Autumn’s Tapestry of Healing

By Lynne Czysz

Gold and red leaves dance to the ground in New England at this time of year bringing a vibrant blanket to our feet that can take our breath away. Each leaf, individual and unique, forms an exquisite tapestry of beauty, a community of color, when viewed on a hillside or freshly fallen on a lawn. 

Similarly, Down Under School of Yoga is a wondrous, health minded-community, made up of precious individuals, interested not just in yoga, massage and Ayurveda, but also in promoting social change and a healthy environment for consciousness to grow. Physical, spiritual and emotional development are woven tightly into the fabric of the School’s community. 

Whether we attend a yoga class, receive the touch of a massage therapist or drop into an Ayurvedic workshop, these practices often reflect our humanness, our yearning to be together and our desire to strengthen and heal our physical bodies; motivations which connect us all. 

Now back to the falling leaves and the need to pull on a big warm sweater… 

As a practicing massage therapist for Down Under and a lover of fiber arts, I appreciate the metaphor of fascia (our body’s connective tissue) as our physical “sweater,” where we see the concept of interconnectedness working deep within our bodies. This is a simplistic image on a vast subject but nonetheless, an imaginative picture that helps us relate to one of the infinite mysteries of our physical body. 

John F. Barnes, who began developing his Myofascial Release Approach® and teaching seminars in the 1970s, describes fascia as ”a continuous structure that exists from head to toe without interruption”. In this way, he says, “…you can begin to see that each part of our entire body is connected to every other part by the fascia, like the yarn in a sweater.” 

In Barne’s metaphor, when a “snag” occurs in our fascia, just like a sweater whose yarn is pulled, not only one part of our body is affected, but other areas are as well. 

Fascia (connective tissue) plays a vital role in the support and function of our bodies. In the normal healthy state, fascia has the ability to stretch and move without restriction. Mr. Barnes writes, “When one experiences physical trauma, emotional trauma, scarring, or inflammation, however, the fascia loses its pliability. It can become tight and restricted, a source of tension to the rest of the body.” 

As an example, our sore shoulders or tight hamstrings don’t just stand alone and one holistic solution to easing discomfort, to healing, is therapeutic massage. 

When we come to our mat, our teacher encourages us to work with not just one component of a posture, but to connect to our entire being; to our breath, to softening areas of our body, adjusting our weight, or noticing how our arms might be intrinsically connected to polarities of space. It is much more than just the physical posture, it is head, heart, and hands. 

Down Under’s yoga classes and massage sessions can connect us to much more than our initial expectations. We walk in the door with one idea or goal but often something else is revealed to us.

Yoga and massage can provide a partnership of understanding. Through supporting and strengthening our body awareness and bringing us beyond our perceived limitations, yoga and massage can be a life practice.

Not only do yoga and massage have physical commonalities such as increasing and enhancing flexibility, circulation and expanded range of motion, but they also both promote holistic health and well-being in unique, soul-strengthening ways.

Lastly, in case you have not found a connection to Ayurveda, (an Indian medical practice over 5000 years old), Abhyanga is an enchanting way to begin your exploration. Check out our wellness menu to learn more about what we offer.

Abhyanga helps soothe and calm the nervous system,” says Katie Silcox, an Ayurvedic teacher and author.

She refers back to the state of being a baby, where most people receive lots of skin-to-skin contact — something that happens rarely outside of intimacy today. You’re taking yourself back to that time, reminding yourself through your physiology that you are loved, safe, and valued for who you are.” 

Down Under offers our community an outstanding opportunity- a juicy mix of yoga, massage and Ayurveda as a pathway to health and healing. If you are an avid yoga student and have never received a massage from one of our knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated massage therapists, I encourage you to strengthen, expand and diversify your practice by signing up for a massage soon!

Five locations are available to choose from, all within or very close to the studio locations. A wide variety of services, therapists and times are available to choose from in Down Under’s massage menu.