Self Myofascial Release Therapy (SMFR) - The Gentle Way

Learn to self-treat like a pro

SMFR is a self-care form of Myofascial Release Therapy that involves using various tools, techniques, and movements to apply sustained pressure on the superficial and deeper fasciae and other soft tissues. SMFR helps to increase interceptive (sense of self/how you feel) and proprioceptive (sense of self within space/your environment). Its calming effect on the nervous system helps to turn down the body's fight and flight response, which has many benefits. It can reduce soft tissue tension, including that of the fascia, decrease inflammation, reduce anxiety, change pain perception, and relax the body as well as the mind.

Self-myofascial release is not painful and should always remain within your tolerance levels.

One of the main principles of Myofascial Release Therapy is that working on one part of the body affects other parts and the body as a whole. Fascia is everywhere; it supports, surrounds, protects, and separates every human body cell, organ, muscle, bone, nerve, and blood vessel. Even the fluid-filled spaces are part of our fascial system.

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Who are these sessions for?

This is for everyone who can do with a little or a lot of TLC. It's for all ages, abilities, genders, shapes, and sizes. Previous knowledge or experience is not required. SFMF will support you from any starting point. 

Although self-MFR may challenge you, it shouldn't be painful and will always be within your tolerance. 

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SMFR helps to enhance sensory modulation and improve body awareness (interception and proprioception). This allows down-regulation of the nervous system's fight-and-flight response and reduces soft tissue tension, including that of the fascia. 

Regularly working with your fascia can help you feel, move, sleep better, and promote overall health. Plus, it beautifully complements your 1-2-1 treatment sessions for maintenance and progress. It's also a fantastic way to connect with like-minded individuals on a journey to better health.

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Did you know that your fascia is a substantial sensory organ? 

This connective tissue also gives you your shape, stabilises your bones, strengthens your muscles, and enables communication between cells. Fascia allows for tissue glide, movement, and load distribution.

 It plays a significant role in perceiving posture, movement, balance, interoception (sense of self), and coordination. In essence, fascia creates an environment for all body systems to work together, highlighting the importance of keeping it healthy.

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What is Self-Myofascial Release Therapy?

SMFR is a self-care approach that can help improve your fascial health. You'll learn to identify and self-treat areas of hard, sticky and dehydrated fascia, often indicating restricted, painful, and dysfunctional regions in the body. Regularly working with the fascia can help to manage symptoms like pain, stiffness, brain fog, mood swings, IBS, fatigue, anxiety, and headaches better. 

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What will I learn during the sessions?

The sessions provide a valuable and highly experiential learning experience.
It's an in-depth practice of techniques and (super slow) movements. You will also learn some hands-on work for your body, similar to how a therapist would treat you. 

You'll actively participate throughout the workshop and can expect to be positively challenged.

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You will learn specific SMFR techniques that can help you to:

• Identify and let go of any holding patterns (mental and physical).

• Experience on a more subtle level what's going on in your body and mind.

• Be more in touch and centred within yourself.

• Gain new perspectives to help you overcome mental blocks and beliefs and find new ways of being, behaviour, and insights.

• Improve your sense of self (interoceptive) and spatial (proprioceptive) awareness, which is often a first step to making incremental changes.

Regularly working with your fascia can help you to:

• Reduce tension and stiffness

• Change the experience of pain

• Improve flexibility

• Enhance lymph and blood flow

• Regulate stress

• Heal traumatic events

• Experience more energy

• Feel and move better

• Sleep better

• Boost your body's innate healing ability

• Promote your overall health

The more you practice, the more benefit you will get from this comprehensive, gentle approach to self-care. SMFR is also a fantastic way to connect with like-minded individuals on a journey to better health. 

What others say about SMFR

Today me and Alison attended a Self-Myofascial Release Class led by the wonderful Alex. A class that I never knew I needed! Mindfulness, pressure, challenge, stretch & relax are all words. 

As someone who is too impatient to foam roll correctly and someone who struggles to live life in the slow lane but someone who challenges their body/muscles weekly, this class is now in my routine.

One class, and I’m sold. I literally walked out of the room with a better posture than I went in and far less pressure throughout my body. If you’re someone who needs to incorporate stretching into your week (all of you because you don’t do it), you should check out this class!

Not an # ad but my word let’s make it one. Honestly, I can’t express how much I enjoyed it.

M. Seward, Isle Health
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The SMFR session was a great way to learn the basics as a newcomer to the technique. I felt benefit in terms of range of movement and physical comfort immediately after the session, so will definitely continue to use the technique and learn more from Alexandra in the future.
L. Cox

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I found the SMFR session so helpful, both in the short term to relax my muscles and in the long term to be able to have some skills to help myself.  Thank you so much Alex :)

E. Green

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Informative, interesting and relaxed session.  Perfect, just what I wanted.  Very beneficial. 
Alex is knowledgeable and shares the information in an easy-to-understand and useful way.  

A. Cottrell