How your brain affects your movement
The focus at The Body Praxis is brain-based movement coaching.
The underlying idea is that you are more than joints and muscles and therefore - in order to really be able to get better at movement - you need to focus on what is really holding your back: your brain.
Without your brain, your body won’t work; just like a computer without its CPU would not work: it would just be a shell of components.
Your brain’s primary job is survival - of you and your body since without the body, the brain would be gone, too.
Your brain takes the input it receives from the environment, processes it and then generates output.
Credit: National Geographic
Imagine your brain as a GPS system which gathers input from 3 satellites:
your visual system (your eyes)
your vestibular system (your inner ear)
your proprioceptive system (all the nerve endings in your body that provide you with a 3D awareness of where you are in space).
If there are any issues with any of those 3 input channels, the data that your brain receives to integrate and process will be incomplete and result in a blurry map based on which your brain decides - in the interest of survival - to put on the brakes. This will show up as output in the form of dysfunctional movement patterns, inflexibility, poor balance, pain, lack of endurance - to name just a few.
In a movement coaching session, I look at the output that your brain currently generates (i.e. your current movement patterns, your current limitations, your current areas of discomfort or pain etc) and I get an insight into what might potentially be the underlying input issues and go from there.
The exercises or drills we do might seem strange (e.g. pencil push-ups) or much simpler than you are used to (e.g. an ankle circle), but this is because we use assessments and re-assessments to determine what benefits your brain and thus your body the most. Accordingly each session is fully customized to your specific needs and goals.
Every client is unique in their life experiences, living situations and brain function, which is why I offer a fully adaptable approach using different tools and techniques such as Z-Health movement drills, functional movements, Pilates and Neurokinetic Therapy.
Let’s find out what is putting the brakes on your movement dreams!