What is 'Grounding'???

In the world of myofascial release, grounding is when you fully center yourself and your energy into your treatment. This goes for both the patient AND the therapist. With traditional therapy, patients are used to coming in, doing exercises, and then lying on the table waiting for something to be done by the therapist. These patients tend to “check out” or fall asleep, making the treatment quite passive. Authentic healing means that you have to FEEL in order to HEAL. We don’t want you focusing on getting laundry done or your grocery list!!

The fascial system is a whole-body glide system that connects everything in the body to everything else, both mind and body. When you’re grounded, you become in tune with your body’s sensations, allowing for a deeper treatment. And during this process things like emotions, discomfort, or other sensations may arise, as well as spontaneous movement; don’t fight this, let it happen naturally.

So, what exactly is “grounding”? It’s a concept used during myofascial release where both the patient and therapist quiet the mind, especially the left side of the brain, which is our analytic brain. It helps to shift the focus to the right side of the brain, where our creativity and intuition lie. While we want you to relax during treatment, instead of “checking out”, we want you to quiet the mind, but also become aware of your body and the sensations that arise during treatment. As stated previously, the fascial system is a whole-body system and while we might be working on one part of your body, you might feel sensations or discomfort elsewhere, known as the “fascial voice”. This helps guide you and the therapist to other areas of restrictions that need to be addressed. Treat the pain, but look for the source!

The other aspect of grounding is keeping your eyes closed during a treatment session. By doing this, you can really focus on your body and avoid trying to let your mind drift or stare at the ceiling. If you find yourself drifting during treatment, refocus on your breath to bring you back to center. Think of it as self-meditation during your treatment session.

The fascial system holds on to everything your body experiences (from birth to the present!) and stores it in your subconscious. In society today, we’ve been told to ignore the subconscious and to push down emotions in order to move on. Which simply isn’t the case. When you avoid and push down these things, they can transpire into painful restrictions, eventually causing chronic pain. So do yourself a favor during your treatment session: don’t be afraid to take the brakes off!! Trust the process and trust your body; it’s very capable of healing itself and knows what it wants!