Love and belonging are irreducible human needs. “We have to belong to ourselves as much as we need to belong to others,” researcher Brené Brown eloquently asserts in Atlas of the Heart1. She explains that “Because we can feel belonging only if we have the courage to share our most authentic selves with people, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance”.

In contemplating these poignant insights, the significance of our professional roles in guiding clients towards embodiment is unmistakably clear. Afterall, the ‘bodymind’ is the one place that truly belongs to us. The more we accept and appreciate it, the more we can share our most authentic selves with those around us.

In this article, we explore the transformative power of utilising the bodywide myofascial core for greater somatic integrity and a feeling of inner belonging.

Uniting the Bodymind

The term 'bodymind' is consciously unhyphenated: 'body-mind' suggests a separation between the body and mind, and while this is linguistically correct it is holistically inaccurate. Brought into being by neuroscientist Candace Pert, the unified, non-hyphenated term emphasises the inherent unity of body and mind².

The Bodywide Myofascial Core: Unveiling the Deep Front Line

As a Pilates professional, you excel in building core competencies such as dynamic core stabilisation and strength. Traditionally, the Pilates method has focused on the body's centre, especially the lumbar-pelvic region, vital for postural balance and movement efficiency. In more contemporary times, Tom Myers, my brilliant friend and anatomy visionary, has developed a broader perspective on the core with his Anatomy Trains concept3. What Tom refers to as the Deep Front Line, you can view as the 'bodywide myofascial core,' within which the 'central core' of Pilates is intricately embedded.

The Deep Front Line is the deepest of twelve myofascial meridians that dynamically stabilise and move the body. Picture it as a continuum of muscles and fascia that connects the core of the body from the feet all the way up to the head. Voluminous in nature, it fills the body’s innerness while supporting vital space for the internal organs.

As a multidimensional dynamic stabiliser and movement contributor, the Deep Front Line quite literally supports the bodymind in every part of our lives.

To ‘embrain’ and embody the individual muscles and fascial structures of your bodywide myofascial core, you are warmly invited to participate in a Deep Front Line anatomy meditation.

YOU CAN VIEW THE MEDITATION HERE.

Besides its postural and movement functions, the Deep Front Line substantially influences how we feel within and about ourselves. To ground this claim in physical matter, let’s bring fascia as a sensory organ into the conversation.

Fascia as a Sensory Organ

Over the past two decades, professionals across various fields, including Pilates, have increasingly recognised and utilised the diverse roles of fascia in health and movement. It took further time for the fascial system to be acknowledged as a sensory organ. Current scientific research indicates that with approximately 250 million nerve endings, the fascial system can be regarded as the body's richest sensory organ⁴. Of particular interest are five types of mechanoreceptors, specialised nerve endings with proprioceptive and interoceptive functions. The Golgi, Pacini, Ruffini, and muscle spindle receptors facilitate movement coordination, while interstitial receptors generate feeling awareness.

Proprioception enables the coordination of body alignment and movement in an energy-efficient and well-timed manner. When we focus on training core stabilisation and strength, we are engaging in proprioceptive activities.

Interoception involves the moment-to-moment perception of bodily sensations and emotional responses. When we pay attention to how movement feels and what it signifies to us, we are moving within the realm of interoception5.

A Feeling of Belonging

From practical experience, focused attention on individual myofascial meridians can elicit distinct feelings. Within the Deep Front Line, a profound experience of belonging to oneself can emerge. It signifies 'being at home in the bodymind,' a hallmark of psychosomatic health. Picture the bodymind as a house with various rooms of different sizes, shapes, and decor. Being at home in the entire house means knowing, appreciating, and caring for every nook and cranny, even the less favoured spaces. In the bodymind, this translates to being in connection with, accepting, and appreciating all aspects of oneself, including those we are not as fond of.

A well-conditioned Deep Front Line not only strengthens inner belonging but provides the core resources to physically be in integrity, in our truth. Integrity is not merely a state or a goal to pursue; it is a practice, something to be lived, experienced, basked in. It is not an easy practice, and the more somatic resources we can draw from, the better equipped the bodymind is to stay on the path. While practicing integrity naturally comes with challenges, the rewards are invaluable. Sociologist Marta Beck believes that integrity offers us sustained joie de vivre and a deep sense of inner peace, not because it is virtuous, but because it aligns us with reality, with truth6.” A belief that echoes in my experience.

Functional Integrity

From a proprioceptive or movement orchestration standpoint, deliberately working with the Deep Front Line provides you, as a professional, with an empirical body map that can add a new dimension to your Pilates practice and teaching. Because the Deep Front Line is the most intricate of the myofascial meridians, fully harnessing its potential requires in-depth study and elaboration beyond the scope of this article, however, below are two movement examples, one of which is linked to a free YouTube practice.

See here.

Seeing Known Things in a New Light

Understanding the science behind exercises can truly enhance how we perceive them, adding value to even the simplest movements.

Consider, for instance, an exercise known in Slings Myofascial Training as Relevé & Arm Arc. At first glance, it may appear unassuming – you centre the upright standing body and lift the heels off the floor while raising the arms forward and upward over the head. On closer examination, however, this exercise reveals hidden depth. By focusing on grounding through the balls of the big toes and lifting from the inner arches of the feet while spiralling the inner thighs outward, we subtly emphasise the Deep Front Line, reaping bodywide core benefits in the process.

Moreover, intriguing research has shown that altering ankle positions increases pelvic floor activity compared to having the feet flat on the floor. One particular combination stands out for its effectiveness: active plantar flexion (Relevé) with arms raised overhead (Arm Arc)⁷. Equipped with this anatomical knowledge, we can elevate our appreciation and the local and bodywide effectiveness of all exercises, ranging from seemingly simple to complex.

Accessing the Central Core Differently

In Pilates, we traditionally engage muscles from the inside out. In Slings Myofascial Training, we adopt a unique approach – we work both ways via myofascial pathways. By utilising the Deep Front Line as a body map, we can access the central core from the outside in, thereby contributing to its myofascial integrity in novel ways. Because first-hand experience is the most informative, join this YouTube practice to experience the pelvic floor being empowered by the adductor pathway.

In Conclusion

I hope that this exploration of the Deep Front Line encourages you to delve deeper into your bodywide myofascial core as a resource for somatic integrity and inner belonging.

Karin believes that knowledge should be shared generously to empower individuals to take their wellbeing into their own hands. As the founder of art of motion, she has developed three comprehensive education concepts – Contemporary Pilates, Slings Myofascial Training, and Anatomy Trains in Motion – and is an international presenter, author, and ambassador for creative living.

Learn more about deep front line anatomy trains and more.

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References

1. Brené Brown (2021), Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience. Penguin Random House UK

2. Candace Pert (1999), Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine. Simon & Schuster

3. Thomas W. Myers (2021), Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual Therapists & Movement Professionals. Elsevier

4. Robert Schleip (2022), The Fascial Network: Our Richest Sensory Organ in International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork

5. Robert Schleip, Joeri Calsius, Heike Jäger (2022), Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body. Interoception: A New Correlate for Intricate Connections Between Fascial Receptors, Emotion, and Self-Awareness. Elsevier

6. Marta Beck (2021), The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self. Piatkus Books

7. H.L. Chen, Y.C. Lin, W.J. Chien, W.C. Huang, H. Lin, P.L. Chen (2009), The Effect of Ankle Position on Pelvic Floor Muscle Contraction Activity in Women in Journal of Urology

Integrating the Deep Front Line and Cultivating a Feeling of Belonging