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What is proprioception and is it the same as kinesthetic awareness, what???

The dictionary says proprioception is:

proprioception
 (prpr-spshn)
The unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself. In humans, these stimuli are detected by nerves within the body itself, as well as by the semicircular canals of the inner ear.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception
 
 
kinesthesia
kin•es•the•sia (ˌkɪn əsˈθi ʒə, -ʒi ə, ˌkaɪ nəs-)
The sensation in the body of the movement of muscles, tendons, and joints
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/kinesthesia
 

Why would we want to be more aware of our perception of movement and spatial orientation? Because of the sense of effort that we habitually have decided is needed to do certain tasks, lifting an object, holding our coffee cup, knitting, playing golf, even standing or sitting we sometimes do with lots of tension and stress in our joints.

By educating your sensory awareness ( a combination of balance, spatial orientation, and sensations of movement in our muscles, tendons and joints), we can move in our life and do what we do with more ease in our joints, muscles and skeleton. By becoming aware of what habits may have caused chronic pain,  we can start changing where we over tense ourselves; the results will be sustainable and long term, because we are changing OURSELVES by OUR OWN awareness, which deepens and deepens as we remove the layers of habitual tension and stress.

The proprioceptive sense can be sharpened through study of many disciplines. Examples are the Feldenkrais method[26] and the Alexander Technique.  Juggling trains reaction time, spatial location, and efficient movement.  Standing on a wobble board or balance board is often used to retrain or increase proprioception abilities, particularly as physical therapy for ankle or knee injuries. Slacklining is another method to increase proprioception. more…

Interested….come have an introduction in how to sharpen your proprioceptive sense…we may juggle, do some yoga, crawl, walk, stand, and movement that you are finding challenging or painful!!

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I am honored….

..to have had the amazing opportunity to work with the Castleton Artists Training Seminar (CATS) participants this summer at The Castleton Festival the creation of Lorin Maazel, Artistic Director.  This is my third year working with this talented and unique group of men and women who are committed and passionate about their musical artistry.

As I sat in the audience of Otello, and felt the emotion and breath of the actor’s characters come to life; I thought to myself, this incredible festival is minutes from my house, and I am sitting here experiencing one of the world’s most esteemed conductor directing incredible musicians, and  performers.  It was very “other worldly”!

The CATS is a program for advanced voice students who audition from all parts of the world. I offered the Alexander Technique work to them in several workshops over the course of their stay at Castleton; most of them had experience of the Alexander Technique in their schools or had private lessons with a teacher.  So it was rewarding to assist them with refreshing their knowledge of the Alexander work in their performances while at Castleton, and to carry that awareness into their careers as vocal performers.

 

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Stiffness makes us look old…is there a choice?

As I was flying out to Montana this week, and had some time in airports, I enjoyed watching people walking and moving…it is a great study in “stiffness” and if they are young or old.  The funny thing I realized in my very limited research on this subject is that if you are stiff in your joints it doesn’t make any difference what your chronological age is… you look “old”!  It is that “weight of the world” type of movement that looks like you are burdened with each step because your fluidity of joint movement isn’t there.

However, I also noticed a very curious thing; those who were walking slowly and being aware of their surroundings appeared much more at ease in their walking stride…and on the other side of that observation; those who had a great urgency and were rushing to get somewhere had locked their eyes,  jutted their chin forward, pushed down and stiffened their legs and joints and appeared very tense. They even had a scowl on their faces as they tightened the facial muscles and jaw.

So, yes there is definitely a “psychophysical” relationship in how we think and how we move, and if we think we are “old” we may stiffen up for no reason except that is what society says we must do. We have a “choice”, there is that word, the experience that can free us from being what we think we have to be or do.

Come experience this choice – stiffness or fluidity  – your time to be all you can be and loving life!