Meet Julia Blackwell, a fascia release practitioner, educator, and the mastermind behind The Fascia Remedy. Julia’s journey into the world of fascia release began with her personal quest for physical freedom, having dealt with severe nerve damage since birth. In this interview, she shares her transformative experience with fascia-focused bodywork, the creation of The Fascia Remedy, and how she helps others unlock their body’s self-healing power through personalized sessions, both in person and virtually. Join MysticMag and get ready to explore the profound impact of fascia release on pain relief, emotional well-being, and the restoration of the body’s innate resilience.
What can you tell me about yourself and your professional journey?
I’m Julia Blackwell. I’m a fascia release practitioner, educator, and creator of The Fascia Remedy.
My journey into my career began with my own lifelong search for physical freedom. I was born with severe nerve damage to my right shoulder and grew up going through the broken Western medicine system. After 23 years of being told my condition would never improve and feeling no lasting relief from any treatments, I was introduced to a unique type of fascia-release bodywork in 2011.
In just 3 months of this fascia-focused work, I saw more improvement in the feel and function of my arm than I had in 15 years of traditional treatments! That incessant tightness began to release, muscle began firing again, and I even experienced emotional releases as I processed the pain and grief of feeling so trapped in my body for so long. It was truly a life-changing experience.
As you can imagine, this catapulted me into learning everything I could about fascia, how to change and restore it, and how to help everyone I could get the same results as I’d had. After learning multiple modalities and working with clients for 12 years, I formulated my own approach for bodywork & foam rolling called The Fascia Remedy. Using this methodology, I’ve been able to successfully continue my own healing journey as well as help others quickly alleviate pain, reconnect with their body, and tap into their incredible self-healing power.
After living in such a small, limited “box” for over 20 years, I’m happy to share that my life has dramatically changed. I’m now a rock climber and mountaineer, taking on challenges and adventures I never would’ve believed I could do before. I’m so grateful I’ve been able to share this method with so many and help give them their lives back.
How can you help a person ignite their natural healing ability and what specific services do you offer?
I help people ignite their natural healing ability through correctly addressing the fascial system. Fascia is a “cling wrap”-like wrapping that goes through every single thing in our bodies. Yes; every muscle fiber, muscle group, bone, tendon, ligament, blood vessel, nerve, and organ is encased in this connective tissue.
Because fascia wraps around every single thing, it therefore influences the position and function of everything. It’s what holds our potential to move freely (or not). What we often think is a joint, muscle, or nerve problem, is actually a fascia problem. When we can identify the areas of restriction in this tissue (think: crumpled-up balls of plastic wrap) and release them, we can restore space, hydration, and function to your body.
Fascia is also a highly sensitive tissue. It uses its many receptors to gather and interpret information about both our external and internal environment. This means that stress, trauma, and life experiences can impact our fascia! Working on areas that have become stuck in a dense, contracted state may also help release stress and energy that has been trapped in our bodies.
Luckily, fascia is resilient and it can change quickly when we understand how to properly release it as well as where to do it. I help you with this through in-person fascia release sessions at my practice in Golden, CO as well as virtual sessions and courses for those from afar.
Can you walk me through one of your 1:1 sessions?
One-on-one sessions are flexible as they are often based on what you (the client) feel you need that day. I usually begin with asking what’s present for you at the moment whether it’s pain, tension, stress, or even what’s feeling good in your body. We’ll check in with your posture, alignment, or certain ranges of motion to make a collaborative plan for what to work on.
If we’re working virtually, I’ll be guiding you through specific foam rolling techniques and exercises to address your fascia. If we’re working together in person, I’ll pin your fascia with some or all of my body weight (via the feet) and then ask your fascia to change itself (through movement) from the inside out. You are essentially using me as a tool to heal yourself through active movement.
It’s our goal every session to find and release adhesions, discover areas of restriction, and identify any imbalances you may have. This is how we find the root cause of your issue instead of chasing symptoms.
How do you individualize your services for your clients?
While there are common patterns of tension that happen in the body, we are all unique. We all have different jobs, lifestyles, and past traumas. No two of us are exactly the same when it comes to alignment and finding the root cause of an issue, so each person needs something a little different. Honestly, it keeps my job interesting! I enjoy the challenge of uncovering each person’s specific needs and inviting them to participate in the discovery process. When we begin to deeply connect with our own body and start to understand its messages, quick and lasting healing happens.
Can you share a memorable success story?
I feel blessed that I’ve had many profound success stories with hundreds of clients over the past 12 years. Witnessing someone eliminate chronic pain, return to the activities they love, or even set a personal record is always memorable to me.
I will share a recent story about a client I’ve been working with for about a year now, however. She was in a terrible car accident nearly 20 years ago, and over the course of time, her body became severely twisted with many tight, compensating muscles. When she first came to me, there was never a day she didn’t feel discomfort and pain.
After our work together, she’s been able to return to the activities she loves pain-free and with ease. Her balance has improved, the compensations have disappeared, and she’s feeling as strong as ever. Her posture and alignment have also improved dramatically! During one of our sessions back in May, she told me that she “both loved and hated me.” When I laughed and asked her why, she said that she went to put on one of her favorite dresses to attend her daughter’s graduation and it no longer fit her in the shoulders. She said her shoulders are now nearly two inches wider because they are finally relaxed and in the right position! She said, “I didn’t even realize how much they were compressed — no wonder I could never relax and always had neck pain!” It was definitely a special moment.
To learn more about Julia and her work, you can visit www.movementbyjulia.com
