here is the story …

Kurt at the age of 70 swinging his golf club on Rathausplatz in Berne in Switzerland

Resilience adds vividness and momentum –

to life in general and movement specifically

By Karin Gurtner – Developer & Principal Educator Slings Myofascial Training

SPRING IN YOUR STEP

Why can gazelles leap further and frogs jump higher than explainable by muscular strength alone?

Because they efficiently employ the viscoelastic properties of their fascia. Said differently, their fascia

elastically loads and recoils with natural ease, storing and releasing kinetic (movement) energy. So,

how light-footed you walk, buoyantly you skip and powerfully you throw greatly depends on the visco-

elasticity of your fascia, not only your

muscular strength and coordination1.

The good news is that we don’t need to

turn into gazelles or frogs to add spring

to our step, it is trainable in a very human

way!

It is the undulating collagen spirals, the

wavy crimp and lattice architecture of

fascia2 as well as its liquidity3 and glide

that add buoyancy and ergonomics to

our movements. All of it can be promoted

with purposeful, fascia-oriented training.

And although elasticity changes with

age, it remains available for a lifetime,

we just need to make use of it – inside

and outside of the movement studio.

Integration into Movement

In Slings Myofascial Training we incorporate

exercises and exercise sequences that I

consider prerequisites for optimal

movement buoyancy; namely body-

wide dynamic stability, fascial hydration

and glide as well as movement rhythm.

They are combined with bouncing and

swinging motions, to utilise and optimise

the natural viscoelasticity of fascia there

and then.

Karin jumping over railway tracks/for joy/over hurdles (take your pick) in Berne

education for movement professionals – Slings Myofascial Training

A Story about Resilience through Movement

SPRING IN YOUR STEP • AND SENSES AWAKE • IN THE RHYTHM • FEELING MORE AND INTERPRETING CONSCIOUSLY REGENERATION • AND MOVEMENT COURAGE • PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE • WITH SIMPLY RELAXED • BELLY LAUGHTER

The art of bouncing (back) up

Karin melting over a rock on Grimsel glacier in Switzerland

Sensing shapes

SENSES AWAKE

If it were possible to unravel and spread the fascial network, it would size-wise surpass the skin (our

largest sensory organ) by far. Not only is fascia tremendous regarding its extent, it is also in a league of

its own in terms of receptor density. For example, the density of mechanoreceptors in fascia is six to ten

times higher than in muscle tissue4; which says a lot about our potential to perceive through fascia.

The so-called interstitial receptors are distributed throughout the whole fascial system. Including these

tiny free nerve endings into the equation, makes fascia one of our richest4 and certainly one of our most

influential sensory systems.

Integration into Movement

In Slings Myofascial Training we recognise the equal value, yet appreciate the sensosomatic differences

of proprioception and interoception. In our definition, proprioception relates directly to the conscious or

subconscious perception of the body in space and to movement coordination. Interoception relates to

how movement feels and what it motivates us to do.

In training, we aim to move life into our fascia (literally), enhancing proprioceptive clarity and interoceptive

wakefulness from the outside in and inside out. Through conscious touch perception, self-massage with

props as well as kinaesthetic cueing, body and movement awareness are enhanced from the outside in.

Sensory awareness from within is promoted with mindful movement execution and attention to arising

thoughts and emotions.

IN THE RHYTHM

The very large population of receptors in our fascial system not only modulates movement and influences

our movement perception, it also give us rhythm5 – which is as handy on the pavement as it is on the

dance floor. When fascial receptors are sufficiently responsive, movement is graceful and has an easy

cadence. Besides feeling good, movement rhythm is a key ingredient to fascial resilience.

Of course different bodies have different fascial architectures and different activities have different

rhythms. Still, in general the following can be said6:

- If movement is done too slowly, it

becomes more ‘muscular driven’.

- If the transition phase between elastic

loading and releasing is too long, the

muscle-fascia ratio also favours muscles.

- If movement is performed too fast,

fascia can’t sufficiently load and once

again, muscle action overpowers

fascial elasticity.

Integration into Movement

Movement rhythm is a big focus in Slings.

Depending on the myofascial training

goals we incorporate slow and steady,

contrasting as well as pacy rhythms.

