I was asked this question a few days ago, “How do I approach my own myofascial self treatment?”

What You Are Doing For Myofascial Self Treatment Matters

I started to answer with the things I do on a regular basis. Legs up the wall at least once a week. Nightly lying on and softening over a foam roller in some way. A ball under my sacrum when I go to bed. It is not uncommon to sometimes pull all the things out – the craniocradle, the sacrowedgy, the wedges. . .

I have a few things that are needed daily in order to best maintain the health of my myofascial system. A few other things I need to revisit periodically or when I travel.

That wasn’t really what was being asked, though. We have videos to help guide myofascial self treatment. There are excellent books that have been written. Check ins about self treatment are part of most client sessions.

And the focus is often on what is being done. How long? How much? What self treatment can make “x” feel better?

The particular question I was asked was more concerned about how I am approaching the care of my myofascial system.

The question was easy once I understood it.

How You Approach Myofascial Self Treatment Often Matters Most

I am currently approaching myofascial self treatment from a beginning perspective that everything is energy. This is fairly new for me and comes from the recent repetition of a continuing education seminar.

I have been an advocate for daily myofascial self treatment for many years now. Yet somehow I have been missing this very important component.

I am an energetic being inhabiting a physical body. This perspective sets me up from the very start to feel deeply into the entirety of my being, rather than trying to make the physical body a bit more comfortable or capable. This perspective helps me soften out of a “fix it” mode or a “have to do self treatment, *sigh*” mode.

When I approach myofascial self treatment with the perspective that everything is energy, I can start to feel into the places in my being where there is a lack of flow of energy.

This means I get to quiet my mind and soften my body and feel. I get to have a conversation with myself, my energetic being, my physical being, the totality of me.

It’s a great part of my day.

Myofascial Self Treatment Can Become Intuitive

Slowing down and softening into the physical and energetic aspects of my being allows for my intuitive side to show up. This is the part of me that knows without knowing what is needed.

One of our goals with clients is to help you get better at feeling. And then trusting what you feel. There is a part in each of us that knows exactly what we need. And it isn’t the thinking and figuring things out part of us. It is an instinctive, innate, intuitive, 100% accurate part of ourselves that shows up best when we are quiet in our mind and body.

This is what I love most about my current self treatment practice. That I don’t really have to figure anything out. I have a fairly large knowledge base of things I might do, of tools I might use. But I don’t have to figure it out or worry about getting it wrong if I simply quiet my mind and have a bit of a conversation with my body. My body knows what it needs. I just need to listen.

At the office, clients frequently ask what they should be doing for self treatment or if this or that tool might be helpful.

We are happy to lend our perspective. As we do, often we mention that it isn’t so much what you are doing as it is how you are doing it and why.

A Reminder of the Basics of Self Treatment

The basics are to sink and soften, breathe and feel, never forcing. If unable to sink or soften into a stretch or over a ball or other tool, that may be an indication that something is too much and needs changed or moved.

Then quiet the mind, soften even more, open, lengthen, unwind, and feel.

Remember, it takes a minimum of 3-5 minutes for the tissue to begin to change. Be patient and gentle with yourself. Stop trying so hard to figure things out and let your body’s wisdom guide you. Trust what you feel. And if you aren’t sure what you feel, trust the principles of myofascial self treatment. Sink your awareness into your body and soften.

Consistency matters. Every day for a few minutes and more on the weekends can be a good place to start. Aim for quality of self treatment over quantity. More is not better. Especially if you are in a rush or your mind is occupied with other things. Be present to what you are doing and soften into the experience of it.

If you find you need some help, give us a call.

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Vanetta Servoss

Specialist Myofascial Release Therapist Vanetta loves her work as a myofascial release therapist! She was introduced to myofascial release as a client struggling with debilitating headaches, dizziness, pain, and muscle tension. Traditional medicine did little to provide relief, and it wasn't until she began seeing a mfr therapist that she started seeing change. She knows first hand how it feels to be trapped in pain with little hope for recovery. Or to be given a diagnostic label like fibromyalgia with little recourse other than dependence on prescription medications. She no longer believes those are the only options available to those struggling with pain or loss of mobility, and credits mfr with helping her get her life back. She considers it a privilege to assist others in their journey. Vanetta's formal education includes an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University and a Master's degree in Health Promotion from Mississippi State University. She is also a licensed massage therapist and has trained extensively in the John Barnes' Myofascial Release approach. Vanetta loves to travel and explore other places. She now enjoys that active lifestyle she once thought was no longer possible, and can frequently be found outside enjoying the sunshine and hiking the trails of Utah, Idaho, and Arizona.

Latest posts by Vanetta Servoss (see all)

• Daily Myofascial Self Treatment MUST match activity! - March 23, 2023
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• Myofascial Health Requires A Long Term View Toward Sustainable Change - February 15, 2023