10/07/2026
A shoulder, a back, a knee. When something bothers us, our attention naturally turns to that particular place. Anatomical illustrations often reinforce this view, showing the body as a collection of separate parts.
Yet these parts are connected in many ways. Fascia is one important link between them.
Fascia is connective tissue that surrounds and connects structures throughout the body. We find it beneath the skin, around muscles and surrounding organs. The connective tissue surrounding muscles continues into tendons and other structures, forming an interconnected network that supports movement.
Its basic components include cells, fibres and an extracellular matrix. Collagen fibres provide strength, elastic fibres contribute to elasticity, and the hydrated ground substance forms part of the tissue’s environment. The proportions of these components vary according to the tissue’s function.
Fascia helps support and connect the body while also defining boundaries between structures. It invites us to understand anatomy through relationships: how structures connect, how tension is transmitted, and how different parts participate in movement.
In Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy training, this perspective informs the approach to touch. Practitioners learn to attend to the area beneath their hands while remaining aware of its relationship to the whole body. Attention can gradually shift from a local sensation to a wider context.
This awareness takes practice. It requires anatomical knowledge, time and a willingness to explore without treating a first impression as a complete explanation.
You can explore a similar shift in attention yourself. While sitting, first notice your shoulders. Then include the contact of your pelvis with the chair, the support beneath your feet and the movement of your breath. How does your experience change when you notice several areas together?
Anatomy helps us name individual structures. Awareness of our own body allows us to experience them together.
The biodynamic approach brings both into the work: attention to detail and awareness of the whole.
