How do I release Fascia?

People often ask me: "What can I do between sessions?"

Good question. Myofascial release isn't something that only happens on my table. There are ways to work with your fascia at home, if you understand how it responds.

The Key Principle: Slow Wins

Fascia responds to sustained pressure. Push fast, it resists. Go slow, it softens.

This is the opposite of how most people stretch. They bounce. They push through. They try to force their body to change in 30 seconds.

Fascia doesn't work that way. It needs time, usually 90 seconds to several minutes of gentle, consistent pressure before it starts to release.

If you're rushing, you're not reaching the fascia. You're just irritating the surface.

Tools That Help

Foam Roller

Useful, but most people use it wrong. They roll back and forth fast, wincing through the pain, treating it like punishment.

Instead: find a tender spot, stop there, and wait. Let your body weight sink in. Breathe. Stay for 2-3 minutes. You're not trying to crush the tissue, you're asking it to let go.

Massage Balls (lacrosse ball, tennis ball, or specialized therapy balls)

Better for targeted work, places the foam roller can't reach, like the hip flexors, the area between your shoulder blades, or the bottom of your feet.

Same principle: find the spot, settle in, stay. Let the ball do the work.

Your Own Hands

Don't underestimate this. You can apply sustained pressure with your fingers or palm to areas you can reach, neck, forearms, thighs. The key is patience. Hold. Wait. Feel for the softening.

Movement Practices

Stretching

Most stretching targets muscles. To reach fascia, you need to go slower and hold longer.

Think 2-3 minutes per stretch, not 20 seconds. Deep, relaxed breathing. No forcing. You're waiting for the tissue to open, not demanding it.

Yoga and Pilates

These can help, especially styles that emphasize slow, controlled movement and body awareness. Yin yoga in particular uses long holds that start to access fascial layers.

The benefit isn't just the stretch. It's learning to feel what's happening in your body. That awareness itself changes how you move.

What Home Care Can and Can't Do

I'll be honest: self-work has limits.

You can maintain. You can slow things down. You can address surface restrictions and stay mobile between sessions.

But if you have deep adhesions, chronic patterns, or restrictions you've been carrying for years, you probably can't release them alone. You can't apply sustained pressure to your own back. You can't feel what a trained hand can feel.

Home care is maintenance. Professional work is intervention.

Both matter. Neither replaces the other.

The Real Secret

Consistency beats intensity.

Five minutes a day of slow, mindful work with a foam roller or ball will do more than one aggressive hour on the weekend.

Your fascia responds to what you do repeatedly. Teach it that it's safe to soften, and it will.

Want help figuring out what to focus on for your specific patterns? Book a session and we'll map it out together.