Haelen Hands

06/10/2026

Some days simple tidying can give you the pause that you need in your day. Found a note reminding me to look up the words to a Hafiz poem that was shared at the cranio-sacral class I went to in March. It also correlated with conversations this week so there's that piece of the connection as well. Posting it below:
This is the Kind of Friend You Are
By Hafiz (Rendered by Daniel Ladinsky)

This is the kind of Friend you are—
Without making me realize
My soul’s anguished history,
You slip into my house at night,
And while I am sleeping,
You silently carry off
All my suffering and sordid past
In Your beautiful Hands.

Send a message to learn more

04/30/2026

Here is another nice talking point that Rowena created re: what to look for in a MFR therapist. I think a lot of principles apply to a lot of other professions too. Life long learning, has always been something that I feel has kept me fresh as a therapist after 40+ years of being a PT. The body is amazing and research keeps teaching us more and more and what is possible, especially when we think outside of the body as a machine mentality.

Choosing a highly experienced Myofascial Release therapist is about far more than certifications on a wall. True mastery is reflected in who they are, how they show up, and the depth of healing they continue to pursue within themselves. ❤️‍🩹

1- Look for a therapist who never stops learning—someone who continues to attend seminars, repeat advanced trainings, and refine their hands, presence, and intuition. The best therapists understand that healing is not a destination. It is a lifelong practice.

2- Look for someone who prioritizes their own healing journey. A therapist who does their inner work often has greater sensitivity, compassion, and the ability to hold space for others. They know what it means to move through pain, resistance, fear, and release.

3- Look for someone who leaves ego at the door. Your session should never be about proving how much they know. It should be about listening deeply to your body, honoring your intentions, and meeting you where you are. It’s not about their intentions, it’s yours that matters.

4- Look for someone who becomes centered and present before they enter the treatment room. A regulated nervous system can help regulate another. Presence matters. Energy matters. Intention matters.

5- Look for someone who may gently trigger what is ready to heal—not through force, but through safety, honesty, and skilled presence. Sometimes growth begins when old patterns surface in a space where they can finally be felt and released.

6- Look for someone you feel safe with. Someone whose presence allows your body to soften. Someone you can trust. Someone whose resonance feels genuine.

The right therapist is not just treating tissue. They are helping create the conditions where healing becomes safe and possible.

Your body knows when it is with the right practitioner. Listen to that wisdom.

Go to www.myofascialrelease.com to find MFR Therapist.

04/30/2026

Really great information about MFR and CST and how well they work together when working with someone. I really love this combination when working with people!! Thanks to Rowena for making these great client education pieces and allowing us to share them on our own pages!

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on therapy that works with the body’s natural rhythms, especially the subtle motion of the craniosacral system—made up of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. When this system is restricted from stress, trauma, birth strain, injury, surgery, or emotional tension, the body can begin to compensate in ways that affect pain levels, nervous system regulation, sleep, digestion, and overall wellness.

When combined with Myofascial Release (MFR), the results can be profound.

Myofascial Release addresses the fascial system—the connective tissue web surrounding every muscle, organ, nerve, and bone. Restrictions in fascia can create up to 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, pulling the body out of alignment and irritating nerves, joints, and circulation.

Craniosacral Therapy helps calm and regulate the nervous system, while Myofascial Release helps free the physical restrictions holding the body in stress patterns.

Together, they support:

✨Nervous system regulation
✨Relief from headaches, jaw pain, neck pain, and back pain
✨Improved sleep and digestion
✨Reduced anxiety and overwhelm
✨Better mobility and posture
✨Support after trauma, birth strain, concussion, or surgery
✨A deeper sense of peace and connection in the body

There is also a natural myofascial rhythm within the body—a subtle pulsation and responsiveness through the tissues. When the fascia softens and the craniosacral rhythm becomes balanced, the body often shifts from survival mode into healing mode.

Sometimes the body doesn’t need force… it needs safety, gentle listening, and space to unwind.

Healing happens when the body feels safe enough to let go.

