How Fascia & Myofascial Meridians Control Postural Tone
- Oct 1, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 2, 2025
Luther has over 27 years of experience in educating and treating the public, elite athletes, & pain management clients for chronic musculoskeletal and soft tissue alignment and postural issues.
In my last article, “How to Align & Stabilize Your Posture,” I introduced the role of fascia and how to begin understanding its role in posture. It would benefit you to review that article for comparison on how I will describe the role of fascia within this article, doing so will give you an even deeper understanding and insight into the complexities of this organ. All of the other organ systems most people think about (lymphatic, nervous, muscular, circulatory, digestive, respiratory, and all other tissues) require the organization of the “fascial network” for proper alignment, stability, and function.
I will expand on a new view of fascia, allowing you to see the connection between the physical and non-physical parts of our being. As a brief reference for understanding, consider physical tissues as those you can see, feel, or touch, or have access to through scans, etc., and non-physical tissues as the many invisible energy fields (acupuncture meridians, chakra systems, auric field patterns, and other vibrations contained within a human being).
Now, expand your perspective of fascia to view it as a bio-organic matrix organ network, ranging in continuum densities and layers, from microscopic to loose protoplasmic tissues, to the big tendinous fascia sheaths, and everything in between. Here are some of its major functions, it suspends, supports, connects, anchors, surrounds, separates, partitions, adheres, and much more. Now, here is the connecting function, fascia receives sensory innervation from both physical tissues and non-physical energies, including thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
Consider this a new way to view the mind, body, spirit concept. Below is a more detailed description of the physical nature side of the fascial network, followed by a discussion on myofascial meridians and how they relate to muscle movement and posture organization.
Sensory innervation and receptors in the myofascial network
The human myofascial network is richly innervated with an array of mechanoreceptors and free nerve endings that allow it to function as a highly sensitive sensory organ. Specialized receptors, such as Ruffini endings and Pacinian corpuscles, detect sustained pressure, stretch, and rapid vibratory changes, while Golgi tendon-like receptors monitor tension within fascial tissues. Free nerve endings contribute to nociception and autonomic regulation, linking fascia to both pain perception and visceral responses. This dense sensory innervation enables fascia to do more than passively support and connect. It continuously provides feedback to the nervous system, helping coordinate posture, balance, proprioception, and the dynamic equilibrium of organs. Through this integrative role, fascia not only supports, suspends, and anchors but also surrounds, separates, and harmonizes the body’s internal structures.
What are myofascial meridians?
Myofascial meridians are continuous bands of fascia and muscle that transmit tension, force, and coordination across the body. Thomas Myers identified 12 primary lines, such as the Superficial Front Line, Superficial Back Line, Lateral Lines, Spiral Lines, Functional Lines, and Deep Front Line, while others delineate fewer. But the overarching concept remains consistent, we move through these interconnected fascial networks, not isolated muscles.
These lines facilitate whole-body coordination and efficiency, balancing mobility and stability using principles like biotensegrity, and supporting both movement and postural control.
Training through movement that engages entire chains, rather than isolating muscles, enhances strength, fascial adaptation, and coordinated activation over time.
Movement phases with myofascial lines
Outlined below illustrates how key myofascial chains engage during each movement:
Standing to sitting
Superficial Front Line: activates as you engage hip and trunk flexors to descend.
Deep Front Line: stabilizes the torso and hips.
Superficial Back Line: eccentrically controls descent via hamstrings and spinal extensors.
Sitting to standing
Reverse sequence: Superficial Back Line concentric drive, Deep Front Line for stability, Superficial Front Line restrains forward momentum.
Sitting to lying on back
Superficial Front Line lengthens while eccentrically controlling descent.
Deep Front Line ensures core remains stable throughout the movement.
Standing to full flexion (Bending over)
Dominated by Superficial Back Line (hamstrings, spinal erectors) in eccentric control.
Deep Front Line provides axial stability, preventing spinal collapse.
Bending to standing fully straight (Extension)
Superficial Back Line contracts concentrically to return upright.
Deep Front Line aids core stabilization throughout.
Superficial Front Line may eccentrically restrain upward motion.
Standing plus pushing/pulling with straight legs vs. squat (legs bent)
Straight legs: Upper-body Arm Lines (superficial/deep front/back arm lines) and Functional Lines (ant/post functional slings) transmit force through trunk, while Superficial Back Line resists hyperextension.
Squatting: Lower-body Functional Lines become active, forces flow through the posterior chain into ground, even distribution through fascial slings, Spiral Lines maintain rotational stability, Deep Front Line stabilizes the core under load.
Conclusions: Why this matters for posture & longevity
These meridians act like force highways, if one section is “blocked” (tight, weak, or scarred), movement compensation patterns form.
Over time, compensations can shift stress to joints and passive tissues to increased wear, pain, and injury risk.
Training and manual therapy should focus on balancing tension and elasticity along the entire chain, not just isolated muscle strength.
Good posture alignment, balance, and movement require a well-balanced, fit, and flexible fascial network. Consider your fascial network to be your “new core.”
I encourage you to begin studying your body on a more detailed level, and the fascial level is critical for understanding posture and movement. Knowing some basic concepts can assist you in finding and selecting a movement professional who incorporates this knowledge into their practice.
If you are in the local area of my practice, you can begin the process of discovering how to improve your overall health. If not, screening services for identifying and improving your posture are available via Zoom or that you can give to your movement coach to make more effective use of their services. If interested, the contact information is below:
Corporate Massage Therapies – Advanced Treatment Center
5000 Sagemore Drive, Suite 200
Marlton, NJ 08053
609-257-8595
Read more from Luther Lockard
Luther Lockard, Posture & Movement Coach, LMT
Luther Lockard is a professional bodyworker with 27 years of experience, which includes the services of Posture & Alignment Coaching, flexibility training, personal training, medical massage, reflexology, craniosacral, Reiki, therapeutic touch, healing touch, and other energy-based modalities. Luther has over 2000 hours of professional training in bodywork, which includes, Brain-Based & Corrective Exercise Movement Coaching.
