Breathing is more than the diaphragm — fascia, movement, and the whole body collaborate in every breath you take.

In this episode of the Myofascial Magic in Action Podcast, Joanne Avison and Paul Thornley explore the deeper story of breathing. Is the diaphragm really the primary muscle of breath, or is it part of a much larger system involving fascia, ribs, viscera, feet, and movement itself?

Together we look at:

• Why breathing is both instinctive and influenced by environment
• The diaphragm as fascia-infused architecture, not just muscle
• Dissection insights that challenge common breathing myths
• The role of the psoas, ribcage, and pericardium in breath
• How rotation, walking, and subtle micro-movements influence breathing
• Trauma, breath holding, and the memory stored in tissue
• Why receiving the breath can shift body, mind, and wellbeing
  
  

Breath shapes more than oxygen exchange — it informs posture, relaxation, performance, and even emotional resilience. This conversation invites you to rethink the diaphragm, rediscover your breath, and experience how fascia and movement make breathing a whole-body process.

✨ Subscribe for more fascia-focused conversations.

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

Discover how your fascia, brain balance & movement patterns shape your body - and each other - in unique, life-changing ways.

Joanne Avison reveals why breaking the body into isolated parts misses the bigger picture, what we can learn from both left and right brain perception, and how fascia acts as the architecture of your body’s form. You’ll hear insights on proprioception, archetypal movement patterns, and the subtle feedback loops that influence how you move and feel every day.

In this episode:

• How fascia shapes movement patterns
• Why your movement patterns reshape fascia
• Intriguing links between fascia, brain, and body
• Stereotypes vs archetypes in movement styles
• The role of wonder, curiosity, and micro-movement medicine

 Learn more about our fascia-focused training! Visit https://myofascialmagic.com

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

What if pain or stiffness wasn’t just physical… but emotional? In this episode, Joanne and Paul explore how fascia can hold patterns of past experience — and how subtle movement, attention, and storytelling can gently unravel what’s been stuck.

You’ll hear Paul talk about how our environment — from a noisy shopping mall to a quiet walk — can radically change how our body responds. And why noticing what actually “works” for us might be the key to healing, not forcing.

From micro-movement medicine to the Goldilocks zone of performance, this is a fascia-first, emotionally intelligent conversation for anyone working with the body.

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

Could your fascia know things before your mind does?

In this episode, Joanne explores how our fascia can hold deep wisdom and even spiritual insights - and is SO much more than just a file of old injuries, tension and trauma. She highlights how fascia's sensory responses often precede cognitive awareness, suggesting that its feedback could actually guide our paths more accurately than logic...

Through helpful examples and metaphors, Joanne explains how fascia integrates both the body's structural and fluid nature, emphasizing its role in self-awareness, instinct, and intuition. And she shares guided practical movements and mindful practices that you can try right now!

This episode invites you to reconnect with your body’s deep intelligence, listen to the 'fascia whispers' beneath the noise, and turn life's traumas into sources of strength, and wisdom...

What you’ll learn:
• Why fascia responds faster than cognition
• The link between fascia, instinct, and intuition
• How fascia integrates structure, fluidity, and awareness
• Simple practices to tune into your body’s inner wisdom

If you’ve ever felt like your body knew something before your mind caught up, this episode is for you.

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

In this moving episode, Joanne speaks with homeopath and fascia-focused bodyworker Heather Natoli, whose son’s life-threatening vascular tumour led to a remarkable journey through fascia, medicine, and healing.

What began with childhood seizures became a story of deep listening, surgical precision, and fascia’s role in regeneration. Heather shares how a fascia-focused lens - paired with conventional medicine - helped guide her son back to health, and how that experience now shapes her clinical work at The Fascia Clinic.

Together, Joanne and Heather explore:
– How fascia bridges structure, time, and healing
– The role of tissue intelligence in recovery
– When medical surgery meets intuitive care
– What it means to become your own guide in healing

This is a powerful conversation on the resilience of the human body, the power of integrative care, and the subtle intelligence of fascia. Whether you're a practitioner, parent, or simply fascia-curious - this one will stay with you.

🌀 Subscribe for new fascia-informed episodes every week

HEATHER NATOLI:

Find out more about Heather, her work and her clinic at thefasciaclinic.org

Or follow The Fascia Clinic on Instagram: @thefasciaclinic

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

Fascia, burnout, and hidden stress in the body — discover how micro-movements and breathwork helped release years of tension in this fascia-first healing story.

In this episode, Joanne shares the powerful story of Alex — a high-performing professional whose unexplained burnout didn’t shift through talk therapy, meditation, or even rest. The breakthrough came from an unexpected source: working with their fascia…

You’ll learn how chronic tension, anxiety, and emotional holding patterns can physically embed themselves in your tissues — and how micro-movements, breath, and subtle awareness can begin to unravel them.

✨ This is a fascia-focused perspective on stress, healing, and coming home to your body.

