Conscious Proprioception: Increased Awareness of your Sense of Position, Motion, Alignment & Balance.

After an introduction to the anatomy of alignment and balance and the 5 main muscles of movement, consider what you experience if you focus on the position (posture) and motion of your body: 

How much of your sense of proprioception are you aware of ?

Origin page is located here: conscious proprioception @ baselinehealing.com

Introduction.

Standard definition of proprioception:

Proprioception: "The ability to sense stimuli arising within the body regarding position, motion, and equilibrium."

The basic physiological model of proprioception:

• 'Sensors' located throughout the body generate sensory feedback, 'information' that is sent, via the nervous system, to the brain. Sensory feedback concerning the body's position, motion and balance is our sense of proprioception.
• The brain 'processes/interprets' this feedback about positioning and then sends signals around the body to maintain a 'functional posture', the positioning of the body that we use day-to-day.

I feel it fair to say that the different mechanisms and various proprioceptors ('sensors') involved in proprioception are far from being understood and our sense of "bodily awareness" appears in the philosophical section at Stanford. 

This post is my attempt to explain my experience of an increased consciousness of the proprioceptive feedback my body is continually producing - and how everyone can increase their awareness of their physical selves - feeling the positioning of the parts of your body, your state of motion and equilibrium.

Conscious proprioception.

Awareness of:

• The relative position of the parts of your body.
• The motion of your body.
• Your equilibrium - whether you are balanced or not.

According to:

Base-Line Theory of Health and Movement. (part 2)

(BLTH part 1)

Increased awareness of the body's positioning, balance and state of alignment - of the body's posture - comes with focusing on the right anatomy.

 Working from the body's 'Base-Line' muscles (pelvic floor Base, rectus abdominis Line) starts to connect us with our midline anatomy and guides for body alignment.

Position, Motion, Equilibrium.

• To describe the position of something you need a reference.
• → The position of the rest of your body is relative to your Base-Line.

To describe a motion (a change in position) a reference is also needed.

• → All movement should originate from your Base-Line muscles.

• Equilibrium comes when the body has a full range of movement and is dynamically aligned and balanced.
• → The linea alba, between the rectus abdominis muscles, being our primary anatomical guide for body alignment and balance.

The Body Map in Our Mind.

I believe we have the innate knowledge of what the body is capable when functioning at optimal. Of where our full range of natural movement should take us.

Imagine a 3-D representation of the body, demonstrating movement through innumerable positions, a flow, within the largest possible "body bubble"  with the body fully extended from head to fingers to toes.

--> A moving map in the mind of our full spatial potential.

Proprioceptive information received by the brain is applied to this 'body map in the mind'.

• Sensory feedback from the pelvic floor muscles should align with the Base point of the map.
• Sensory feedback from the rectus abdominis muscles should align with the Line that orientates the map.
• All proprioceptive feedback can be accurately placed onto the map when the body has a full range of natural movement.    Ability aligns with potential.

When physical restrictions are present sensory feedback does not align with the ideal map.   The body is crumpled. The map distorted.

A distorted map sends motor commands to the 'wrong' muscles, adding to imbalance and misalignment.

- - --

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.
• Proprioceptive feedback that is compared to the map
  • seeing the sparkles.

Something to be experienced to be truly understood. (see below for technique tips)

My Experiences.

I'm not the first to try and describe the sensation of proprioception but words aren't so easy.

To sense, to feel, to visualise, to awaken, to see, to be aware of, to instinctively know....   The sensory experiences of chakras and qi?

Connecting with My Base-Line.

The key to unlocking my sense of proprioception was focusing on my Base-Line muscles along with a good breathing technique.

• Activating my pelvic floor muscles.
  • The solid Base at the root of all movement.
• Then my rectus abdominis muscles engaging and elongating, section by section, from pelvis to chest.
  • The central Line supporting the rest of the body.

Learning to connect with my 'core pillar of strength', the central muscles that should support all movement. Feeling the rest of my body extending from Base-Line.

The Roll-down.

My fundamental move as I worked from Base-Line - thinking 'stronger and longer' with every breath in was the roll-down action. 

Thinks of forming the longest possible arc, by extending my rectus abdominis section by section from pelvis to chest, and letting myself roll-down as felt natural.

When I felt resistance I would pause the movement and focus on 'breathing with my Base-Line" again.  I started to feel 'releases'. They felt good.  With the support of my Base-Line muscles in place I found I could roll down a little further each time.  

I began to instinctively move ...

Swinging my arms, stretching my fingers. Adjusting my legs, bending my knees, flexing ankles and toes. Shifting my weight from heel to toe, side to side. Moving my mouth and jaw, rolling my eyes (as if I don't get enough practice!), pulling faces, sticking my tongue out.   Whatever feels natural.  The possibilities are endless on the way to a full range of natural movement.

 ... the movements allowed more releases of tissues  (accompanied by various sounds - pops, cracks etc.). I was  gaining a little more movement each time.  It felt 'right'.