— Rowena Cua
Expert Myofascial Release Therapist
Trauma-Informed Healing

04/30/2026

I have been following Jeannie Di Bon for awhile now and knew that she was working with others doing research. This is nice to see their paper coming out. Thought I would share it for the folks who follow my page and may have hypermobility issues.

04/13/2026

Yes, this!!

What if everything you’ve been taught about the body is only part of the story?

We often think in pieces - core, glutes, back pain - but the body doesn’t exist or move in parts. It is, and moves as, a connected, responsive whole.

To support our Focus in Biotensegrity weekend earlier this month, Chris Morita Clancy and Bruna Petito have written a blog that explores fascia and biotensegrity - a rapidly growing perspective that shifts how we understand movement, from mechanical action to living, adaptive intelligence. Through simple experiences and a powerful real-life story, this piece invites you to see and feel the body in a new way, from the inside out.

- Less “fixing”
- More listening
- Greater ease, presence and connection.

If you work with movement - or live in a body(!) - this might just change how you think….. forever.

Read the blog here - https://bit.ly/TFH-BLOGM-AP and explore movement through a completely different lens. Members of The Fascia Hub can read an extended version of the blog here - https://bit.ly/TFH-BLOGNM-AP.

03/09/2026

Go to the source.....over the years of taking manual therapy courses, many of them taught cranio-sacral techniques. A friend asked me if I would be interested in going to a level one class with her. I had to do pre-requisite work ahead of the courses which was this weekend. What I learned this weekend was very different from what I was taught in the past and helped to really refine my approach. I am looking forward to this change in how I work with the cranio-sacral system and working on the pre-requisites needed to take the next level class. Questions? Reach out, or better yet sign up for a session!

Send a message to learn more

01/26/2026

Growing my base of knowledge about fascia and movement through the lens of the fascia has been truly inspiring lately. In prep for a course that I am attending in March, there is homework. Today, I came across this quote attributed to Jon Vredevoogd, that encapsulates a lot of how I feel about things now, more than in the past....
" Nature makes the best design. Every design in nature is for a purpose and is the the most efficient way to accomplish a task. We should study the way nature does things and try to emulate it, rather than clumsily and egotistically trying to invent our own. We cannot improve on natural design; we need only to understand it."

12/15/2025

I too know Kamila and am grateful to be in the company of so many incredible physical therapists from all over the world.

10/17/2025

Interesting information about astrocytes and their relationship to memory and understanding the impacts of PTSD.

https://neurosciencenews.com/astrocytes-emotional-memory-29815/?fbclid=IwdGRjcANfJhtjbGNrA18lV2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeij4odUO-PozyatVB3HNbo9Qx2rV-Ec8uzd-yZKNaH55sCHmrKivSbnGAWmQ_aem_91HC9x7kCkTLd8njgpu4Ig

New research reveals that astrocytes — not neurons — are responsible for stabilizing emotional memories by re-engaging during recall.

10/15/2025

The Fascia Hub is a great resource for all things fascia. Very appreciative of all the work they do.

Ever wondered how your body moves with such coordinated ease, adapts to the internal and external forces that beset it, and is capable of amazing feats? The answer lies in a fascinating concept called biotensegrity.

Originally introduced by orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Stephen M. Levin, biotensegrity states that the body isn’t just a stack of bones with muscles attached; a system of pulleys and levers. Instead, it’s a self-organising, dynamic structure built on the continuous dance between tension and compression.

From cells to organs, bones to muscles, all surrounded and supported by the liquid crystalline matrix that is the fascia, the biotensegral body is resilient, low-energy and load-distributing; it self-formed in the embryo, has no 'core' and is internally balanced and fully adaptive to every situation.

When we understand biotensegrity, we stop seeing the body as a machine to be “fixed” and start recognising it as a living system with the ability to self heal; one that is responsive, resonant and highly sensitive on many levels.

Curious to dive deeper into how this shapes your work with the body, whether you are a movement educator, manual therapist, surgeon or osteopath? Become a Member of The Fascia Hub and explore our range of fascinating articles and videos on this subject. Just visit https://bit.ly/TFHMBSP to discover everything our membership has to offer. Take your understanding to the next level.