🎧 Listen in and discover:

• Why fascia is more than just connective tissue
• How emotional history might be recorded in the body
• The power of micro-movement, breath, and proprioception
• Simple tools to begin releasing tension today

👇 Let us know if this resonates with your story — and don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more fascia-focused conversations.

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

In this episode the tables are turned and Joanne is interviewed by her colleague John Sharkey about her new book, 'Myofascial Magic in Action.' 

The conversation explores the book's inspirations, its relation to her previous works, and its practical applications for manual and movement therapists. Joanne discusses the importance of understanding fascia as more than the sum of anatomical parts, aiming to bridge the gap between intellectual theory and practical application in various movement practices. Contributors to the book, including recognized experts like Paul Thornley, Dr. Wilbur Kelsick, Dr Karen Kirkness and Helen Eadie, bring diverse perspectives on topics such as tendon function and neuromuscular therapy. 

Joanne also hints at her upcoming projects, expanding on the themes of fascia and integrative movement therapies for truly embodied health and healing...

If you’d like your own copy of Myofascial Magic In Action see how to order below, and please do leave any comments or questions, we love to hear from you!

📖ORDER THE BOOK📖

Search ‘Myofascial Magic In Action’ on your country’s Amazon, ask your favourite bookshop or online book supplier, or order direct from the publishers:

US orders: https://us.singingdragon.com/products/myofascial-magic-in-action

UK and the rest of the world orders: https://uk.singingdragon.com/products/myofascial-magic-in-action

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

In this episode of the Myofascial Magic In Action Podcast, co-founders Joanne Avison and Paul Thornley discuss a recent workshop in Manchester and the keys participants went home with - secrets they don’t often share! They delve into the foundational principles of myofascial magic, and explore the disconnect between traditional fitness regimens that don’t honour real, practical human movement... 

Paul shares insights from his workshop, stressing the importance of understanding the human body as a fluid, integrated system rather than focusing solely on muscle-based exercises and out of date regimes. They share how to adapt training methods to individual needs - how to enhance dexterity and vitality and not inadvertently damage or diminish it. How to work with scar tissue and prevent over-training syndromes. 

What nuanced differences can you add in, whether you work with elite athletes or everyday individuals? How can you incorporate these simple refinements to your movement practice? Tune in to find out!

🎓 TAKE OUR COURSE: Enhance Your Teaching with Myofascial Magic in Action

If you’d like to learn and work closely with Paul and Joanne, our online programme could be for you. With weekly live coaching, it provides essential, practical training in fascia-focused micro-movements and how to apply them to individual clients. You will learn profile-led instruction based on modern physiology and fascia science, bridging the gap between classical and modern movement education - whatever modality you trained in.  

🌟 To learn more or book a free discovery call, simply DM @JoanneAvison on Instagram, or visit myofascialmagic.com

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

Join Joanne as she seeks to build a bridge between science and spirit, between body and soul, and dives deeper into the incredible ways fascia can serve as a pathway to spiritual awakening… 

Fascia forms a liquid crystal matrix of communication - and deep consciousness - within us all. Today Joanne further unpacks this fascinating tissue, and how it relates to our embryological origins and the interconnectedness of our left and right brain hemispheres… Incorporating groundbreaking insights from renowned scientists and professors Neil Theise, Iain McGilchrist, Jill Bolte Taylor and John Sharkey, Joanne considers fascia’s unique implications for our emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and how we can reach a more powerful and intuitive comprehension of ourselves. She also uncovers how understanding fascia can help us to both self-regulate and to co-regulate with others. 

So, could be fascia be a fundamental bridge between our physical and spiritual health? Can we use it to deepen our mind-body-spirit connection? And, does the fascia hold the key to unlocking higher states of consciousness..? 

👉 Discover the Living Language of Fascia 

If you’d like to know more about this incredible tissue, sign up for Joanne’s new short course, co-created with Brea Johnson of global movement platform Heart And Bones Yoga.

Beyond Anatomy: The Living Language of Fascia is a self-paced online course, with lifetime access, combining engaging lectures and embodied practices. 

👉 Sign up now at heartandbonesyoga.com/fascia-course

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman

What if anatomy wasn’t just intellectual? What if it’s part of our felt sense?

In this fascinating conversation Joanne is joined by Brea Johnson, a yoga educator with over 20 years’ experience in anatomy and movement, and founder of the globally recognised online platform Heart + Bones Yoga.

Together they explore how understanding fascia, proprioception and movement awareness can transform how we practice, teach and experience movement. And they reflect on the delicate interplay between intellectual understanding of anatomy and intuitive body awareness; passionately advocating for the unlearning of reductionist models and a more holistic, healing approach to anatomy and wellness.

💡 Discover Joanne and Brea’s transformative new course!! Beyond Anatomy: The Living Language of Fascia is open to all, self-paced and with lifetime access.

 👉👉👉 Instant access here: https://www.heartandbonesyoga.com/fascia-course/

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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman