by Lauren Fallat, LPC LPAT ATR-BC
We all know that being creative is good for the soul. It allows us to express ourselves, to see the world in a new way, and to feel more connected to the people and things around us.
But what you may not know is that being creative can also be good for your body. In fact, creativity can be a powerful tool for increasing body awareness and improving overall health and wellbeing.
Body awareness, also known as kinesthesia, is a term used to describe the ability to accurately perceive and understand the position, motion, sensations and feelings of our own body. It is a skill that we use every day, without even realizing it. It’s the foundation for movement and posture, and it allows us to interact with our environment in a coordinated way.
Body awareness also allows us to accurately perceive, understand, and regulate our own body. It is a mental construct that incorporates knowledge of the body's position in space, movement capabilities, and internal state. It enables you to sense what your body is doing and to respond to that information. When you have good body awareness, you can control your movements more easily and accurately. You also have a better understanding of how your body feels and how it is affecting the world around you.
As we grow older, our body awareness helps us to learn new skills and perform everyday tasks. We can use our body awareness to interact with others socially and physically. There are many ways to enhance body awareness. In children, activities such as dance, martial arts, and yoga can be beneficial. In adults, exercises such as pilates and Tai Chi can be helpful. Additionally, mindfulness meditation can be a valuable tool for enhancing body awareness.
There’s something about the creative process that seems to work hand-in-hand with mindfulness and body awareness. Maybe it’s the focus on the present moment, or the way in which both disciplines encourage us to be curious and explore new territory. One great way to increase your mindfulness is by using art. Art can help you tap into your inner thoughts and feelings, and it can also be a great way to relax and de-stress.
How does it work? When we engage in creative activities – whether it’s painting, drawing, sculpting, or writing – we stimulate our minds and open ourselves up to new possibilities. This increased creativity allows us to become more aware of the way we move and interact with the world around us. We learn to notice subtleties that we may have previously missed, and we become more sensitive to the needs of our bodies.
There are many different art activities that can help us to become more aware of our bodies. Here are just a few examples:
1. Drawing or painting our bodies from a first-person perspective.
2. Drawing or painting portraits of others from their point of view.
3. Creating sculptures or installations that represent the body in some way.
4. Using poetry or prose to explore the body image.
5. Creating artwork that represents physical sensations or emotions we experience in relation to our bodies.
6. Taking photographs of our bodies in various poses and contexts.
7. Blind contour drawing
8. Outlining parts of the body onto paper or creating a full size body outline.
Kinesthesia art therapy is a form of therapy that uses movement and touch to help people become more aware of their bodies. It can be used to improve mental health, physical health, and communication skills. Kinesthesia is the ability to detect and understand body movement. This can be explored through art therapy, helping people become more aware of their own bodies, movements and emotions.
The use of kinesthesia in art therapy can be very beneficial. When you are physically engaged in the creation of your art through painting, drawing or sculpting, it can help you to connect more deeply with your body sensations and present moment experience. You can use your body to control the materials you are using, and you can explore the way your body feels as you create. This can help you to become more aware of how you are using your body, and it can also help you to understand your emotions and feelings better.
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