If you’ve ever felt like your body is holding onto tension the way some people hold grudges, cue the fascia.
Fascia is the soft, connective tissue that wraps around everything inside you — muscles, joints, organs, nerves — like the world’s most dedicated bodyguard. It keeps you structurally sound, keeps things gliding smoothly, and honestly does more behind the scenes than it ever gets credit for.
But here’s the interesting part:
Your fascia also listens.
I know — it sounds a little woo until you realize fascia is packed with sensory receptors, has its own kind of intelligence, and responds to pressure, intention, breath, imagery, and even your emotions.
So, yes… you can actually “talk” to it.
And it talks back — in the form of ease, softening, release, and that full-body exhale you didn’t know you needed.
Today, we’re diving into how to communicate with your fascia so it finally feels safe enough to let go — and how this simple shift can reduce pain, increase mobility, quiet your nervous system, and help you move like a well-oiled human again.
Grab your tea, get cozy, and let’s get into it.
This post contains affiliate links meaning I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the work of Lisa Smith Wellness and the Pretty Well Podcast!
First: What Is Fascia, Really? (And Why Does It Hold On To So Much Stuff?)
Think of fascia like a three-dimensional spiderweb that lives under the skin and connects every part of you to every other part of you. It’s made of collagen, elastin, and a substance called ground matrix — basically the gel that fills the spaces between fibers.
What makes fascia special is that it:
- Contracts and relaxes like muscle
- Responds to stress like the nervous system
- Stores emotional experiences (yes, really)
- Gets stiff when you ignore it
- Softens when you pay attention to it
When fascia gets dehydrated, overworked, injured, stressed, or overloaded with emotion, it tightens. And because it’s all connected, tension in your left hip can show up as a headache, and old emotional stress can settle into your jaw or ribcage.
Now, here’s where it gets fascinating — fascia is highly responsive to slow, mindful movements, visualization, and breath. It’s like the body’s version of talking someone down off a ledge. You don’t yell. You speak softly, slowly, and with presence.
That’s why “talking” to your fascia works.
You’re not using words.
You’re using sensation, attention, and intention.
And fascia eats that up.
Signs Your Fascia Is Trying to Tell You Something
If your fascia could text you, these are the messages it would send:
- “I feel stiff by midday.”
- “Stretching doesn’t help.”
- “I wake up achy, even when I slept fine.”
- “My body feels ‘stuck’ in certain patterns.”
- “My neck/hip/back pain moves around.”
- “I can’t take a deep breath unless I force it.”
These are classic flags — the tissue is tight, braced, or dehydrated, and it’s asking you to check in.
And the beautiful thing? Fascia responds immediately when you do.
Is this resonating? You’ll enjoy Episode 173 where we dive in deeper.
Why “Talking” to Your Fascia Works (The Science-y Part, Explained Simply)
Fascia is rich in sensory nerve endings — many more than muscle. When you apply slow, gentle pressure or movement, you stimulate these receptors, especially the interoceptive ones (the ones that tell your brain what’s happening inside your body).
This does three things at once:
- Turns down your fight-or-flight nervous system
- Increases fluid flow inside the fascia
- Instructs tight tissue to soften and lengthen
In other words:
It stops bracing and starts melting.
And the language it understands best is:
- slowness
- breath
- imagery
- curiosity
- pleasure
- safety
- gentle pressure
- micro-movements
Basically… the opposite of pushing through pain.
Okay, So How Do You Actually Do It?
You don’t need a translator.
You just need presence.
Here’s the step-by-step guide I use with clients — and myself — when fascia needs a conversation and not a command:
1. Start With Attention — the “I See You” Moment
Before you move or stretch, take a breath and simply notice what’s tight, achy, or calling your attention.
Fascia responds dramatically to being acknowledged.
(It’s like that friend who just needs someone to say, “I hear you.”)
2. Add Breath as the First Language
When you breathe into an area, fascia changes pressure, hydration, and tension patterns. You’re literally giving it space.
No forcing big breaths.
Just gentle, steady inhale… slow exhale… like you’re signaling safety.
3. Introduce Slow, Wavelike Movement
Fascia hates quick, jerky stretches.
It loves:
- rocking
- spiraling
- swaying
- gentle rotations
- micro-stretching
Think slow ocean waves, not sprint intervals.
