What is Fascia?
Fascia is the network of connective tissue that holds you together, feeds your internal senses, allows your muscles to move (or not!), and helps you manage stress. That’s right, stress. Physical, emotional, mental stress are all held in and remembered by your fascial system. Old injuries, childhood trauma, suboptimal or repetitive movement patterns, and toxins are all stressors that can be reduced with fascial movement work.
Your fascial system is quite complicated and unique. Your pain tolerance changes with the state of your fascia. Your body flexibility depends on the elasticity of your fascia. Your strength is intimately tied to the composition of your fascia (hint: strength requires more collagen). Hydration and mineral intake are important factors for happy fascia. Whole body movement using your fascial system is key to a fully operational lymphatic system – your cellular trash removal system – cleansing and detoxifying you from the inside out.

Everything that Zoa offers for your fascia system is gentle and safe enough to be done every day if you choose to make time. You will feel better during and after class – yay! Since your fascia system has such a good memory for past pain, it will easily revert back to its previous state – almost. Over the course of weeks and months, your fascia system will gradually forget and you will stay in that easy movement state for much longer – and it will be wonderful! Amid the many movement class formats available with Zoa, this one is so multipurpose and magical that you will be sorry you waited so long to try it!
Zen Through Fascia Class
Find your Zen both physically and mentally through a full body release of tension using a wide variety of props to stimulate your fascia system. No matter your reason for feeling poorly, this class improves your day and eases you into a good night’s sleep. If you are looking to turn back the clock and feel young again (easy joint movement, reduction of chronic pain, less frequent headaches, better sleep), Zen Through Fascia is the class for you.
Things that might happen during a Zen Through Fascia class:
- Tapping various parts of your body with hand-sized soft air filled balls
- Sitting on pokey domes to release tight hamstrings causing low back discomfort
- Rolling a soft pointy purple peanut along your spine by standing against a wall and pretending you a bear scratching on a tree
- Stroking the top of your foot with a soft air filled ball
- Rolling the bottom of your foot on that same pokey purple peanut
- Putting a soft pokey dome between your shoulder blades and wiggling around to release upper back tension going to your head and shoulders
- Lying still with the purple peanut at the top of your neck-base of your head to stimulate the acupressure points there and release the built up tension that might cause a headache later
- Circling a leg while lying on your back with a flex-band around the bottom of your foot
If it sounds fun, weird, crazy, and you are not sure if it works – come on and let Zoa show you how wonderful you will feel during and after Zen Through Fascia class!
Small Group Fascial Release Classes

Fascia classes are offered simultaneously to students either in person (at the La Plata, Maryland studio) or virtually (live audio feed). Zoa’s teensy class sizes are intentional so she can give personalized instruction when it most counts. Class check in is your chance to let Zoa what is going on body-wise and mind-wise so she can offer optimal activities to you for the next hour. There are frequent check ins throughout class; you might start to hear “Are you even?” in your dreams! If you are taking class from home, Rental Fascial Movement Props are available for you to experiment with before committing to purchase (financial wellness!).
Whether you attend class in person or virtually, questions frequently arise about something we did in class, how to optimize a movement for your body, or whether you are doing something “right”. Current clients may join the Zen and Vitality Online Community and ask Zoa your yoga related questions and receive video answers!
Private Fascial Movement Sessions
When you are in pain, fascial movement is an excellent choice to help reduce the painful sensations and provide pleasant ones for your brain instead. If fascia is new to you, choosing to begin with a private session will help you learn to assess the body signals and choose appropriate props for each body part and movement activity. Your private fascial movement session can be done either in studio or online; together you and Zoa will uncover exactly what you need and show you what to do your yourself on a daily (if possible) basis. Studio based sessions allow Zoa to switch up your props and give you hands-on adjustments. Virtual sessions involve more show-and-tell while you experiment with your set of Rental Fascial Movement Props.
I leave fascia class feeling taller and more fluid. My hips feel more open and walking is like walking on air.
Kimberly, Emergency Room Nurse
“Real fascia in real people is very fluid, very dynamic, and has these kinds of plastic or viscoelastic properties that allow us to change in ways that we haven’t thought we could open and change.” – Tom Myers
My Blog Posts About Fascia
- 5 Natural Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure
- 5 Tips for Dealing With Chronic Back Pain
- 5 Ways to Reduce Anxiety Naturally
- Avoid Osteoporisis by Building Bone Strength and Flexibility
- Healthy Water and Hydration for Optimal Wellness and Longevity
- Natural Skin Health: Create Glowing, Beautiful Skin From the Inside Out
- Pilates for Pelvic Pain Relief During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Plantar Fasciitis Remedies: 7 Natural Ways to Walk Away From Foot Pain
- Preparing For Surgery: A Functional Wellness Approach
- Stop Pain from Sciatica Without Surgery or Medication
- Wellness Journey Through Divorce and Breast Cancer