NeuroMoves: NeuralFlossing & Yoga

In all our Neuromoves sessions, we have explored ways to reduce the brains perceived level of threat in various ways, with the understanding if we improve the quality and quantity of inputs (messages to the brain) we can improve our outputs (the messages the brain gives to our body, be it better movement or less pain, to keep it simple).

Neural flossing is a method we explored to improve the tissue that carries these messages to and from the brain. When tension, knots or stickiness occurs in our nerve tissue messages do not move as freely or as effectively, therefore hindering the processing of information and hindering our desired outcome: to feel and move fabulously, of course! Now, unlike the previous neuro moves session which I could list the drills easily in a blog post, neural flossing is so specific and complicated I would recommend You-tubing neural flossing to see a actually video of a physio or another professional going through the specific movement.

What I can share are some of what I feel are the important principles of neural flossing, first of all the understanding that our nervous system is all one, it is like a web, tug at it one end and your creating a movement, a tension (all be it small) at the other end. Our nervous system is made up of our brain, spinal chord and peripheral nerves. Meaning once in a nerve floss position, head tilts a movement can perform the floss, eye movement can perform the floss and other joint movements can perform the floss.

Secondly, to perform a nerve floss we put a nerve under tension and then slack, to create a gliding movement, a moving of the neural tissue back and forth. For example to perform a neural floss of the Axillary nerve, one of the nerves that run through your shoulder, you put your arm , shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand into a specific position. We then move head, wrist, elbow or shoulder one at a time, we call these movements the “driver”.

Final nerve tissue is delicate, unlike stretching muscle where it feels satisfying to some for an extreme sensation we need to reign it in here. 2-3/10 sensation is what is recommended.

In our NeuroMoves we combined neural flossing in our Yoga Asana practice to seek improvements in strength in our arm balances (Crow pose and Dolphin), to improve flexibility in the journey of approaching splits and our Puppy pose. Neural flossing can also be used to reduce nerve and muscular pain, which is what it is more commonly used for in therapeutic and clinical settings.

Don’t be too sad if you missed out, or if you have forgotten the moves already! I do weave in neuromoves content into my regular classes and this 6 month series will repeat next year.