Our whole body contains connective tissue (fascia). Fascia is a kind of network of small tubes, which fill with fluid. The better the hydration of the tubes, the more supple and energetic you feel. With all the stretching movements of yoga, you stimulate the hydration of fascia.
The body contains three layers of fascia; subcutaneous, deep and connective. The subcutaneous fascia allows the body to retain fat and water and provides passage for nerves and blood vessels. The deep fascia provides, among other things, shock and impact absorption, which is hugely important for a surfer. The connecting fascia gives flexibility, among other things, which in turn stimulates you as a yogi.
If a joint is used too little or unilaterally, the connective tissue (fascia) around that joint starts to stick together, which also makes the muscles stiffer and shorter. As a result, the joint loses its full mobility. This is annoying as it hinders your freedom of movement with surfing. It can really reduce your performance on the water, as you can no longer perform the movements you want!
When the fascia is stiffened, muscles cannot be used as well and start to sag. This also affects our bones. Bones get stronger when the muscles attached to them exert force on them. If the muscles are weak, then the bones also receive less impact and become more porous in the longer term. You need strong bones to absorb the impact of all the hits on the water. And carry your skeleton anyway.
Fascia can get irritated by wrong posture, but also by stress, unhealthy and acidifying food. That irritated fascia can start to inflame or thicken. This thickening can feel painful. As a result, surrounding muscles can remain unconsciously tightened, which you experience as stiffness and which makes the inflammation worse.
If you want to surf longer and improve your performance, yoga is essential! It gives your body the suppleness to move freely on the water.
About Bellatrix:
Bellatrix van Wingerden is a dedicated yoga teacher and avid surfer from the Netherlands. She discovered yoga at 19, began teaching at 25, and wrote the book Yoga For Surfers in 2021. Through continuous training and education, she has integrated yoga into her life and passion for surfing, seeing both as avenues for constant growth and self-improvement.
Visit her yoga studio in Ouddorp, the Netherlands at yogastudioouddorp.nl and read her Manduka Yoga Studio Spotlight here.
The book, Yoga For Surfers, is currently available in Dutch and can be found on yogaforsurfers.nl or follow along on Instagram @yoga.forsurfers.