While the movement sequences aiming

for adaptability may go from one tempo

extreme to the other or consciously vary

rhythms from feel-good to completely off-

beat, the rhythm of the elastic exercises

“matches” the fascial architecture of the

respective body parts, thus promoting

well-coordinated movement freedom

and resilience. Whether you walk, run,

jump, throw a ball, swing your arms or

dynamically shift and spiral in a Slings

class, your body has to find a rhythm that

matches your fascial architecture and

activity. When there is a sense of ease

and buoyancy you have got it!

Karin spiralling into the Windmill in front of Zytglogge in Berne

In the rhythm of the Spiral Line

By Karin Gurtner – Developer & Principal Educator Slings Myofascial Training education for movement professionals – Slings Myofascial Training

FEELING MORE AND INTERPRETING CONSCIOUSLY

When awakening the senses with myofascial training, chances are you will feel more, or feel more refined.

Before moving forward, let’s make sure we agree (at least for this article) of what it means to ‘feel’.

Feeling includes both sensation and emotion.

- A sensation is the feeling of something.

- An emotion is how I feel about it.

Feeling more is a kind of double edged sword, because we can’t be selective. When we feel more, we feel

more of everything, the things we like and the things we don’t like so much (or not at all). For many of us,

increased sensitivity requires a more conscious interpretation and processing of the emotions that tend to surface.

Integration into Movement

In Slings Myofascial Training we value sensory awareness and recognition of the arising emotions without

judgement (or as little judgement as humanly possible). The aim is to awaken the senses through mindful

movement as well as awareness to internal sensations and tactile feedback. At the same time we encourage

relaxed ‘observation’ of one’s own response patterns, so they can be recognised more clearly for what they are:

response patterns. This way a decision can be made, which emotional response is appropriate in the

respective movement scenario.

Contemplating sensation

Lucas taking a contemplative pause in the old town of Berne

REGENERATION

Fascia is extracellular matrix or the direct living environment of trillions of cells. The health and regeneration

of our cells is closely linked to the health of their environment7,8 hence fascia. Taking care of fascia

through constructive movement training means supporting cellular health and speeding up regeneration.

Integration into Movement

The applied Slings Myofascial Training techniques and the purposeful exercise sequencing aim to nourish

the fascial system and promote balanced tone and permeability, both short and long term. Detoxification,

sufficient tissue hydration and adequate tone all contribute to our body’s ability to regenerate, which is

key to physiological and psycho-emotional wellbeing.

Karin on a stormy day in front of parliament house in Berne

Well hydrated inside and outside

By Karin Gurtner – Developer & Principal Educator Slings Myofascial Training education for movement professionals – Slings Myofascial Training

Karin balancing in Bird of Paradise on a rock in a cave near Berne

Balancing act

MOVEMENT COURAGEA physically unstable and fragile person or a rigid person is less resilient, therefore more injury-prone than

someone who is dynamically stable and adaptable. When lacking resilience, the courage to move gener-

ously and in novel ways can be diminished. If recovery is very slow, a person might start to avoid what

possibly disadvantages them, which makes their body even more frail and unadaptable. They become

more afraid and less trusting in their body’s functionality, their movement spectrum shrinks and with it

their resilience –a downward spiral … that can be turned around!

Step by step movement courage can be

(re)built with mindful training. Dynamic

stability lays the foundation, both in

terms of movement and sensation. It is

not only a prerequisite for movement

efficiency, it also gives a sense ground-

edness and capability.

A person who feels stable, capable and

resilient has the courage to move – in

all kinds of ways and into old age!

Integration into Movement

In Slings, resilience and with it movement

courage is trained intentionally with

specific exercises, contrasting movement

sequences and a selective teaching

language. We aim to create positive

change on the mat with long-lasting

effects that go beyond the practise.

«Chasing meaning is better for

your health than trying to

avoid discomfort.”»

Kelly McGonigal

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

For many of us being or feeling stressed at times is part of our ‘modern’ lifestyle.

Believing that stress is harmful and holding on to it is indeed toxic. Feeling temporarily stressed and being

ok with it is not per se unhealthy, it can actually give you a boost9 - provided you can adopt a constructive

perspective. A person who accepts stress deals with it more easily and benefits from the released

energy, advantaging mind and body

alike. Of course that isn’t exactly easy,

which makes ‘stress-acceptance training’

even more valuable.

