Conscious Proprioception.
Feel how to heal.
Proprioception:
(PRO-pree-oh-SEPt-shun)
"The ability to sense stimuli arising within the body regarding position, motion, and equilibrium."
Proprioception - the basics.
Throughout the body, various 'sensors' produce sensory feedback (information) that is sent to the brain via our nerves.
The brain processes feedback about the body's position, balance and movement (our posture) for the sense known as proprioception.
Your sense of proprioception will be running in the background, providing information about your positioning so that subconscious adjustments can be made throughout your body to maintain a day-to-day posture.
To improve your posture you need to become more conscious of your sense of proprioception. This allows you to judge your positioning for yourself and feel how to move in order to work towards a body that is more balanced and aligned.
good posture body alignment and balance
Conscious proprioception.
Conscious proprioception is when we are aware of the proprioceptive sensory feedback our body provides. When we can consciously sense/see/feel:
- The position of the parts of our body.
- The motion of our body, and where we should be able to move.
- Our equilibrium - whether our body is balanced or not.
Conscious proprioception and your Base-Line muscles.
Increased awareness your sense of position, motion and balance begins by focusing on activating and extending the body's "core pillar of strength" - our Base-Line muscles: Pelvic floor Base, rectus abdominis Line.
● The position of the rest of your body is relative to your Base-Line.
● All movement should originate from, and be supported by, your Base-Line.
● The body should be balanced either side of the median plane.
Connecting with our Base-Line, and then working with the other main muscles of movement too, increases awareness of the proprioceptive information our body has for us.
What if I don't use my
main muscles of movement?
Being conscious of our sense of proprioception allows us to experience the 'body map in the mind' and to really feel our posture and judge our state of balance and alignment for ourselves.
The body map in the mind.
Imagine a 3-D representation of the body, demonstrating a flow of movement through the innumerable positions the body is capable of when functioning at optimal. A moving map in our mind of the body's spatial potential when it is dynamically balanced and aligned with a full range of natural movement.
full range of natural movement
Proprioceptive information received by the brain is applied to this "body map in the mind", giving us a mental image of the positioning of our head and limbs relative to our Base-Line.
Sensory feedback from the pelvic floor muscles provides the Base starting point for reading the map accurately.
Sensory feedback from the rectus abdominis muscles provides information about the positioning of the linea alba - the Line that orientates the map in the right direction.
When the body is functioning at optimal - when it is dynamically balanced and aligned with a full range of natural movement - all proprioceptive feedback can be accurately placed onto the map Ability aligns with potential and we can see the whole map.
When physical restrictions are present on the body - when the body is imbalanced and misaligned - the sensory feedback cannot align with the map. There are 'blockages' and 'blank spaces' in the proprioceptive information we experience. The body is crumpled and twisted. The map distorted.
A distorted map in the mind means that motor commands are sent to the 'wrong' muscles, further adding to the body's imbalance and misalignment.
Increasing Conscious Awareness.
Active engagement of the Base-Line muscles creates a positive feedback loop, increasing awareness of:
- Voluntary activation of muscles. Building the mind to muscles, body to brain connection.
- The body map in the mind. Sensing our potential for a full range of natural movement.
- The proprioceptive feedback that is compared to the map. Seeing the sparkles.
conscious proprioception - technique tips
As I focused on activating my Base-Line - longer and stronger with every in breath - I began to see 'the sparkles' which was the beginning of an awareness of my sense of proprioception, feeling a connection between my body and mind.
Conscious proprioception allows you to:
- Feel the relative position, motion and equilibrium of each of your main muscles of movement.
- Feel the relative positioning of your midline anatomy.
- Feel your state of alignment and balance.
- Feel how to move to release the physical restrictions on your body and regain a full range of natural range of movement.
- Be able to see/sense/visualise your presence in space, developing the connection between body and mind.
- Feel more balanced and aligned, feel better.
midline markers linea alba nuchal & supraspinous ligaments
full range of natural movement