Proprioception: Developing Body Awareness
When people ask me what I do for a living, I hesitate before answering simply because responding with, “I teach yoga” doesn’t do my job, or the practice, justice. If I could answer truthfully, with unlimited time and attention span from my inquisitor, I would explain that I was a specialized guide. I would weave a story of all the expeditions that lead to the many nooks and crannies that make up one’s being. But most importantly, I’d proudly state, that for a living I welcome people back to their bodies. There are many reasons to teach yoga, and even more reasons to practice it, but currently this homecoming is my dance and song.
This concept is beautifully described in Tara Brach’s novel, “Radical Acceptance“. She points out that, “we experience our lives through our bodies whether we are aware of it or not. Yet we are usually so mesmerized by our ideas about the world that we miss out on much of our direct sensory experience.”
Yoga reintroduces you to your body and all of its parts, while strengthening inner knowing and body clairvoyance.
“In fact, the Buddha called physical sensations the first foundation of mindfulness because they are intrinsic to feelings and thoughts and are the base of the very process of consciousness,” shares Brach. This reunion might be tedious at first, as we’ve accumulated many burnt out light bulbs that need replacing. When a muscle is first used at a very early age (i.e., the psoas is first used at eight months), the brain recognizes that the muscle will be in use frequently, so it labels it as an “unconscious muscle” to conserve energy.
These once unconscious muscles are brought back to awareness through yoga, as performing asana places new demands on the body and brain. I believe that’s why you can feel so full after practice; you leave glowing and feeling energized because the dots are being connected again and your body parts are being married as one. It’s no coincidence that yoga translates to mean “to yoke” or “to unite.”
As we age, we can unfortunately lose this sense of union if we don’t continue to stay physically active. One of the number one causes of death among seniors results from falling, because one’s proprioception gradually becomes impaired.
Proprioception is defined as, “the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body“. For example, touching your nose with your index fingers while closing your eyes, tests your ability to be proprioceptive. It is what allows us to walk in complete darkness without losing balance. When we’re driving, it’s what allows us to keep our eyes on the road and not on our feet while we brake and accelerate. The mind has memorized where certain body parts are so that you often don’t need the eyes to find them.
Yet, for some seniors, finding their nose with their index finger can be a challenging task. I began to reflect on this with great admiration and respect for the work yogis do, and not just physically. I’ve never actualized how many miracles occur on the mat.
For example, let’s say my students are in a twisted lunge to the left, their eyes are gazing skyward. I ask them to bring their left hip bone back, while drawing their right sitz bone away from their sacrum; they then adjust accordingly. The fact that they can access a very deep portion of their pelvis, without looking, is pretty incredible; it’s a gift and a skill we take for granted.
Proven here, as body awareness develops, so does your relationship with each individual body part; becoming mindful of exactly where they exist in space. Even 2,000 years ago, the depths of this work was cherished and eventually expressed in the ancient Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Sutra II.46 states that, “This discipline and attention must be applied to the practice of each asana, to penetrate to its very depths in the remotest parts of the body. Even the meditational asana has to be cultivated by the fibers, cells, joints and muscles in cooperation with the mind.”
Sensing the depth of ourselves to this extent can be hard to experience these days; we live so much in our heads that our bodies can feel miles away. Thankfully every time we hit our yoga mats, we begin to embody our homebody again. Our proprioception is developed and fine-tuned, and we establish trust in our bodies, growing comfortable in our own skin. This snowballs into us trusting our hearts and hearing our intuition with confidence and efficiency. I believe this can morph even more into us being present with everything that surrounds us. We become like animals, noticing everyone’s whereabouts, everyone’s moods, reading everyone’s body language, and more. Nothing goes unnoticed and even relationships deepen – from the bone in our left thigh to our neighbor down the hall.
This homecoming is described perfectly by Elizabeth Kadetsky in her recent novel “First There Is a Mountain.” She writes, “I could discover my body anew every day, and through it discover the world around me. I could start again – remake my universe.”
About the Author
How to Balance Your Solar Plexus Chakra
The Solar Plexus chakra or Manipura chakra is often referred to as the chakra of personal power. Located two inches above the navel at the base of the rib cage, it is the seat of our ego and where we draw motivation to achieve our goals. It governs our ability to achieve the goals we set for ourselves, moderates our self-esteem, it oversees our raw emotions and we draw on it for our self-discipline.
Call on Your Solar Plexus Chakra to Understand Your Emotional Self
When our Solar Plexus is unbalanced we experience both physical and emotional problems. Because this chakra is located near the abdomen, it affects many internal organs such as the kidneys, intestines and pancreas. Stomach ulcers and possible weight problems can also be attributed to an unbalanced Solar Plexus. In addition, we may suffer from back problems, lethargy and because this chakra is connected to our sense of sight, we may experience blurriness with our vision.
Note that physical ailments have a dramatic effect on our emotional and spiritual state and that if we pay attention to these energies within our bodies, we could, in earnest, take control of illnesses we feel are wreaking havoc on our bodies.