Integration into Movement

In Slings, we occasionally and skilfully

(we hope) create a bit of stress. By

throwing in a movement challenge or

two unexpectedly, we shake up ‘daily

routines’ and release an extra dose of

sociable oxytocin9. The buzz is comple-

mented with something soothingly

familiar to calm body and mind. This

way we practise experiencing stress as a

short-term challenge (not a chronic state)

and the sense of ease that follows as its

natural counterpart.

It almost makes you look forward to the

next stressful situation – almost …

«Viewing stress as helpful,

creates a biology of courage»

Kelly McGonigal

Karin changing her view in a forest in Berne

Changing perspective

By Karin Gurtner – Developer & Principal Educator Slings Myofascial Training education for movement professionals – Slings Myofascial Training

MAñANA COMPETENCE‘Mañana competence’10 or the ability to unwind, is a quality worth cultivating – especially if you live

in an urbanised culture where a main goal is increased efficiency to fit in more, not increased work

efficiency to have more time to revive afterwards.

When you relax, the increased parasympathetic activity speeds up regeneration, strengthens the immune

system and aids circulation, it makes you happier and more attentive. And if that is not good enough,

mañana competence helps you think more clearl11, thus it makes you more efficient when you work.

Besides the many benefits already mentioned, holistic myofascial training can have a wonderfully calming

effect on the nervous system6. So, while practising your movement competence you also practise your

‘mañana competence’.

Integration into Movement

In Slings, mañana competence is promoted in various ways. Sometimes we incorporate contrasting

movement interplays combining ‘outward activity’ and ‘resting within‘. Other times we just wind down

with deliciously mellow movement sequences. And often we finish a lesson with a mañana time-out; in

Slings jargon Absorption in the Living Pose (also known as Shavasana or Corpse Pose or Constructive

Rest) – Living Pose for us, because it supports life and enhances living life well.

I am practising my mañana competence on a regular basis – especially when the going gets tough and

there seems to be zero time for practise … I highly recommend it!

Karin practising down to earth mañana competence in Berne

Mañana competence

BELLY LAUGHTER

Last and maybe most importantly: laughing is healthy, really healthy!

We all know that laughing is contagious and makes us feel happier, though that is not all. Smiling a lot

is good for your health and it makes you more likeable and successful all around12.

I also believe that laughing generously is a resilience enhancer. Of course I could be wrong and therefore

have been ‘wasting’ smiles and endorphins, making me feel joyful without a good reason … it’s defi nitely

a risk I can live with – happily.

Integration into Movement

In (and around) Slings classes we encourage beaming smiles, hearty laughter and breathless giggles alike – basically anything that engages the zygomaticus major along with the orbicularis oculi muscles works just fi ne!

Lucas and Karin in their midst of their happy-practice in Marktgasse in Berne

Take your practice serious – not yourself

By Karin Gurtner – Developer & Principal Educator Slings Myofascial Training education for movement professionals – Slings Myofascial Training

FINISHING WITH A WORD ABOUT DIVERSITY

Intelligent training defi nes more than your body; it defi nes who you are more clearly.

To achieve this, you don’t need to be a profi cient mover. Get onto the mat and into your body and you

are on your way…

Being in your body requires presence and engagement. If the training is too easy, attention tails off. If it

is too diffi cult, satisfaction dwindles. Finding the balance between refi ning accomplished movements and

mastering challenges is key to keep mind and body engaged and enjoy a sense of achievement.

For many of us this is also true off the mat. If the dynamic balance between engaging challenges and

satisfying reverie is right, we feel in the fl ow.

Slings Myofascial Training aims to refl ect the diversity of life with conscious movement practise. On one

hand, the practise can be a respite from the turbulences and uncertainties of daily life. On the other

hand, it is way to shake up physical routines and thinking habits. Adaptability is enhanced either way,

and with it resilience and resourcefulness.

Being more resilient and resourceful enables you to recover more readily and get back onto your feet

after stumbling. You may courageously take a leap when the opportunity presents itself and experience

life even more vividly. Last but not least, resilience adds spring to your step – when going on a date or to

the grocery store. All of it counts and adds up to serious amounts of increased life quality!

Much success and boundless energy for your unique movement journey!

Herzlich

Karin Gurtner

Founder & Principal Educator

art of motion

Herzlich

education for movement professionals – Slings Myofascial Training

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