I experienced a lot of pain whilst moving and releasing. They were 'old' pains. I knew them, they were familiar and often sparked old memories. I think of them as my 'healing pains' as I released my 'stored trauma' and unravelled the physical mess I was in. 

At some point (quite early on) I became aware of:

A Sense of Visuals.

• Sparkles - splodges - lights - colours - bursts - streams.
• Loci, shapes and patterns.
• Flowing, flashing, pulsing. Always on the move.
• Slightly out of reach, unable to be pinned down. A visual experience.

Activity in the visual centre of my brain, something played out on my retinas, or what? I don't know what the process is, but I assume I'm not the only one who sees:

'The sparkles'

A representation of proprioceptive feedback from my body.

A mental image of the current position and motion of my body in colour and light.

Constantly moving, bright and vivid in places where the proprioceptive feedback is clear and my body free to move.

It feels like there's no feedback from areas of my body where my range of movement is restricted - blank spaces/missing information in the streaks and waves.

Focusing on my main muscles of movement increases the sparkles.

I have a mental image, a representation of my anatomy - especially the connective tissue structures that run through, surround and connect these muscles.

• Feeling for balance in my trapezius muscles extending from midline to head and arms.
• Working on full engagement of my gluteus maximus and rectus femoris of each leg.
• With my Base-Line pelvic floor and rectus abdominis the central core of my body.

A Sense of Presence and Potential.

I now have a conscious awareness of my body's presence in space that I previously lacked. I was clumsy and accident prone but had no idea what I was lacking.

I can see my 'body map in the mind'. (see above). A peripheral outline of where a full range of natural movement should be able to take me. A 3-D shadow of my potential.

I can feel what my body should be capable of. The potential for dynamic alignment where all movement is smooth, controlled and pain-free.

I used to think the human 'machine' was a poor design.  But I was wrong, it was years of poor usage that had made life so painful.

I am aware of relative alignment of my midline anatomy and can sense the 'target line' of the median plane. Feeling how to move to work towards balancing my body and regaining my full range of natural movement.

Things I've Come to Believe.

Sensory feedback from "connective tissue" is a major contributor to our sense of conscious proprioception. This sense is the basis of the experience of "Chakras and Qi".

A lot of currently unexplained pain in the world is due to the tensions of physical restrictions in connective tissue and the myalgia of imbalance that comes when the main muscles of movement are not adequately utilised and the body does not have a full range of natural movement.

Connecting with the body's Base-Line is the key to better health for so many these days. (better health to be expanded on in later posts).

I was a wreck when I started. I'm now into year three of working towards a full range of movement and dynamic alignment. Every day feeling and moving better than ever before.

BLTH - Definition of Conscious Proprioception:

"The ability to sense the position of your body in space and to feel where your natural range of movement should take you."

Think about activating your main muscles of movement and becoming aware of the sensory information they provide. A positive feedback loop to develop your sense of 'conscious proprioception', the innate connection between body and mind.

Technique Tips.

1. Inward Focus.

Whatever helps you relax and lose a little of the outside world. Close your eyes and think of your Base-Line muscles at the core of all movement, the central pillar from where the rest of the body extends.

Technique: Breathing with your Base-Line

2. Use Your 5 Main Muscles of Movement.

Think about using your main muscles movement whatever you are doing, whatever position you are in.

Pelvic floor, rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, rectus femoris, trapezius.

• Consider the relative position and condition of each of these muscles. Tap into the sensory feedback from your body.
• Move around, feeling for balance between the left and right of each of the main muscles of movement. Explore your range of movement supported by your Base-Line.
• Adjust your body as feels natural, thinking about your midline anatomy as your guide for alignment, beginning with your linea alba.

3. Feel the Sunlight.

Dawn and dusk seem to be recommended as good times for many traditional exercises, but whatever works for you.

Closing my eyes and feeling the sun's rays on my face. The light through my eyelids helping me to see the sparkles and develop the conscious connection to my body.

Being outdoors, breathing clean air, walking on uneven ground, all good things in my opinion.

4. Appreciate Your Anatomy.

Our system for movement consists of hundreds of muscles and bones surrounded by a body-wide web of connective tissues.

We are interconnected from head to fingers to toes.

Other than the 5 main muscles of movement, knowing the anatomical details is unimportant, but it's good to appreciate the complexity of the body. 

Biodigital.com - A great resource to play with the anatomy. Thank you.

5. If You Experience a Pain or Weird Sensation.

⇨ Examine the feedback your brain is getting.

How would you describe a pain?

Is that an accurate description or a habitual response?

Focus on activating your Base-Line and explore deeper to find the origin.

Move as feels natural Never force anything. 

Does the pain change or move?  

What is your body trying to tell you? 

Learn to read your body's signals better.

Conscious proprioception - the connection between body and mind.

Find your Base-Line. 

Feel your potential.