Radiance MFR

Therapeutic Insight: The Myofascial Release
Perspective
What Do You Believe?
by John F. Barnes

Many belief systems are thrust upon us by society, the educational system, coupled with our experience. I am not being critical of you with what I am about to write. I was guilty of this much longer than most. My experience has shown that much of what you and I
were taught has been known to be obsolete for close to 70 years! Despite the fact the information has been known to be outdated, it is still being taught in most medical, dental and therapeutic schools, leading to the frustration of temporary results and a
health-care system on the verge of bankruptcy and collapse.

In order to evolve and be the best therapist we can be, it is time to change and update our paradigm. A paradigm is a shared set of assumptions, a model of reality. Our society's model of reality is logical, but terribly flawed and an incomplete paradigm. Our
educational system turned us into word worshipers, almost as if logic was some sort of a religion. I have found over the years that just because something is logical doesn.t mean
it has any basis in reality whatsoever.

What most of us learned and accepted as facts, actually started out as myths a long time ago. These myths and misinformation were passed down by one expert to another, generation upon generation, until we all accepted these myths as facts. We need to step back and take a serious look at what we were taught, keeping that which has value and discarding that which only produces temporary results with our clients or impedes our
joyful expression of life and vibrant health.

Our current model of reality actually began more than 300 years ago. Rene Descartes, the father of modern medicine, Isaac Newton and other scientists of that time got into a fight with the church. Descartes wanted cadavers to dissect to learn more about
anatomy; the church would have none of it. They argued back and forth for quite a while, and I think they eventually gave up. So, they agreed to fragment the human being. The church took the spirit, physicians took biochemistry, we therapists took the
flesh, psychologists focused on the mind and nobody wanted the emotions!

This fragmentation of the human has become absurd. The model of reality taught is that we are just bags of chemicals and/or a mindless machine. Do you really believe that?
These obsolete concepts defy our moment-by-moment experience of ourselves!

In school, the implied message was that we were not bright enough to think for ourselves. We were to believe what the scientific experts said and wrote, not realizing the experts made their logical decisions and formulated their theories on flawed and
incomplete information, which among other things eliminated consciousness.

Behaviorism has strongly influenced the belief systems of both the medical and psychological paradigm since the early 1900s.The following quote is from the National Consciousness Magazine: The Human Paradox of Behaviorism.

It is a paradox for conscious humans to deny consciousness. Yet, generations of physicians and scientists influenced by behaviorism claim to study perception without consciousness, attention without consciousness, learning, brain physiology, animal
behavior, sleep, language, and healing without consciousness, all while explicitly evading the common sense of 26 centuries of written human thought. Naturally, were unable to deal with the subconscious events either; you can't have a subconscious
without consciousness. Yet they've experienced every waking moment consciously.

Basically, in school we were taught what to think, not how to think! And haven't we all been told, Oh, it's only your intuition? One of our most valuable assets was stripped
from us. The emphasis was on memorization, analytical thought and logic. We were taught logical techniques for an illogical body and linear concepts for a nonlinear system, the fascial system.

One of the many reasons myofascial release produces consistent and lasting results is that I teach principles that emanate from an understanding of the nonlinear aspect of the myofascial system, coupled with chaos and complexity theory, as well as cellular
consciousness.

Dr. Candace Pert, one of our country's leading researchers and developers of the endorphin theory, has written an interesting book titled, The Molecule's of Emotion, which you might enjoy. For years, her research has demonstrated that every cell of our
body has intelligence, emotion and memory.

The information, emotions and memories are sent via the neuropeptide system through the microtubules of the fascial system to our brain and neural system. So, cellular
memory lies within and is processed through the ground substance of the fascial system. The ground substance is the environment of every nerve and cell of our body and ideally should be a fluid to gelatinous state.

However, when we undergo trauma and/or a thwarted inflammatory process, the ground substance begins to dehydrate. This solidification impedes the proper processing
of information, emotion and memory, ultimately creating internal tension, anxiety and crushing pressure on pain-sensitive structures. This dysfunctional scenario ultimately leads to the symptoms of pain, headaches, restriction of motion and cellular
malfunction.

Massage, bodywork and energy techniques coupled with myofascial release allow us to rehydrate the fascial system to eliminate the crushing pressure on pain-sensitive
structures and a return of cellular and physiological functioning.

Sincerely,
John

TAKE 3 With JFB: 15 - Saying the Right Thing John speaks on how he approaches communication with his patients an...

THE 3 P’s: PSOAS • PIRIFORMIS • PTERYGOIDS 💜
Three deep stabilizers. Three areas John F. Barnes taught us not to overlook.

When the body doesn’t feel stable, it often grips, guards, and compensates.

In John F. Barnes Myofascial Release, we don’t just chase the painful area. We look for the deeper restrictions influencing the entire system—and the 3 P’s can be important places to assess.

✨ PSOAS — Stabilizes the Spine & Pelvis
Deep in the core, the psoas connects the lumbar spine to the femur. When it becomes guarded or restricted, it can influence the low back, pelvis, hips, posture, and walking mechanics.

