Moving Mountain Institute

What if someone told you that just under your skin there was a fluffy layer of marigold flowers? And that it does so many things for you… that it is a sensing organ, knit with tiny threads of nerve fibers reaching out to the world, asking what’s happening out there; that it is an immune and protective layer; that it insulates; and that, like all tissues, it is intelligent? That’s our superficial fascia. We wear it like a body suit. It often gets labeled adipose or fat. We all know the issues our culture has around those terms. Exploring this layer invites a deep appreciation for both the beauty and functional importance of a tissue that is often underappreciated and/or disrespected.

In class, when we slow down and palpate this layer, it’s striking what kinds of sensorial experiences people have. It is mediating so much for us, right there at the surface. Alongside this layer, we’ll also explore the “fascial feathers.” These layers blew my mind when I was in the lab with Gil. I’m referring to the torso layers—the lat dorsi, serratus anterior, external and internal obliques, and the transversus abdominus. We learn these as distinct layers (and they are), and also… they are so intimately layered with one another that they rest together like individual slips of feathers on a bird’s wing.

Come see!

Note: This event will not be recorded due to respecting donor integrity.