Linus Johansson & Martin Lundgren

“Hold your good practices dearly and your theories very lightly” – Gil Hedley (Chapter 1)

In true ‘adapt and survive’ spirit, this year’s British Fascia Symposium was not thwarted by the global coronavirus pandemic. Well, not much, anyway! Instead of the planned live event, speakers and guests gathered online to listen to a rich line up of speakers, engage in Q&A discussions and even partake in practical sessions and movement workshops. We’re very proud to have had so many of our Lotus authors presenting – several of whom have not only written their own books but also come together to collaborate in Linus Johansson and Martin Lundgren’s recent ‘Movement Integration’. So, what makes this book so special that they all wanted ‘in’?

‘Movement Integration’ is unique in the way in which it weaves together accepted theory, ancient philosophy, contemporary approaches and insightful anecdotes – and with an array of contributors from different corners of the worlds of movement and physical therapy it has an energy to it that many an educational text does not. As James Earls says in his foreword, “This innovative book will inspire you to move your body, it will expand your mind, and, trust me, you will love it!”

Gary Ward, the creator of Anatomy in Motion who shot to fame for his work with Dr Rangan Chatterjee, discusses how skeletal movement influences soft tissue with insights from his own Flow Motion model. In the chapter ‘Fasciaism is on the rise!’, Julian Baker, leading Bowen expert and author of ‘Bowen Unravelled’, brings his discussion on the structure of fascia to life with a selection of fantastically illustrative photographs.  Gary Carter, who worked alongside Thomas Myers to bring his work to the UK, charts how theories about the fascial system have evolved, how plastination has enhanced our anatomical understanding, and shares examples that illustrate the continuities of the myofascial sling system.

“We are not just dissecting bodies here, we are dissecting our knowledge, we are dissecting our language and we are dissecting our beliefs” – Julian Baker

The catalysts fusing all of these contributors together are, of course, authors Linus (physiotherapist, movement practitioner, and creator of SOMA-Move) and Martin (structural integrator, movement practitioner and Anatomy in Motion specialist). Linus and Martin have studied under James Earls, Thomas Myers, Gary Ward, Gary Carter and Julian Baker so if you are a fan of any of those, you will already have an affinity with the principles of this book. Their contemporary approach to movement theory honours the history of where we have come from and blends a breadth of concepts with over 150 beautiful illustrations to describe some of the best integrative practices today. Ideal reading for physiotherapists, massage therapists, structural integrators, and yoga and pilates instructors alike.