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The Science of Fascia: How Simple Movements Can Calm Your Mind & Heal Your Body with Jason van Blerk #620

Feb 4, 2026 1h 41m 23 insights
When it comes to feeling better, many of us instinctively start with our minds. We think about our thoughts, our beliefs, our stress levels. But what if a huge part of our emotional and psychological experience is actually being held in our bodies – quite literally – in a remarkable tissue called fascia? This week, I’m joined by Jason van Blerk, one of the co-founders of Human Garage - a global self-care movement that aims to inspire 1 billion people to heal themselves, through simple, accessible movement practices, that they call Fascial Manoeuvres. In our conversation, we explore what fascia actually is, why modern science is only just beginning to catch up with what many practitioners have observed for decades, and how emotions and past experiences may be stored in our physical structure. Jason also shares how different areas of the body seem to relate to different emotional patterns, why posture and mood are so tightly linked, and how changing one can often influence the other. We also talk about stress, and why so many of us feel tense, disconnected, and stuck in our own lives and Jason explains how simple rotational movements, combined with specific breathing patterns, can help “unwind” the body, reduce stress, and leave you feeling lighter, calmer, and grounded. The thing I love the most about Human Garage’s philosophy is that they want to empower people to heal themselves. This is not about needing lifelong treatment, or becoming dependent on a therapist or HCP - it’s about learning a set of practical moves that you can use anywhere, anytime AND with no equipment, to start healing your body and calming your mind. Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.   Thanks to our
Actionable Insights

1. Perform Daily Fascial Maneuvers

Perform 15 minutes of fascial maneuvers daily, ideally in the morning or before bed, to unwind tension, reduce stress, enhance focus, increase energy, and improve sleep.

2. Use Rotational Movements with Breathing

Engage in simple rotational movements combined with specific breathing patterns to release fascia, balance emotions, and feel more grounded and centered. Avoid linear stretching or forceful rolling, as the body is a rotational system.

3. Dedicate Daily Body Connection Time

Spend time each day feeling and moving your body, such as rolling on the floor, doing breathing exercises, or hip twists, to connect with your physical self and loosen things up.

4. Practice Deep Self-Awareness

Practice deep self-awareness by closing your eyes, holding your breath, eliminating noise, and deeply feeling your body’s sensations to build a new relationship with your body.

5. Perform ‘Hands on Heart’ Exercise

Close your eyes and place your hands on your heart to immediately tune into your heartbeat, increasing self-awareness and mindfulness of your internal state.

6. Adopt Confident Posture

Sit up nice and tall with your chest up to feel stronger and more confident, as adopting a confident posture can directly reprogram your emotions.

7. Walk Barefoot in Nature (Earthing)

Walk barefoot on the ground for at least 30 minutes, especially in nature, to promote natural body rotation, gain electrons from the earth, and restore natural cellular voltage, leading to more energy.

8. Engage in Natural Activities

Prioritize getting out in nature, walking, being in the sun, getting in the ocean, and touching trees to provide your body with optimal conditions for well-being without expensive equipment.

9. Avoid Prolonged Sitting

Minimize sitting in chairs to prevent compression of the diaphragm and pelvic floor, which can disrupt flow and lead to digestive issues and mental fog.

10. Practice ‘Fascial Coffee’ Routine

Perform the 2-minute ‘fascial coffee’ routine by rubbing your body with friction in specific directions to activate flow, feel lighter, tingly, and looser. You can enhance this by rubbing peppermint on your hands.

11. Stretch Scars to Unwind Fascia

Gently pull the skin around scars apart in every direction to unwind constricted fascia, create space, and improve overall body movement, as stretching skin helps prevent dehydration and constriction.

12. Focus on Self-Change

Believe that changing yourself and focusing on your own improvement is the most effective way to make a positive impact on the world around you.

13. Practice Daily Self-Reflection

Regularly ask yourself what you can do to improve and how you might be contributing to situations in your life, fostering a more empowering perspective.

14. Listen to Your Inner Voice

Trust your intuition and inner knowing, especially when feeling unfulfilled or miserable, even if it means going against societal expectations or established paths.

15. Experiment with Diverse Experiences

Actively try out many different activities or career paths, especially at a younger age, to discover what genuinely lights you up and doesn’t feel like work.

16. Live What You Preach

If you aim to inspire others, embody the principles and practices you advocate in your own life, as this means you ’live and breathe what you preach’.

17. Utilize Human Garage App

Access structured fascial maneuver programs (e.g., 15 minutes daily or a 28-day life reset) through the Human Garage app to learn and practice self-healing techniques.

18. Adopt Fetal Position for Release

Lie on your side, curl into a ball, cross your arms, and hug yourself as a fascial maneuver to release emotions and feel different, especially during times of pain or trauma.

19. Use Music to Influence Mood

Be aware that sound and music vibrate the water and ‘sand’ in your body, changing its structure and influencing how you feel; use this to your advantage to shift your mood (e.g., hum, sing, or dance to feel lighter/calmer/happier).

20. Cultivate Body Imbalance Awareness

Pay attention to differences in your body (e.g., one side feeling tighter or moving less freely than the other) by performing bilateral movements to develop self-awareness.

21. Take Bath for Calmness

Use a still-water bath before bed to feel calm and tired, as still water is believed to steal electrons from the body, aiding relaxation and sleep.

22. Stay Hydrated and Move Regularly

Ensure adequate hydration and consistent movement to keep the ‘water in your body moving’ and prevent fascia from solidifying, calcifying, and hardening.

23. For Practitioners: Coaching Program

Healthcare professionals or aspiring coaches can apply to the Human Garage coaching program to learn how to cue and guide people through fascial maneuvers, enhancing their practice by empowering clients with self-healing tools.