4. Use Imagery
Fascia responds to metaphor — wild, right?
Try imagining:
- honey softening in warm sun
- taffy slowly pulling apart
- a sponge soaking up water
- ice melting
- fabric unwrinkling
This engages your brain (which controls tension) and your tissue simultaneously.
5. Add Pressure, But Only If the Tissue Invites It
Use your hands, a ball, or the floor.
The rule:
If you brace, stop. Fascia doesn’t release when it feels threatened.
6. Wait for the “Melt”
This is the moment the tissue lets go.
You’ll feel:
- warmth
- softening
- spreading
- heat
- or a little internal sigh
That’s fascia saying, “Thanks. I can relax now.”
7. Move the Newly Released Area
Once it melts, move it gently to anchor the change.
Fascia loves when you say:
“Let’s try that new mobility out.”
8. End With Appreciation
Yes. Really.
Fascia responds to kindness — because your nervous system does.
A simple:
“Thank you, body. That was good.”
…goes a long way.
What Happens With a Regular Practice
This is where clients tell me things like:
- “I feel taller.”
- “My hips finally let me sleep on my side again.”
- “My body feels younger.”
- “My breath feels deeper.”
- “My anxiety is down — which I wasn’t expecting.”
- “I didn’t realize how armored my body was until it started softening.”
When you work with your body consistently, you retrain your nervous system to stop bracing. You improve hydration in the tissue. You unwind movement patterns that have been stuck for years.
And, maybe most importantly — you get your body back.
The Emotional Side: Fascia Also Stores Feelings (Here’s Why It Matters)
Some areas of fascia are more emotionally expressive:
- hips — stuck emotions, survival stress
- diaphragm — grief, fear, overwhelm
- jaw — anger, boundary violations, “holding words”
- ribcage — self-protection
- psoas — old stress, chronic vigilance
When you talk to fascia through breath and slow movement, these emotions can unwind too — sometimes gently, sometimes unexpectedly.
This is normal.
This is healing.
This is why fascia work feels like therapy for your tissues.
A Simple Daily Fascia Conversation Ritual (5 Minutes)
Here’s a quick routine to try tonight:
1. Stand or sit comfortably.
2. Place a hand on any area of tightness.
3. Take three slow breaths and imagine the tissue warming.
4. Gently sway or spiral the area.
5. Pause and wait for a softening.
6. Move the area lightly.
7. End with one deep exhale.
That’s it.
Five minutes.
And your fascia feels heard.
What Not to Do
- Yanking or forcing stretches
- Holding positions that make you brace your jaw
- Fast, aggressive foam rolling
- “Pain is gain” mentality
- Breath-holding during movement
- Ignoring tension until it screams
Fascia is a diva — in the best way.
It wants what it wants, and what it wants is gentle consistency.
Why Talking to Fascia Makes You Move Better at Every Age
This is where it gets fun, especially for my midlife women who feel like their bodies have become stiff little mystery puzzles:
When fascia releases, you naturally experience:
- smoother movement
- better posture
- more youthful mobility
- reduced pain
- deeper breath capacity
- better gut motility
- improved circulation
- fewer “why is this tight again?” moments
Your body becomes more fluid.
More responsive.
More you.
And at midlife, when hormones are shifting and collagen is naturally declining, fascia work is one of the best anti-aging tools you can give yourself.
Fascia Likes to Be in Relationship With You
That’s the part most people miss.
You don’t “fix” fascia.
You connect with it.
You listen.
You respond.
You give it time.
You meet it where it is.
And like any good relationship, when you show up consistently with softness and intention, everything gets easier.
The Bottom Line: Your Fascia Wants to Be Talked To — and You Already Know the Language
You really do.
Your breath.
Your attention.
Your intuition.
Your gentleness.
Your presence.
These are all forms of communication that your fascia understands.
And when you practice this regularly, your body starts shifting from:
- stiff → spacious
- guarded → fluid
- tense → responsive
- exhausted → restored
- fragmented → integrated
It’s one of the simplest, most powerful things you can do for your mobility, your energy, your nervous system, and your slowing of aging.
And best of all — it’s free, it’s intuitive, and it’s already available to you.
Your fascia has been waiting for this conversation.
You might be surprised by how much it has to say.
+ view comments . . .