Proprioceptors are essential for effective mindfulness.

As a physical therapist, mindfulness is more than paying attention to your breathing or allowing space for the present moment experience, more than rebalancing your emotional state or reducing mental stress.

When physical rehabilitation is the goal, mindfulness is also about paying attention to your body’s position and movement.

Relearning how to walk or run or ski or any other task requires you to feel the movement in your muscles and tendons and the position of your joints.

For instance, when you walk, your heel hits the ground first, followed by full foot contact and then the heel-off position. Throughout the stance-phase, proprioceptors (internal receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints) are enabling you to produce the proper, coordinated sequence.

In the same way, mindfulness can prevent physical injuries. Consider how you lift a heavy object from the floor or how your position your head and shoulders as you sit at your desk. Again, this awareness is provided by your proprioceptors.

So, today, let’s expand the relevance of mindfulness. Bring your proprioceptors into “view” and connect with their subtle yet profound influence.