172: Fascia & Flow State: Expert Insights with Fiona Stout, BA PhD

Previous episodes have explored the physical form and function of fascia and its interactions with the nervous and immune systems. Today’s conversation ventures into more new territory, exploring the relationships between fascia, flow state, and embodied experience.

Host Katja is joined by Fiona Rose Stout PhD, an interdisciplinary researcher, bodyworker, and movement therapist seeking to connect diverse perspectives from neuroscience, creative arts, bodywork, and yoga.

Together, Katja and Fiona explore the fascinating relationship between fascia, movement, and nervous system regulation. They discuss why fascia may provide an important biological lens for understanding embodied awareness, how movement practices can cultivate greater adaptability and resilience, and why integrative thinking is essential when exploring trauma, healing, and the mind-body connection. They also unpack a recent opinion article challenging “The Body Keeps the Score,” offering a nuanced discussion about predictive coding, fascia, and contemporary trauma science.

“There’s an experience that happens when you actually feel that connection and that integration.” — Fiona Stout

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“The fascia is not just a tissue—it is a system that connects all the other systems together.” – Fiona Stout

Show Notes:

  • Introducing Fiona [01:13]
  • Flow state and why it matters for embodied movement practitioners [04:40]
  • Fascial fluidity implications for flow state [11:48]
  • Connections between nervous system regulation, trauma and flow state [15:11]
  • Supporting fascia with curiosity, varied movement, bodywork, myofascial release [21:03]
  • A nuanced discussion of “The Body Keeps the Score” [29:05]
  • Predictive coding and recent article “The body does not keep the score” [37:05]
  • Why integration, not dualism, may better explain human experience [45:11]
  • “Different strokes for different folks”: final takeaways [50:28]

Links Mentioned:

PhD Dissertation | Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

“Sometimes a lot of people are saying exactly the same thing—they just have different disciplinary language.” — Fiona Stout

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