The Missing Link Between Anxiety and Fascia
How your fascia stores stress, what that means for your emotions, and the kind of movement that helps release it
Let’s start with something you feel but can’t always name.
That low hum of anxiety that lives somewhere between your shoulders and your solar plexus.
The way your jaw clenches even when you're not technically stressed.
The lump in your throat that shows up uninvited during long stretches of stillness or silence.
You might think, “It’s all in my head.”
But what if I told you it’s also in your fascia? (I see that eye roll. Stay with me.)
What exactly is fascia?
Oh, fascia. Truly. This was the buzzword in my twenties and still sparks debate among instructors who can’t agree on how to pronounce it. (Fah-sha? Fay-sha? Potato, potahto….) Honestly, I’m good with whatever.
In case you missed my first deep dive fascia is the body’s connective tissue.
It’s the 3D web that wraps around your muscles, bones, nerves, and organs basically holding you together like an internal bodysuit.
Slippery. Elastic. Shockingly smart.
But fascia isn’t just physical… it’s alive with sensory nerves.
In fact, fascia is one of the most richly innervated tissues in your body meaning it’s deeply connected to your nervous system.
Which means…. it’s deeply connected to how you feel.
Yes, feelings. Like stress. Like fear. Like that anxious flutter that settles into your belly before you even know you’re overwhelmed.
Fascia and Emotions
Thanks to research from the likes of Tom Myers (Anatomy Trains) and Gil Hedley’s studies exploring the “nerve tree” within fascia, we now know that fascia responds to emotional states and stores them, too.
Here’s how it works:
When your nervous system senses stress, it sends signals through your body’s soft tissues. Your fascia responds by contracting or bracing. Do this once, and it’s no big deal. But chronic stress? That creates long-term patterns in the tissue.
Tension builds. Certain areas become sticky or immobile and restricted fascia can disrupt blood flow, nerve communication, and energy.
You don’t just feel tight you feel off.
It’s why emotional states often show up as physical symptoms:
Anxiety as a locked chest
Grief as aching hips
Burnout as a heavy spine
This isn’t woo woo. It’s neuromyofascial science. And it’s pointing us toward something powerful:
To release emotional stress, we also have to move the tissue that holds it.
So, what kind of movement helps?
Slow, intentional, fascia-aware movement.
Think less reps, more feeling. Less “power through,” more “pause and unwind.”
You don’t need to overhaul your entire routine just start adding in small, daily fascia resets.
Here are two simple practices to get you started:
✨ Fascia Flow #1: Spinal Wave + Breath
What it’s for: Releasing held tension along the back line (spine, neck, hamstrings), calming the vagus nerve, restoring fluidity.
How to do it:
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees soft.
Inhale and gently lift your chest.
Exhale and begin a wave-like roll down. chin to chest, then one vertebra at a time as you fold forward.
Let your arms dangle, sway side to side, or add small pulses.
Inhale at the bottom. Exhale and slowly roll back up.
Repeat 3–5x, moving with your breath, not against it.
Why it works: This wave hydrates the fascia, soothes the nervous system, and helps release tension often stored in the spine from chronic stress or sitting.
✨ Fascia Flow #2: Dynamic Hip Circles + Somatic Unwind
What it’s for: Mobilizing the pelvis (a fascia-rich emotional storage hub), and releasing stress in the hips and core.
How to do it:
Come to all fours (hands and knees), with knees slightly wider than hips.
Begin slow, juicy circles with your hips (imagine your tailbone drawing spirals).
Shift forward, back, side to side. Let it feel a little wild.
Add breath: inhale as you expand, exhale as you fold or curl.
Option to close your eyes and let your body improvise ie shake, sway, or sigh audibly.
Continue for 1–2 minutes, letting it evolve naturally.
Why it works: Encourages glide in the deep front line (psoas, pelvic floor), supports emotional release, and creates a sense of embodied safety.
My Personal Take (and why I teach the way I do)
When I first studied Anatomy Trains, everything clicked.
The idea that our muscles don’t act in isolation but in interconnected lines, like a myofascial symphony was already fascinating. But it was the emotional link that really got me. The way certain patterns kept showing up in my clients, not just as physical pain, but as old emotional residue they couldn’t quite name.
Now I teach with this lens in mind as fascia as the missing link. I include nervous system cues, somatic elements, and breath-based transitions not because they’re trendy but because they work.
I’ve seen clients cry during hip openers and laugh after spinal undulations. I’ve watched postural tension melt after ten minutes of fascial release work.
This stuff isn’t about “fixing” anything. It’s about letting your body speak and then gently helping it shift.
TL;DR: Your Body Remembers But It Can Also Release
So if you’ve been carrying anxiety that doesn’t quite make sense...
If you’ve been working on your mindset but still feel physically stuck...
If you’re craving softness, flow, and a way to feel less hijacked by stress...
Start with your fascia.
Move gently. Breathe deeply. Listen closely.
The nervous system doesn’t heal through force. It heals through safety. And fascia? It's the tissue that holds the story and the key.
Feel this? Forward it to someone who could use a deep breath and a spinal wave today.
📥 Want to feel this in your own body not just read about it?
Book a 1:1 Yin Yoga + Fascia Release session with me. We’ll move gently, breathe deeply, and give your fascia the love (and release) it’s been craving. It’s like a nervous system exhale in real time.
👉 Click here to book your session
Weekly Wandering 🌻
🎻 On repeat: I’ve been mildly (okay, deeply) obsessed with Raaginder this week especially his song Flower. It’s like a violin fell in love with your nervous system. Beautiful, grounding, and the kind of sound that makes you want to move slow and breathe deeper.
💆♀️ On my counter: I’ve mentioned it before but I’ve been playing around with the HigherDOSE Body Sculptor and honestly… I love it. It’s like gua sha’s overachieving cousin—part lymph tool, part fascia wake-up call. I’ve been using it before I get in the shower and it’s so oddly satisfying with tight muscles and I feel noticeably less puffy. Check it out and use my discount code EB15 ;)
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I specialize in empowering wellness seekers, busy professionals, creative minds, and adventurous travelers to break free from overwhelm and step into a life of balance, vitality, and connection. Whether you're navigating a demanding career, working remotely from anywhere in the world, or striving to harmonize wellness with your passions, I’m here to help. Through integrative wellness consulting for remote workers and tailored strategies for wellness for creative professionals, we’ll uncover sustainable habits, optimize your health, and create a path to feeling your best—no matter where life takes you.