By Nicole Irlbeck, Restoration Fitness

 

Technically speaking, having good body awareness means that you have good “kinesthesia”, or, the sense by which motion and the position of various body parts are perceived. Kinesthesia relies on sensory organs called proprioceptors that monitor the state of muscle contractions, the position of joints, our skin receptors, and our inner ear balance receptors. These receptors all send information to the brain so give a person awareness of body and limb position during movements.

 

That is the technical definition. However, there are many of us who regularly tune out much of what our body is telling us about our mood, fatigue state, stress load, hydration levels, hunger or fullness, tension…and the list goes on.

 

What does it take to become more aware of what our body needs and to then train it to respond?  After all, how can we ever expect to live an authentic life if we aren’t listening to what our own body is saying?   Martha Graham, a pioneer of modern dance said, “the body never lies”.  If this is true, we could learn a thing or two by paying attention to it.

 

Here are some steps to start tapping into your body’s wisdom:

1. Recognize your body’s language.

a. Get still.

b.  Breathe deep.  Relax your tummy to fill your lungs, exhale and squeeze your tummy to press all the

air out before inhaling again.

c.  Ask the question…What am I feeling or experiencing and why?

d.  Generate awareness through education.  Did you know that by the time you are actually thirsty,

your body is already severely dehydrated?

 

1. Respond by giving your body what it needs:

a.  Choose to say no to whatever it is that keeps you from honoring yourself.

b.  Give yourself some scheduled time every day to do a “body scan”; sit still, breathe, and ask the

question above about your mind, body, and soul.

c.  Make movement a regular part of your day, every day.  You don’t have to run a marathon here.  Your joints actually receive their nourishment from movement, your muscles assist your heart with blood flow, and increasing your heart rate moderately will help increase oxygen to the brain.  You are designed to move.  Find something you love to motivate you- a favorite song, a class, or do something on your own. Whatever it is, do it regularly.

 

Overall, have some common sense.   When you have been neglecting your body for a long time you may have to start by giving your body what you think it needs instead of what it is telling you.  Good food, water, movement, and quality sleep and rest are all at the top of the priority list.  If your not sure where to start, keep it simple and pick one thing to focus on first, the rest will start to follow as your body starts to receive the nurturing once again.