✨ PIRIFORMIS — Stabilizes the Pelvis & Hip
Running from the sacrum toward the femur, the piriformis helps control the hip and pelvis. When it’s working overtime, you may experience deep buttock, hip, low-back, or sciatic-type symptoms.

✨ PTERYGOIDS — Stabilize & Control the Jaw
These small, deep muscles help coordinate precise movement of the mandible and TMJ. Clenching, grinding, stress, and protective guarding can create significant tension through the jaw, face, head, and neck.

💜 WHAT DO ALL 3 HAVE IN COMMON?

They’re deep.
They’re powerful.
They help create stability and control.

And when the body is compensating, these muscles can become chronically overworked.

That’s why simply stretching or digging into the “tight muscle” may not be enough.

Why is it tight?
What is it stabilizing?
What restriction is causing it to work so hard?

John Barnes taught us to feel, follow, and treat the fascial restrictions—not force the body into change.

Sometimes the areas holding everything together are also the areas asking us to pay attention.

The 3 P’s: Psoas. Piriformis. Pterygoids.
Don’t forget the stabilizers. 💜

Rowena Cua 💜
Expert JFB Myofascial Release Therapist
Trauma Informed Healing
🌐 www.bodymfr.com

Subscribe to the Radiance MFR YOUtube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/
For MFR SELF CARE videos

www.youtube.com

Love this! Cranial work is essential when the sphenoid is not functioning properly.
Book your next MFR session today and get some cranial work 💆🏼‍♀️💆🏻‍♂️

🧠 THE SPHENOID & THE PITUITARY GLAND
There’s a tiny “saddle” deep inside your skull—and it holds one of the body’s most important glands.

Deep in the center of your skull sits the sphenoid bone. Within it is a small, saddle-shaped depression called the sella turcica—Latin for “Turkish saddle.”

And sitting within that saddle?

✨ The pituitary gland.

The pituitary is often called the body’s “master gland” because its hormones help regulate or influence:

• Growth & development
• Thyroid activity
• Adrenal function
• Reproduction
• Menstrual cycles & ovulation
• Lactation
• Water balance
• Stress-response signaling

What makes this anatomy so fascinating is that the pituitary isn’t simply floating inside the skull.

It sits directly within the sphenoid bone.

The sphenoid also articulates with multiple cranial bones and contributes to the eye sockets and skull base, making it an important structural crossroads of the cranium.

💜 WHY DO I PAY ATTENTION TO THE SPHENOID IN MYOFASCIAL & CRANIAL WORK?

After birth compression, dental or orthodontic forces, whiplash, head trauma, jaw dysfunction, or other mechanical stresses, I assess the entire cranial-fascial system—not simply the location where symptoms are felt.

Gentle, sustained myofascial work may help address restrictions and improve mobility within the tissues surrounding the cranial system.

This does not mean manually “adjusting” the pituitary gland or treating a hormonal disorder through the sphenoid. It means recognizing just how interconnected our anatomy truly is.

The sphenoid may be small and hidden…

but anatomically, it sits at an extraordinary crossroads. 🧠✨

Your skull isn’t just a protective helmet. It’s a living, interconnected part of your fascial system.

Rowena Cua 💜
Expert JFB Myofascial Release Therapist
Trauma-Informed Healing
🌐 www.bodymfr.com

Psoas work … every BODY needs this

The Psoas: Your Deep Core Survival Muscle

The psoas (pronounced so-az) is one of the most important muscles in the body, yet many people have never heard of it. It attaches from the lower spine through the pelvis to the top of the femur, connecting your spine to your legs. It helps you walk, lift your knees, stabilize your low back, support posture, and even influences how you breathe.

But the psoas is more than a movement muscle—it is often called the muscle of the soul because of its close relationship to the nervous system and emotional stress patterns.

When you experience stress, fear, trauma, or constant pressure, your body activates the fight, flight, or freeze response. The psoas contracts to prepare you to run, curl inward, brace, or protect yourself. This is a natural survival mechanism.

The problem is many people never fully discharge that stress. Instead, the body stays subtly guarded. Over time, the psoas can remain shortened, tight, or overactive.

This may contribute to:
✨ Low back pain
✨ Hip tightness
✨ Sciatica-like symptoms
✨ Shallow breathing
✨ Anxiety or feeling “on edge”
✨ Poor posture
✨ Pelvic tension
✨ Digestive discomfort
✨ Difficulty relaxing

Because the psoas sits deep near the diaphragm, kidneys, intestines, and solar plexus region, chronic tension there can feel physical and emotional.

Gentle positions like hanging one leg off the bed, supported stretching, diaphragmatic breathing, somatic work, and Myofascial Release can help the body feel safe enough to let go.

Healing the psoas is often not about forcing a stretch—it’s about signaling safety to the nervous system.

Sometimes low back pain is not just structural. Sometimes it’s the body still carrying yesterday’s stress.

When the psoas softens, many people feel grounded, calmer, taller, and more at peace.

Happy Easter!