Get Well With: Bonnie Crotzer

Meet The Founder

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What are your daily wellness non-negotiables?

My morning meditation is an everyday-must-do, but on the flip side, I let myself negotiate “the how” if need be. For example, if I have a super early morning client, then my meditation might be adding mindfulness to my walk through Central Park, or I’ll take a “seat” in the afternoon etc… I think the nature of these teachings is to become less rigid and more adaptable.  

Outside of your work with The Floss, what are your interests or hobbies that bring you joy and inspiration?

Dance! I still dance 5-6 times a week, even post professional career. I feel the most like myself, the most connected to a higher power when I am dancing. Plus, it keeps my brain sharp…learning choreography is one of the most challenging mental activities I do…then you have to translate that information in the physical realm, then add artistry, and emotionality on top of it. Going to dance class also is an intentional choice to be in community daily. Dance keeps my creative fire burning!

How do you find balance between running your own business and avoiding burnout?

It’s interesting running your own business because I have almost absolute sovereignty over my schedule but there is always (always!) something more I can do to benefit my business. It's all in the priorities for me. So I receive a massage or acupuncture almost every week. I eat well to make sure I have energy. I move my body 6 days a week. If I can’t enjoy the fruits of my labor because I am wiped out, what's the point?! So I choose feeling good as much as humanly possible. Working hard also feels satisfying. I won’t say it's a balance, but in many ways it's a choice. 

What is the most rewarding part of being a founder/creator?

Hands down, the most exciting part of being a founder is sharing this work on a global scale. And sometimes not only sharing this virtually, but having opportunities to travel the world and meet students in far away places! Being my own boss provides me with the freedom of how and who this information is shared with, and that feels fabulous. 

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The Floss and The Wellness Industry

What led to the creation of The Floss? Can you share the story behind the brand's inception?

Well, I guess it started as a young dancer, being obsessed with the body and studying it from a young age. I have been teaching movement since I was a teenager, which in turn led to teaching yoga as well as teaching this technique that transforms fascia. One of my clients in 2015 asked me to help her start an activewear brand. Me sharing knowledge about the body, fascia and Eastern Traditional Medicine was a main pillar of our brand. When we sold it and with the new found access of the virtual space during the pandemic, I created THE FLOSS. One of my deepest desires was to extend the information about this fascia-transforming technique to more people. 

How would you describe the mission and values of The Floss?

At The Floss we help people radically remodel their fascia to reverse pain, upgrade their posture, increase lymph flow and unwind long standing structural issues. Imagine a movement routine that feels like a treat for your body, and it’s low impact with high results. We also hope to educate people on how amazing fascia is! All bodies are welcome here, from hypermobile friends to our tightness buddies. 

What is Fascia Flossing and W\what makes your Fascia flossing method unique? 

Fascia Flossing reconfigures our connective tissue by means of an eccentric contraction or pandiculation … you have seen animals do this, and we pandiculate when we yawn. We are borrowing this natural process and then applying it to the body in an organized fashion…let me explain:

Fascia Flossing is different from our traditional ways of stretching because 1) We are not passive - we engage the area we are targeting while we elongate- this causes an aggregate change of the fascia 2) we don’t hold still, we pulse the movement - keeping it moving through reps brings circulation, oxygenation and you are less likely to over stretch and cause micro tearing (which makes us tighter in the end!). 

There is a self-practice version of Flossing, this is a very potent tool that you can do anywhere, anytime. The other component is the hands-on work, where I am manipulating your limbs as you resist me (this is major!). Classical myofascial therapies use an external force to change the tissue (using hands, a Gua Sha tool, a roller etc.). Fascia Flossing works from the inside-out, changing the structural fascia that is deeper and hard to change from the outside. It’s important to change the structural fascia because it can determine the status of the more superficial layers of the fascia (which are more easily benefitted by the techniques above).

If you could recommend one movement, or one short series of movements that we all need, what would that be?

Everyone needs to help their hamstrings!! Even if you can touch your toes… I am not talking about tons of mobility, I am talking about truly healthy tissue…our tissue is at its healthiest when it is hydrated, feels springy in function and to touch, is pliable and can do all the things you want to do or have to do - comfortably (that includes sitting on an airplane without feeling distressed physically). The fascia of the hamstrings tends to get dense, hard and overly thickened, this can cause lower back pain, or whole spine/pelvis disruption. So Fascia Floss your hammies and your whole body(posture) will change.

We know life gets busy. How do you recommend making flossing part of someone’s daily/weekly routine?

Something that I found profoundly helpful about flossing when I first learned it, is that it is efficient! If you only have 3 minutes, much change can happen in those three minutes if you are implementing this technique correctly. While I was still dancing professionally, I would get to the studio 30-45 mins before ballet class started. Once I learned Fascia Flossing I took 10 minutes to warm up. It's a game changer! 

Can you share the most gratifying piece of feedback you have received from one of your members? 

Wow, it's hard to choose… I guess people telling me that their lives have completely changed because of Fascia Flossing truly means the world to me and keeps me going. Just this week one of my students was telling me that he has been struggling with a gut issue for so long, and he recently found flossing, and said it's helping him significantly. One of my long-time students sends sweet notes often and says “I love how flossing makes me feel, my body really deserves this!” I love that to the moon and back, too good! 

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