Joanne is joined by clinical anatomist John Sharkey to unpack why stretching, fascia and strength are so often misunderstood in modern fitness, rehabilitation and movement training. Together they examine how misread science can lead to harmful assumptions about flexibility, myofascial release and long-term tissue health.

The conversation centres on a widely discussed research paper on long-duration static stretching and strength. Joanne and John carefully clarify what the study does and does not show, exploring why increases in muscle girth do not automatically equate to functional strength, and how neural adaptation, fluid shifts and injury repair are often mistaken for true training effects.

They discuss fascia science, biomechanics, functional movement and therapeutic exercise through a clinical lens, highlighting the dangers of extrapolating extreme laboratory conditions into everyday practice. This episode challenges common flexibility myths and reframes stretching as a question of physiology, neurology and context, not force or endurance.

This conversation will be especially relevant for movement teachers, physiotherapists, manual therapists, trainers and anyone interested in fascia training, mobility exercises and therapeutic movement. It offers a grounded, nuanced perspective on how the body adapts and why better questions matter when interpreting research.

The paper discussed is ‘Influence of Long-Lasting Static Stretching on Maximal Strength, Muscle Thickness and Flexibility’, 2022.

If this episode sparks questions or reflections, we invite you to share them in the comments on our YouTube channel, where we love hearing from you and we always respond.

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

In this reflective festive episode, I explore fascia, wholeness and the magic of awareness through lived experience, embodiment and deep listening. As interest in fascia, consciousness and embodied practice continues to grow, I invite you to look beyond data and analysis and return to the body as an already whole, living system.

Drawing on more than thirty years of work in anatomy, embryology, manual therapy and movement education, I reflect on fascia as the medium through which awareness is expressed. Rather than seeing the body as a collection of parts to be fixed or optimised, this episode speaks to fascia as the connective field through which sensation, perception and meaning arise. 

This exploration weaves together moments from my own life, reflections on modern measurement and technology, and a deeper inquiry into what it means to be embodied and aware. From embryonic development and cellular continuity to breath, sound and subtle movement, I explore how awareness is not something we need to acquire, but something we can learn to notice and trust again.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, sense more clearly and reconnect with the quiet intelligence that is already present within your living body. 

I hope you get a few moments to reflect and enjoy being you during the festive season, and as we greet the New Year.

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

In this episode, Joanne and Paul explore why prehab, not rehab, is the missing foundation in modern fitness, functional training, mobility and long-term movement health. If longevity matters to you, how you move now matters more than how hard you train.

They unpack why so many people get injured while exercising, how fascia training and mobility work are often misunderstood, and why the body adapts to the shapes and stresses we repeat over time. From gym culture and sports conditioning to rehabilitation exercises and therapeutic movement, this conversation questions whether current training models truly support resilience, adaptability and whole-body intelligence.

The discussion moves into somatic movement, micro movement medicine and the living fascial matrix. Joanne and Paul explore why linear thinking in training creates shear, restriction and injury, and why the human body is not built on mechanical levers but on continuous, responsive tissue. Drawing on decades of experience across physical therapy, rehabilitation, martial arts and movement education, they show how subtle, intelligent movement restores function far more effectively than force or repetition.

This episode is especially relevant for movement teachers, physiotherapists, personal trainers, coaches and anyone interested in functional fitness, therapeutic exercise and longevity. It offers a clear reframe of prehab as an ongoing relationship with the body, not something reserved for injury prevention alone.

If you want to learn how this approach can transform your professional practice or your own movement for life, explore the Myofascial Magic In Action courses here:  www.myofascialmagic.com

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

In this episode I share an exclusive reading from my book Yoga, Fascia, Anatomy and Movement, and explore the origins of archetypal geometries, the Law of Three and the emergence of zero. These big ideas sit at the heart of sacred geometry and the symbolic designs that influence how we understand the body, consciousness and our place within a greater pattern.

We look at ancient numerals, the monad, the sacred circle and the way geometry becomes a language of meaning. These symbols are so much more than abstract concepts. They shape how we sense ourselves, how we move and how we recognise the continuity that runs through our fascia and our lived experience... Sacred patterns, spiritual archetypes and the designs found throughout nature have always been part of the body’s story.

If you’d like to explore these ideas more deeply, you can download a FREE chapter of Yoga, Fascia, Anatomy and Movement on my website: joanneavison.com

I would love to hear what this episode brings forward for you. Please feel free to share your reflections or questions.

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

In this week’s conversation, Paul and Joanne explore the interstitium, the in-between tissue that shapes how the body moves, adapts and finds flow. Understanding this living network changes the way we think about fascia, movement, biomechanics and the subtle intelligence within the body.

They also share a highly useful case study from their teaching practice, offering a clear look at how a young dancer unlocked new freedom in her spine through micro movement medicine. This example will be especially helpful for movement teachers, yoga and Pilates practitioners, physiotherapists, manual therapists and anyone working with somatic awareness and fascia science.

Micro movement medicine does not replace your current method. It expands it. When we learn to recognise the patterns of rigidity and the fixed-to-flow spectrum, we can guide the body toward ease, adaptability and continuity. Small, thoughtful movements often create the most meaningful global change.

If you want to learn more about the magic of micro movement medicine and how it can transform your professional practice, directly from Paul and Joanne, then explore our courses at myofascialmagic.com

You’re also welcome to contact us with any questions on Instagram:

• @myofascial_magic
• @joanneavison
• @paul.s.thornley

We’d love to hear what this episode brings forward for you! Please feel free to share in the comments, on The Joanne Avison YouTube channel, or on our socials.