If it is under-active, it can lead to emotional problems, sometimes seriously. We may feel powerless or ineffective which can lead to negative thoughts and despair, we will doubt ourselves and our accomplishments and see mistrust within our friends and family. Anxiety and low self-esteem often accompany an under-active Solar Plexus and if we let these emotions fester, it can and will affect our other chakras, and by extension, our physical and emotional states.
Yet a Solar Plexus that is overactive can be just as harmful. Too much of a good thing, no matter how healthy or helpful it is, never good for us. If we find ourselves judging people too harshly or have become too critical or demanding, then our Solar Plexus could be over-stimulating our system. Anger and aggressiveness is another symptom of this overactive chakra. Anger is one of the more serious effects as it has a noted physical reaction. When we are angry the body re-directs blood away from the abdomen area and to the muscles in preparation for a physical confrontation, therefore, starving the organs of the Solar Plexus of nutrients.
How Anger Affects the Body
When the energy of our Solar Plexus is balanced, our outlook on life improves, criticisms and problems are easier to handle, and you have control over your emotions and your thoughts. The ego is easier to handle. You will understand and accept your inner peace and radiate that acceptance outward, coming to appreciate people and things around you. When balanced, our Solar Plexus gives us confidence in ourselves and our performance. We feel accomplished and proud of our work and achieving our goals. We create an emotional focal point.
The Solar Plexus Chakra is connected to the sense of sight. It is thought that nearsighted people may an over-abundance of fear or insecurity, while those who are far-sighted hold unresolved anger or guilt. We can draw on our personal power to help stimulate the chakra. Exercising our self-discipline not only brings us closer to our goals, but strengthens our chakra and allows us to digest the more unfavorable situations and negativity in our lives.
See the Solar Plexus Light at the End of the Tunnel
Stimulating the Solar Plexus is as easy as taking a walk and observing a sunset or sunrise. Visit a park or just watch the stars. Observing the many colors in our world can stimulate and reinforce more than one Chakra point.
Color is an important part of Chakra therapy. Just like sound vibrations, each color has a corresponding wavelength.
A simple way to fortify or help keep your chakras balanced is to wear clothing or an item of the corresponding chakra color. Try this exercise: as you go about your day, periodically think about the color you’re wearing. Imagine that color infusing into the corresponding chakra point. See it in your mind, blending with your body, soaking into your skin. Take several deep breaths, exhaling all the air out of your lungs. Do this several times a day, or when you happen to remember. It will go a long way in helping you to condition your mind to balance your energies.
You can also try the meditation exercise above with any of the colors below to balance their respective chakras:
- Red/black for the Root
- Orange for the Sacral
- Yellow for the Solar Plexus
- Green for the Heart
- Blue for the Throat
- Indigo for the Third Eye
- Violet for the Crown
How to Balance Your Solar Plexus
There are as many different ways to balance our chakras as there are people in the world, and what works for one person may not work for another. Some people like to sit and meditate, using sounds and smells to relax and re-energize, while others may chose exercise or participating in other activities that stimulate our points. Whichever way you chose, make sure that it’s right for you. If you feel uncomfortable doing a yoga position, try listening to music and focusing on how your body responds, or if you are more energetic, a good hike or riding a bike might be better suited. This is the important part; listen to your body. It will tell you what works and what doesn’t.
To nourish your spiritual side, try volunteering or taking a class; learn something new. This nourishes our mind and spirit.
Solar Plexus Balancing Tools
Crystals
Stones of yellow hue are best to use. Crystals such as amber, citrine, golden or honey calcite, yellow sapphire are just a few. Wear or place these crystals on your body as you listen to meditative music, or carry them in your pocket.
Sound
Using sound as part of your chakra balancing is a soothing and relaxing way to release the tension and blockage within our bodies. Either by ‘toning’ which is using a specific vowel sound, drawing it out in a tone of voice you feel comfortable using. For the Solar Plexus, the sound of ‘oh’ should be used.
A Bijas mantra is different and can be used as well. The Bijas for the Solar Plexus is RAM.
New Experiences
The Solar Plexus helps with mental clarity as well as learning new things. Try taking up a new hobby or playing games that stimulate and sharpens your mind. These are excellent ways to keep this chakra open and balanced.
While the majority of these suggestions concentrate with feeding our emotional and mental side, we need to think of our body as well. Keeping the body healthy with the right food and good exercise can also keep the chakras balanced and the energy flowing. Consider eating foods that are yellow, such as some squash, yellow bell peppers and lemons. Fruits and vegetables of this color contain antioxidants such as lutein. Research suggests that lutein along with other plant basted antioxidants, may reduce the risk of chronic eye disease.
Yoga Poses to Balance the Solar Plexus
Stimulate and balance your solar plexus with full yoga classes or individual poses, listed below.
Yoga Classes on Gaia
- Third Chakra Yoga Practice
- The Healing Elements: Fire: The Third Chakra
- Authentic Power: Enlivening the Third Chakra
Yoga Poses
- Boat
- Firefly
- Mountain
- Warrior pose I
- Warrior pose II
