Block Therapy and the Towel

Block Therapy is a simple but powerful self-care practice that anyone of any level can do. Its purpose is to release adhesions in the fascia that cause tension and pain throughout our whole system. The way this works can be described fairly simply with this towel!

This towel represents our fascia. Fascia is the connective tissue all over our body that provides structure to our muscles and organs, protects our nerves and blood vessels, and also sticks together each and every cell. It is constantly moving and readjusting to what we do in life. This is what it should look like - smooth and spread out - but problems arise with injuries, surgeries, and compressed posture over time which cause the fascia to migrate, spiral, and stick, holding us out of alignment.

Notice how now the towel is smaller and has all these bumps and creases. In the fascia this means blockages to blood and oxygen flow. The Block can release all of these all the way down to where they grip to bone with a 2000 pound per square inch force, allowing the cells to migrate back to where they should be and restoring flow! The way it works is with steady deep pressure and the diaphragmatic breath. 

As an example, the belly position is the position that we do at the beginning of every class. We all compress in the core from gravity pulling us forward so it is no surprise that this area lacks space and flow. The Block opens up this area, but equally important is how it activates our diaphragmatic breath.

The breath is essential as our internal furnace of the body, heating our system so that our tissue remains at the ideal temperature for cellular function. This speeds up the melting process, and feeds our cells with oxygen while they are trying to heal. It also brings our nervous system to a calm, meditative state, and assists digestion and detoxification!

With a regular practice, Block Therapy has allowed people to experience better tissue and muscle tone, less stress and anxiety, and relief from chronic pain, all by restoring flow to areas that were previously blocked for so long.

Try it out for yourself - be the towel in the first picture - and you will feel the difference!