Originally published 14/6/24 | Last updated 8/10/262026
You are a fluid creature
Underneath the density of your bones and muscles, the ground of your physical body is fluid. You are a living ocean of cells, water, proteins, collagen, fibres, molecules, and enzymes — a private sea of health waiting beneath the surface of your everyday stress.
When your mind stills and your body deeply relaxes, this fluid expression comes right to the forefront. It isn't just a metaphor; it is a palpable physical reality. Your fluid body is a state of ease where you feel yourself slip, slide, and yield from within — without thought or effort. It connects you to a quiet, grounded realm of inner freedom.
“I feel like I am in the sea”
From the Womb to Adulthood: Your Fluid Journey
When you entered this world, you transitioned from the fluid environment of the womb to a completely different element. You began your life as a profoundly fluid being — as a newborn, your body was roughly 75% water.
As you age, that ratio gradually shifts down to around 55% to 60%. Aging literally involves a process of "drying out," but restoring your fluidity isn't just about drinking eight glasses of water a day. It’s about what is happening deep within your extracellular matrix — the fluid gel environment surrounding every single cell.
When your extracellular matrix is hydrated and healthy, it is a soft, pliable gel that allows for effortless flow, nourishment, and cellular communication. But when stress, tension, and age set in, that gel becomes stiffer, drier, and more rigid.
What Does Fluidity Look Like?
Within our modern culture, the notion of a fluid body can feel surprising because most of us aren't taught to inhabit our internal world this way. To help picture what this feels like, here are two contrasting visuals:
1. The Refined Master
Movement practitioner Cass Phelps has spent years accessing his fluid realm so that it aligns visibly through his body. Watch his movement in the video below—notice how soft, buttery, and continuous it is. There is no internal resistance to the flow; wave motion passes through his tissue body with complete ease.
Cass Phelps demonstrating fluid movement and fascia flow
2. The Floating Seal
While Cass's movement is extraordinary, it can feel like a bit of a stretch for most of us! A much more relatable example is a seal floating calmly beneath the ocean surface. As it rests, it doesn't fight the water; it simply sways with the gentle rhythm of the surrounding seaweed.
Imagine all your cells and fibres being gently held and swished in that same supportive fluid matrix — creating a space where you can finally breathe and move freely.
Science Agrees: Your Body Is Fluid
Science offers fascinating biological insights that confirm what we feel experientially. Here are some of the key elements that make up this "whole" body fluid experience:
The Interstitium & ECM (The Body’s Fluid Web): In 2018, medical researchers formally characterised a vast, continuous network of fluid-filled spaces supported by a collagen mesh throughout our connective tissue, naming it the interstitium. Alongside the extracellular matrix, this forms the physical scaffolding of your body's inner sea.
Fascial Thixotropy (From Gel to Liquid): Connective tissue exhibits a property called thixotropy. When fascia is static or stressed, its fluid ground substance thickens into a dense, stiff gel. But when warmed, gently compressed, or decompressed, it liquefies back into a smooth, hydrated state.
The Glymphatic System (Cleaning your brain): Scientists recently discovered that your brain has its own specialised fluid system where cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flushes out metabolic waste. Crucially, this glymphatic system opens up during deep sleep and profound relaxation—which is why clients so often report feeling a sudden sense of mental clarity after a session.
100,000 Kilometres of Liquid Rivers: Think of your blood and lymph — over 100,000 kilometres of liquid pathways moving nutrients and clearing waste through every tissue in your body. That’s a lot of fluid!
Why Might You Not Feel Your Fluidity Right Now?
How fluid do you feel right now? Does your body feel supple, light, and spacious? Or does it feel heavy, dense, or full of stubborn "knots" that just won't melt?
Here is why that happens:
1. Stress & Survival Protection
To access your fluid body, your nervous system needs to feel safe. When you feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, your body engages an active protective pattern—contracting tissues, pulling in fascia, and shifting fluid ground substance into a dense, rigid gel. Fluidity simply cannot express itself when your system is actively holding a defensive state.
2. Physical & Lymphatic Stagnation
When circulation and lymph flow slow down, tissues lose their elasticity and can feel thick or stuck. Instead of soft micro-cushions, you end up with layers of dense, dehydrated fibres adhering together — creating physical blockages that restrict your natural movement.
3. Heavy Physical Sensations
Stagnant fluid physically feels heavy, dense, and sluggish. Turning your attention into a system that is actively holding protection can bring up challenging emotions like depression or overwhelm. It is completely natural to avoid tuning into your body when it feels like that.
“I feel so relaxed, I have become part of the table. I feel at home.”
How to Restore Your Natural Movement
Restoring fluid flow isn't about forcing your body to relax — it's about creating conditions where it feels safe enough to yield and rehydrate from within.
Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy: Gentle, attuned touch supports your system to step out of active protection. As the body feels safe enough to let go, it warms from within—allowing the thick fascial ground substance to melt back into its natural liquid state so your system can reconnect to its health rhythms.
Targeted Lymphatic Reset: Methods like Dr. Perry’s Big 6" Lymph Reset (Stop Chasing Pain) focus on calming the nervous system while manually stimulating lymphatic drainage. I experience it as a way of lightly energising the lymph system — helping kickstart movement where things have stalled - and I’ve seen that exact same spark happen for my clients.
How Fluid Do You Feel Today?
Take a quiet moment to check in with yourself:
How supple do you feel when you move right now?
Do you experience yourself as fluid throughout your whole body, or only in certain areas?
What does the idea of an "internal fluid tide" bring up for you?
No matter your history — regardless of past illness, injury, or long-standing tension — your body inherently knows how to return to health. With patience, tenderness, and the right support, you can gently rebuild a relationship with your fluid body and discover true inner freedom.
Ready to Reconnect with Your Inner Sea?
If you’re feeling stuck, heavy, or caught in active protection, you don't have to navigate it alone. I invite you to step into a supportive space where your nervous system can feel safe enough to yield and rehydrate from within.
Book your Wellington Based session here.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and self-exploration purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Sonia Ogier is a somatic practitioner, not a licensed medical doctor. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical conditions or health concerns.
