Hi friends,

So, fish gotta swim, and so do we.

Did you ever think about how fish move?… Like, how do they do that side-to-side motion that moves them through oceans, rivers, and streams…through the liquid, viscous substance that they live and breathe in?

Remember seeing videos of how fish side-to-side shimmy and swish away really fast when predators are in their midst?

How do they sail through the waters, sensing their environment at the same time?

Well, turns out, they have sensory lines — called lateral lines— along the sides of their bodies, from head to tail. These lines are made up of specialized hair-like cells (cilia) called neuromasts.

This is how fish orient in the water, swim with their kin in schools, and sense when predators are around. Neuromasts sense water movement, vibration, and pressure changes: they orient and propel.

This motion is ancestral; it’s how fish and amphibians moved through water. They shimmy!

What fascinates me is how this all emerged. In fish, were these lateral sensory lines shaped by pressure, currents, and the forces of the ocean itself? Did the neuromasts, which act as tiny mechanotransducters, develop in response to the fluid environment surrounding them? It certainly seems possible.

We share this with our aquatic ancestors. Our fascia is infused with 250 million nerve endings called mechanoreceptors! (Schliep, 2014) Mechanoreceptors detect pressure, tension, vibration, and stretch, and they provide instant feedback to our nervous system, helping us sense our surroundings and move through space.

We have a lateral line of fascia that extends from the bottom of our foot, all the way up our side body to our jaw. Sounds a little fishy, don’t you think?

Please geek out with me for a few more seconds…

What does that have to do with the cramp in your side, the clench in your jaw, and that tailbone that stops swishing and starts aching? Everything. Because gentle compression — mechanotransduction — sends pressure and vibration that hydrate connective tissue, allowing it to move and feel better.

One way for us to restore ease of movement is to work with the lateral fascial lines of the side-body. Cuz guess what? Those lateral lines get gunked up quite a bit. And when one thing gets locked up, say your ankle, it’s gonna echo up the whole side of your body.

We're fish out of water. We bipeds either get around by foot or with mobility aids if walking is inaccessible. We have to contend with gravity. Instead of water enveloping us, we just got air.

Here’s what’s interesting. When we use soft rollers and balls, they provide a gentle compression to our bodies, reminiscent of the vibration and pressure changes of water. This gentle compression stimulates the mechanostransducers, allowing them to reset, heal, and reconnect.

So, we can get some of those fish in water vibes! And, that can help us to feel a little better, almost immediately.

And, guess what? Tomorrow’s MELT and More class will be all about the lateral line. Join us if you’re interested. Register here or reply with any questions.

Swimmingly,

♥️🌊

Adina

p.s. Find all of this interesting, and want to learn more, but can’t get to class tomorrow? Get on the list to hear about upcoming classes and events. Plus, in those emails, I go into more detail about fascia, movement, and how to work with it, sharing useful resources like videos, current research, and info-dives.

p.p.s. That swagger in ballroom culture— vogueing? It’s born of an assertive side-to-side hip sway—LOTS of lateral motion there. Are fish vogueing?? 🐠🪭🐠