Rooted Reflections is a collection of grounded wisdom, seasonal practices, and soul-aligned insights. These writings are meant to nourish your nervous system, inspire inner balance, and reconnect you to the cycles of nature and your own deep knowing.
Fascia: The Mycelium of the Body—A Love Letter to Your Inner Web
Beneath your skin, beneath your muscles, beneath the stories your body holds, there is a vast, shimmering network—one that listens, responds, and connects every part of you in an intricate, intelligent weave. This is fascia. It is not just tissue; it is the whispered conversation between your cells, the messenger of movement, the weaver of sensation.
If the forests have mycelium—those underground threads that nourish, communicate, and sustain life—then the body has fascia, an endless river of silk that pulses with memory, emotion, and intelligence.
A Web of Wholeness
Imagine a spider’s web, glistening with dew, stretching in all directions. If you tug one thread, the whole structure shifts. This is fascia. It wraps around your muscles, bones, and organs, not as separate pieces, but as one unified system. It is the silent architect of your posture, the unseen conductor of your movement, the quiet keeper of your pain and healing.
Like the mycelium beneath the earth, fascia is alive with communication. It senses when you stretch, when you contract, when you hold onto tension like an old song stuck in your head. It adapts. It responds. And, most beautifully, it can change.
Softening the Stories We Carry
Fascia is not just structure; it is memory. It holds the shape of your life—every fall, every embrace, every moment of stillness and strain. A clenched jaw, a tight shoulder, a lower back that seems to always ache—these are not just “issues.” They are echoes, messages from a body that is waiting to be heard.
But here is the gift: fascia is not fixed. Like mycelium, it regenerates, renews, and reroutes when given the right nourishment—movement, breath, hydration, love.
To touch your fascia is to touch something ancient within you. To move it with intention is to rewrite old stories.
Tending to Your Inner Web
So, how do you care for this sacred mycelial network within?
Move like water. Long, fluid movements—like yoga, stretching, and intuitive dance—help fascia stay hydrated and supple.
Breathe into your being. Slow, deep breaths expand the web of fascia, allowing stuck energy to soften.
Hydrate with love. Fascia is thirsty. Drink water, but also absorb life—sunlight, fresh air, nourishing foods.
Feel with presence. Fascia listens. When you touch it—through massage, foam rolling, or mindful movement—it responds. Offer it kindness, and it will melt beneath your hands.
A Love Note to Your Body
Your body is not a collection of parts. It is a symphony, a forest, a mycelial web of wonder. Your fascia is the quiet magic holding it all together, whispering, you are whole, you are connected, you are alive.
So move, stretch, breathe. Speak to your fascia as you would to an old friend. It has been holding you your entire life. Maybe today, you hold it back.
Want to go deeper?
If this resonates with you, let’s take it further. Whether it’s through a personalized bodywork session, a fascia-focused yoga practice, or just a deeper conversation about how you move through the world, I’m here for it. Reach out, book a session, or let’s chat. Your body is talking—let’s listen together.
Reflex Therapies: A Bridge Between the Nervous System and Healing
I just had the privilege of attending a two-day weekend workshop at Lauterstein with Edward Ulme, a trauma-informed bodyworker and teacher of advanced bodywork techniques. His deep understanding of neuroscience and reflex therapies opened my eyes to the profound potential of these modalities to facilitate healing.
Reflex therapies work by sending signals from the peripheral nervous system (PNS) to the central nervous system (CNS) and back, creating a feedback loop that helps the body regulate itself. This dynamic exchange has far-reaching effects, including pain reduction, improved nerve signaling, and deep relaxation.
What Are Reflex Therapies?
Reflex therapies are based on the principle that specific pressure points and reflexive responses in the body can trigger changes in the nervous system. These techniques stimulate pathways that restore communication between the brain, spinal cord, and body, allowing for recalibration and regulation.
This approach is different from traditional massage, which primarily works on muscles and fascia. Reflex therapies target neurological pathways and tap into the body's innate intelligence to promote healing.
The Nervous System’s Role in Healing
Our nervous system is constantly processing sensory input—whether we’re aware of it or not. When trauma, chronic stress, or injury disrupts this flow of communication, the body can become stuck in patterns of tension, pain, or dysfunction.
