Written by Thomas Myers, a Kenesis Myofascial Intergration therapist, as a textbook for manual therapists, this book presents a new way of looking at the interconnection between body systems, with emphasis on the myo (muscle) fascial (connective tissue) meridians. It maps out the connected pathways of muscle and connective tissue that binds the body together from head to toe.
This book is the original source that got me started on my journey into the physiological basis for tai chi's impact on our health. My taijiquan teacher, mentioned during a class that a colleague of his in the Yang Family Style Tai Chi Chuan Association, had brought up the subject of the role of the myofascia in tai chi movement. Tensegrity also came up as a way to describe the interconnectedness of the body and the impact of stress at any point in the body structure. My curiosity surrounding these subject led me to Anatomy Trains and a magical journey into a new way of looking at the relationship between physiological systems in the body.
Chapter 1, p. 18, begins a discussion on How to Build a Body with a description of the relationship between the physiologic systems of the body. The systems being the skeletal, the digestive, the immune, the skin or epidermal system along with the neural net, the circulatory or fluid net, and the fascial or fibrous net. Only the last three, when taken by themselves (hypothetically eliminating all others) fully defines the full shape of the body. All three are made from tubes and all three convey information. Also there is an incredible intertwining of these three systems, as to be virtually inseparable in space and function.
The introduction of macro-tensegrity as applied to the musculoskeletal system and finally
micro-tensegrity at the cellular level offers a rich tapestry within which to examine tai chi. Future posts will focus on the above topics in more detail with references to how it applies to the physiology of tai chi.
The interested reader is encouraged to explore the wealth of information contained in Anatomy Trains. It is not the intent of this blog to create a full set of footnotes on this book, but rather to explore ideas presented in Anatomy Trains that help shed light on what is going on in the body during the performance of taijiquan and what health benefits may be possible from a dedicated and consistent taijiquan practice. This will be a continuous work in progress as new ideas are brought into the discussion from my own extended study as well as from contributions to this blog by others.
