Proprioception is a big word that refers to our ability to sense our body as it moves through space. Essentially, it’s body awareness, and it’s mostly subconscious as it’s happening all the time. And while there are many factors that can influence our proprioception, I find it helpful to also think of it as a skill that can be consciously strengthened.
Enhancing proprioception has the potential to create more efficient and, therefore, more economic movement. Not only is this huge for athletes, where efficiency and energy management are crucial, but it’s also great for human beings in general… Because as we’ve all likely experienced, the simple act of ‘living’ is challenging enough. 😆
There’s even some really cool research (thanks to my teacher Tiffany Cruikshank for sharing + distilling down a mountain of info to make it easier to understand) that suggests that by enhancing our proprioception, or turning UP this sense of body awareness (hello YOGA!), we can actually dampen our perceived threat/pain response… A potentially massive finding for those living with chronic pain. And for athletes + humans not living with chronic pain, this also could have big implications on our resilience and our ability to push our limits in order to grow.
Now, keep in mind that this is a lengthy convo, and if you’re interested, I’ve shared a few research articles and a super informative video by my teacher (via Yoga Medicine Online) below. Feel free to dive in!
And, if you’re around Rincón and want to explore and enhance your body awareness a bit more, then I invite you to roll out your mat with me sometime for one of my weekly group classes or we can chat more and schedule a private session that will be more specific to your individual needs.