At Ling Shui we talk a great deal about the importance of the body's fascial layer in practising Tai Chi. It provides a useful bridge to understanding the apparent contradictions the two very different Western and Traditional Chinese medical paradigms.
From a Tai Chi perspective, we train ourselves to feel the physical connections within our body and use spiralling, coiling motions to move using those connections.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, anyone who has used acupuncture to treat muscular pain will more than likely have been astounded at the relief that just a few small needles dotted around the body can have. The idea that the acupuncture channels are part of the fascia provides a possible explanation for the underlying physical processes that are at work.
The following video gives a wonderfully clear explanation of how the fascia plays a role in both movement and pain:
