What is awareness, and why is it important?
Awareness can be loosely defined as perception of a situation. If we are in a state of awareness, we are perceiving what is happening in the present moment with clarity. Focusing our attention into the present moment, also known as mindfulness, has been shown to improve our health and well-being in many ways. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that mindfulness interventions can improve pain for those of us suffering from chronic pain, and also may be helpful in the outcomes of stress-related illnesses such as PTSD, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and more.1
The state of our mind greatly impacts the state of our bodies. If our mind is frequently jumping around to anxieties rooted in the future or regrets from the past, it is likely that we are operating in a sympathetic nervous system state, which comes with the release of cortisol and adrenaline, contributing to tense muscles, rapid breathing, raised blood pressure, and impaired well-being. What we do with our attention has been shown to impact many physiological functions in our body- by training the mind to focus in the present moment, we can boost the vitality of our immune system, improve our cardiovascular health, support healthy sleep, deepen our relationships with others, and even increase longevity.2
How does awareness apply to movement?
By paying attention to movement in the present moment without being shackled by self-criticism and judgment, we can find joy and relaxation during our movement practice. By making movement a meditation, we can shift into a parasympathetic state of the nervous system, which is consistent with our relaxation response (decreased stress hormones, blood pressure, etc.) This is contrary to distracted movement in which we may be rushing, thinking about other things, and neglecting to respond to sensations in our bodies. Awareness during movement also facilitates learning: where attention goes, neural activity flows. By paying attention to how certain body parts are moving, we increase connections in our brain that help us to feel and move these areas, as well as integrate these body parts with our whole being. Attention combined with consistent practice over time can actually change our brain structures, facilitating healthy adaptations in our physiology and the ability to move with greater ease and efficiency.
Over time, awareness practices help to change the relationship we have with our body. Judgment, criticism, and fear begin to melt away, and are replaced with self-compassion, body wisdom, and enjoyment of moving for the sake of moving. By paying attention to our movement in this way, we can calm our nervous system, decrease pain, improve our movement, and turn a seemingly simple motion into a profound learning experience.
Well, what about when I’m doing other things? Do I always have to pay such careful attention?
An excellent question that many clients will ask. For most people, it isn’t realistic to be 100% attentive during every waking moment! With a Feldenkrais-inspired movement program you are improving old or learning new action patterns. By the very nature of engaging in challenging but not overwhelming movement patterns, you are stimulating the neuromuscular system in such a way that inherently brings us to an attentive state. And once that pattern has been established and repeated, myelin thickening around the nerves improves the responsiveness of our intent and subsequent actions, we no longer have to think about it so much, it becomes automatic.
A Mindful Movement Practice
Take a couple minutes to practice this gentle lesson:
Begin by lying comfortably on the floor with bent knees (or a bed if the floor is not accessible). Imagine there is a little clock underneath the back of your pelvis, with 12 o’clock pointing towards your head, and 6 o’clock towards your feet. Begin to tip your pelvis between 12 and 6. This pelvis tilt goes along with an arch of the low back towards 6, and rounding of the low back towards 12.
Rather than just going through the motion and assigning any judgment to how far you’re able to go in each direction, if you are doing it “right” or “wrong”, or what “benefit” this exercise might have, try to tap into your embodied senses. Notice any sensations you feel. Pressure? Tightness? Where exactly do you feel the sensations? Can you feel certain muscles engaging or releasing?
Is there a way to carry on the same movement but in a way that feels more comfortable or easy? What micro changes can you make to improve the experience for you?
Then begin to notice what is moving. We know the pelvis is moving, and the low back is as well. As you continue to move, what other parts of you seem to be moving or engaging? What do you notice in your hips? Rib cage? Head? What seems to be pressing down, and what is lifting up? Perhaps you notice that as you pay close attention to your movement, the more you become aware of.
Written by Jacob Tyson, DPT - Physical Therapist, Yoga Instructor and The Wellness Station Team