Brain to Body is a Two-Way Street

Our brains and bodies are designed to work in a flow of clear and constant communication.  The brain depends on the body for reporting information through our senses, the brain processes the information, sends back a command to the body, the body responds and gives feedback.  This process goes on continually in infinite detail, and almost instantaneously.  So if the message from the body is inaccurate, or there is some other glitch in communication, processing of information will be incorrect and/or the body will not respond as it should.  All of this information is sent through neural pathways.  These pathways can be changed through movement to help the brain improve processing of information and to help the body report or respond better.

​

Making New Pathways

To make new neural pathways we look at how these pathways developed originally in utero and during early infancy.  We are born with innate mechanisms called reflexes which prompt infants into the movements and postures that will create neurological connections within the brain and between body and brain.  As mature connections are formed, the reflexes no longer influence movement; they become integrated.  Through repetition and practice, babies perfect these new movements and the neurological connections get strengthened to become pathways.  But sometimes, factors interfere with the normal developmental sequence of movement thus creating less ideal pathways and causing differences in the processing of information.  Or sometimes, interfering factors occur after infancy and can alter these ideal pathways.  This interference might occur through physical or chemical injury, dietary intolerance, or even emotional trauma.  The good news is that in many cases, more optimal pathways can be created or restored through use of the early developmental sequences and integration of the innate reflexes.

​

Better Sensory Processing

We can help our bodies become more accurate reporters and respond more appropriately by increasing the activation and coordination of our senses.  Our bodies have two senses that may be less familiar - our sense of where we are in space (proprioception), and our sense of motion (vestibular).  These two senses have an important role in regulating our attention and emotions.  They are also primarily responsible for coordinating and organizing all our other senses such as vision, touch, and hearing.  So when we increase the activity and accuracy of these two senses we create better information processing from all our other senses.  The proprioceptive and vestibular senses are activated most efficiently through - movement.