Mind- Body Awareness

Mind-body awareness is the bridge between reflexive movement and intentional thought. Once primitive reflexes integrate, the nervous system continues hierarchically on to the next stage of development. What comes next is learning how to use the body intentionally. Integrating primitive reflexes doesn’t automatically create a stable, organized system. A child who may no longer be reflexive can still have observable behaviors like slouching, leaning of furniture, constantly shifting positions, bumping into things, appearing clumsy or awkward, or becoming easily dysregulated. Integration just removes the interference of that pesky little thing called survival from the equation. We tend to assume that if a child can walk, talk, and sit in a chair, that they are ready for learning. But mind-body awareness isn’t about whether a child can move, it’s about whether the movement is efficient, automatic, and stable enough to support attention and learning.

Primitive Reflexes are about survival. Mind-body awareness is about control.

Mind -body awareness allows a child to sit upright without effort, move smoothly through space, cross the midline, coordinate both sides of the body, stay regulated while moving, maintain attention without fidgeting, and emotional regulation. When mind-body awareness is strong, movement is automatic and efficient. The body feels safe and the brain is free to focus elsewhere.

Before a child can pay attention, read, write, or reason, the body must be organized. When we talk about mind–body awareness, we are really talking about how the brain receives information from the body and what it does with that information. For the nervous system to feel organized and safe, the brain must receive accurate, consistent feedback from the body.

The three systems that make Mind-Body Awareness possible:

The Vestibular System

The Vestibular system is the brains primary organizer. It develops early, functions constantly, and informs the brain about the body’s relationship to gravity and movement. It is located in the inner ear, and detects head position, direction and movement, speed and acceleration, balance, and orientation in space. It answers the most fundamental question: Where am I in space, and am I safe?

Proprioception

The Vestibular System

Proprioception is the brain’s ability to know where the body is in space without visual input. It comes from sensory receptors in the muscles, joints, and connective tissue.

Interoception

The Vestibular System

Interoception

Interoception is the brain’s ability to sense and interpret internal body signals. This includes hunger, thirst, fatigue, heart rate, breathing, pain, and emotional states. In other words, it tells the brain how the body is feeling on the inside. It plays a critical role in self-regulation.

our certified developmental educators are here to help!

Mind- Body Awareness

The three systems that make Mind-Body Awareness possible:

The Vestibular System

The Vestibular System

The Vestibular System

Proprioception

The Vestibular System

The Vestibular System

Interoception

The Vestibular System

Interoception

This website uses cookies.