Edward Ulme’s work emphasizes how reflex therapies help re-establish proper signaling between the PNS and CNS, which can:
✅ Reduce chronic pain by re-educating the nervous system
✅ Improve nerve signaling for better mobility and coordination
✅ Regulate the autonomic nervous system for stress relief
✅ Enhance proprioception (the body's sense of position)
✅ Support trauma release by resetting nervous system responses
By gently stimulating these reflexive responses, the body can “unlearn” patterns of pain and restriction and “relearn” healthier ways of functioning.
How It Feels & Why It Works
In the workshop, I experienced firsthand how subtle yet powerful these techniques can be. Unlike deep tissue work, which can sometimes overwhelm the nervous system, reflex therapies use gentle, intentional touch that invites the body into a state of safety and receptivity.
The body responds by softening, unwinding, and shifting in ways that feel deeply organic. Instead of forcing change, this work creates an environment where the body can regulate itself.
One of the most exciting takeaways for me was how this practice has expanded my ability to listen to the body on a deeper level. Through working with Edward Ulme and diving into these techniques, I now have a greater understanding of the language of the body. This is profoundly changing my work, allowing me to be more attuned to the subtle messages the body communicates and respond in a way that facilitates deeper healing. I am still integrating this into my work and observing results, and I’m happy to have it in my repertoire.
Who Can Benefit?
Reflex therapies can be beneficial for a wide range of conditions, including:
Chronic pain and tension
Neuropathy and nerve-related conditions
PTSD and trauma recovery
Stress-related disorders
Movement and coordination challenges
This approach is especially powerful for trauma healing because it respects the body's innate intelligence, working with the nervous system rather than against it.
Final Thoughts
This modality is truly fascinating—a bridge between modern neuroscience and ancient body wisdom. It’s a reminder that healing doesn’t always require force; sometimes, the most profound shifts happen when we create space for the body to restore itself.
I’m excited to integrate these insights into my work and continue exploring the depths of nervous system-based healing.
Have you ever experienced reflex therapies? What was your experience like? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your thoughts!
📩 Interested in experiencing this work firsthand? Let’s connect and explore how reflex therapies can support your healing journey.
Flow Yoga Westgate: A Sanctuary for Yoga, Healing, and Connection
Flow Yoga Westgate: A Sanctuary for Yoga, Healing & Community
Walking into Flow Yoga Westgate feels like stepping into a living, breathing sanctuary—where movement, connection, and transformation thrive. This space carries the rich legacy of Yoga Yoga (2003–2019), infused with years of intention and practice that you can feel the moment you arrive.
But Flow Yoga is more than a studio—it’s a community. Through partnerships with local businesses, the space stays dynamic and welcoming. West China Tea Lounge in the lobby invites you to slow down, share a pot of tea, and connect. Inside the studio, Sanctuary Healing Arts offers deeply restorative bodywork and energy healing, creating a full-spectrum experience of self-care and renewal.
Yoga That Fits Your Life
Flow Yoga Westgate offers classes for every style and level:
🌀 Vinyasa Flow – Creative, breath-guided movement
🧘 Hatha – Alignment-focused, mindful practice
🔥 Kundalini – Breath, mantra, and energetic activation
🎶 Yin & Sound Healing – Deep stretch meets vibrational healing
🪑 Chair Yoga – Accessible, gentle movement
🌙 Flow & Chill – Balanced energy with a restorative finish
💪 Playful Power – Strength-building with a fun, exploratory twist
😌 Deep Chill – Grounding and deeply restorative
Join me Tuesdays & Thursdays at 7 PM for Flow Yoga, followed by a Tuesday meditation circle—an opportunity to find stillness and reconnect.
Sanctuary Healing Arts: Personalized Healing & Energy Work
Located within Flow Yoga Westgate, Sanctuary Healing Arts is a dedicated space for intuitive bodywork, energy healing, and trauma-informed somatic work.
Co-led by Dr. Lisa V. and me, our work blends multiple healing modalities, including Reiki, sound healing, and energetic bodywork, to help release tension, process emotions, and restore balance. Whether you need physical relief, emotional support, or energetic realignment, we tailor each session to meet you where you are.
More Than a Studio—A Hub for Connection
Flow Yoga Westgate is more than a place to practice—it’s a space to belong. Before or after class, enjoy a tea at West China Tea Lounge or sip heart-opening cacao at the cacao bar. The studio also hosts authentic relating events, women’s circles, breathwork sessions, and sound baths, making it a true center for personal and collective transformation.
At its heart, Flow Yoga Westgate is about coming as you are—to move, heal, connect, and grow. Whether you're flowing on the mat, receiving healing work, or simply soaking in the energy, you're part of this community.