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

Artificial intelligence and cognitive science meet the living geometry of the human body in this week’s episode. A student from my Arhanta course asked AI about the structure of living cells, fascia and human biomechanics. The answer she received was confident but disconnected from what we see in embodied anatomy. When the question was refined with more clarity, AI offered a completely different explanation.

This conversation is a reminder that deep learning systems only reflect the questions they are given. The living body expresses patterns that machine learning cannot interpret without precision and genuine curiosity. Our fascia, our cellular geometry and our subtle vibratory nature reveal far more than automated logic can reach on its own.

If you are interested in fascia science, somatic intelligence or the deeper architecture of the human body, I hope this brings you closer to your own embodied understanding!

>  If you’d like to learn more about the Arhanta short online course mentioned in this episode, you can visit the course page here - www.joanneavison.com/courses

>  Get a whole chapter of my book 'Yoga, Fascia, Anatomy and Movement' FOR FREE here! www.joanneavison.com

I would love to hear what this episode brings up for you! Please feel free to share your reflections or questions in the comments or on my Instagram - @joanneavison

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

Fascia, Geometry and How We Organise Ourselves

In this episode, Joanne explores how the human body is organised through hierarchy, heterarchy, and holarchy. These three complementary patterns form the deeper architecture of being human. Drawing from her book 'Yoga, Fascia, Anatomy and Movement' and Keith Critchlow’s 'The Hidden Geometry of Flowers', she reveals how archetypal geometries and fascia-informed anatomy help us understand ourselves as both individual and interconnected.

Through clear examples such as letters, words, paragraphs, and pages, Joanne shows how each part of us is whole in itself and also part of a larger whole. This is the essence of a holarchy, and it mirrors how fascia, structure, consciousness, and community function.

This episode is an invitation to see yourself not as a mechanical set of parts, but as a living architecture of meaning, pattern, and intelligence.

In this episode:
 • Hierarchy, heterarchy and holarchy explained clearly
 • How the body holds order, pattern and relationship
 • Fascia as an organising and unifying intelligence
 • Archetypal geometries from nature to the human form
 • Keith Critchlow’s wisdom on hidden geometry
 • Why we are each a microcosm of a greater macrocosm
 • How structure and consciousness reflect each other

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#somaticmovement #fasciarelease #innerharmony #embodieddesign #humanarchitecture #JoanneAvison #fasciatherapy #lifedesign

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

You are sacred geometry in motion — a living, breathing design of light, sound, and form.

In this episode, Joanne Avison explores how fascia, sacred geometry, and living architecture reveal the deeper design of the human body. Through fascia-informed anatomy and spiritual insight, she shows how our form reflects universal patterns — not as static structures, but as dynamic, intelligent systems of connection and flow.

From embryology to tensegrity, this conversation bridges science and spirit, offering a way to understand your body as both architecture and awareness. You’ll discover why fascia is not just connective tissue, but a conscious interface — a living geometry that shapes how we move, feel, and evolve.

In this episode:

• How sacred geometry expresses through fascia and form
• The body as a living, dynamic architecture
• Fascia as an intelligent, responsive system
• Bridging anatomy, spirituality, and embodied design

✨ Explore fascia-informed education and embodiment at https://myofascialmagic.com

#SacredGeometry #FasciaTherapy #LivingArchitecture #BodyWisdom #DynamicStructure #FasciaIntegration #SpiritualWisdom #JoanneAvison

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

Real strength isn’t about pushing harder — it’s about moving smarter.

In this episode, Joanne Avison and Paul Thornley explore how fascia, biomechanics, and functional training reshape the way we think about strength. They discuss why “more effort” doesn’t always mean “more power,” and how the body’s connective intelligence — fascia — plays a vital role in building functional, sustainable strength that supports rather than strains.

Through practical insights and fascia-focused awareness, they uncover what true strength really feels like: elastic, responsive, and deeply integrated. This conversation is for teachers, therapists, and movers who want to go beyond muscle-based training and develop an intelligent relationship with the body’s natural architecture.

In this episode:

• Why more effort doesn’t always create more strength
• The difference between force and functional movement
• Fascia as the body’s intelligent support system
• How awareness improves flexibility, recovery, and performance
• Myofascial training and dynamic resilience in practice

Learn more about fascia-focused education and embodied movement: https://myofascialmagic.com

#fasciatraining #functionaltraining #myofascialrelease #biomechanics #functionalfitness #fasciaflexibility #somaticintelligence

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

Discover the hidden geometry of movement that links fish, fascia, and the fluid intelligence of the human body...

In this episode Joanne takes us further into the 'Law of Three', exploring how two planes of motion always create a third. Highlighting insights from the brilliant Serge Gracovetsky, she explains how different movements in nature, from fish to mammals, demonstrate this fundamental law. And she reveals how spirals and tubular structures underlie human form, motion, and the natural intelligence of our bodies.

This conversation invites you to reimagine anatomy as a living architecture — not a fixed system of parts, but a dynamic relationship of motion, matter, and meaning. Perfect for movement professionals, manual therapists, and fascia enthusiasts seeking to deepen their understanding of human movement.

In this episode:

• Evolution of Motion: From Sea to Land
• The hidden role of spirals in the body
• Why fascia is the true connector of structure and function
• The importance of 'dynamic instability'
• Movement, flow, and somatic intelligence in practice

Learn more about fascia-informed training and embodiment: https://myofascialmagic.com

#fasciatraining #humanmovement #functionalmovement #mobilitytraining #fasciascience

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman