Do you suffer from chronic back pain or other musculoskeletal difficulties? Do you practice forms of stretching designed to reduce strain or to help you relax? Back pain and other musculoskeletal problems are the most common health problem in the world, affecting millions of people worldwide. When we suffer from such problems, we usually assume that something is wrong with specific muscles or joints and, in response, seek the help of professionals—massage therapists, physical therapists, and so on—who can help us fix the problem. 

But the body is not just the passive victim of specific injuries; it is designed to work as a coordinated whole with amazing efficiency. If we are suffering from a specific problem, this is usually an indication that we are using too much tension and interfering with this natural design. When we learn how to restore this larger system, parts work more efficiently, symptoms are relieved, and we learn to performs actions more skillfully. Learning how the body works as a coordinated whole, and how to use this larger system efficiently, is what Sensorimotor Awareness is all about. The human body is a remarkable moving machine. In the same way that we can learn to use a musical instrument skillfully, we can learn use the body with greater skill and ease. Sensorimotor Awareness is a comprehensive course of study on how the body works in action and how to enhance kinesthetic awareness and control as the basis for using the body efficiently.

The Need for an Educational Curriculum in Bodily Awareness

Our capacity for skillful movement is one of the most remarkable features of being human. Walking upright on two feet, we are capable of an amazing array of activities: walking, running, using our hands to build things, speaking and singing. For most of us—particularly when we are young—we are able to perform all of these activities with remarkably efficiency. With virtually no upkeep, the body does whatever is demanded of it. We can engage in daily activity for years on end, with only the occasional injury. 

But what do we do when something goes wrong, as it almost inevitably does in so many of us as we age? We are likely to assume that, because a particular part – our lower back, our shoulder, our knees – is giving us discomfort, the problem is local and needs treatment by specialized methods that strengthen parts of the body or relieve pain. But these methods—and the science upon which they are based—tell only part of the story. The body works perfectly when we are young. Why then do we assume that, if we experience pain or dysfunction, something is wrong and needs to be fixed, and that stretching or relaxation will somehow correct the problem? What if instead we took a different approach? We must do more than treat specific symptoms: we must learn how the body is actually designed to work and learn to use it more skillfully. This requires real knowledge of our anatomical design and function, as well as the kinesthetic skills that enable us to identify when we interfere with the natural function of the body and how to perform actions more consciously. When we do this, we not only reduce symptoms but gain greater awareness of what we are doing, improve functioning of muscles and joints, and reduce the amount of effort in performing actions. 

Understanding how the body is designed to function as a coordinated whole is essential to a kinesthetic model that makes it possible to identify in a positive way how the body works and to stop interfering with it. When this system works well, muscles do not strain but are naturally healthy and toned; joints have room and are supported so that they can work with maximum ease; breathing is full and unimpeded; vitality is heightened by improved muscle tone; and circulation is maximized by a lack of excessive contraction in muscles. In short, the key to improved movement and health is not the practice of this or that method but an understanding of how the body is designed to function with a minimum of strain based on our natural design. 

Many of us intuitively understand that the body is designed to work naturally and efficiently. Yet how—or why—the body works in this way has never been fully articulated or understood. Sensorimotor Awareness fills this gap. It is the first-ever curriculum on kinesthetic education, offering detailed experiential procedures and in-depth theoretical knowledge, forming the basis for a practical and theoretical education in kinesiology.

Sensorimotor Awareness: The Curriculum

• Clear descriptions of key anatomical systems and how they work 
• Description of the postural neuromuscular reflex (PNR) system, or how the  body works as a whole
• An outline of the basic principles of kinesthetic awareness and education
• Techniques for identifying harmful movement patterns that interfere with the body’s natural functional design
• Guided exercises for bringing about improved function through the process of kinesthetic thinking
• A step-by-step roadmap for learning