I’ve sometimes wondered…

When I wake up in the morning, after having been unconscious in sleep, how do I know that I’m “me”? What creates continuity of self-awareness?

I’m sure many philosophers, theologians, and neuroscientists have studied this question deeply.  And I’m sure that if I read their work I’d gain a lot of insight into the nature of human consciousness and self awareness.

But I have my own way of thinking about this fundamental question. Proprioception is the key.

Proprioception – the inner sense you have of your body and its position and movement.

We place a high value on our external senses – we enjoy seeing spectacular sunsets and hearing captivating concertos. But we don’t rely on sight or sound to establish our basic sense of self. I don’t look around my room when I wake in the morning and think to myself, “These are the same curtains and the same chair that were here when I went to bed last night….so this must be my bedroom….so I must be me.”

Instead, when I wake in the morning, before I even open my eyes, my brain is aware of all the inner signals that originate in my muscles, joints, and fascia — proprioceptive signals. Those are the cues that tell me who I am.

Every treatment I give helps improve the biomechanical performance of your muscles and connective tissues. At the same time, my methods stimulate the nerve endings in those muscles and connective tissues, sharpening your proprioception and giving you better access to internal information.

Because of its influence on the internal perceptual systems that define who we are, these methods can have a profound effect — on pain, mood, cognition, social function and more.

Dr. Lavine has been an innovator in the use of movement and touch to promote health since 1981. He practices in New York City and Princeton, NJ.