Embodiment: Harmony & Balance
Last updated
Last updated
article: types of body movement
abduction
adduction
extension
flexion
rotation
circumduction
The balance organs in the inner ear are part of a larger sensory system that helps us know where all of the parts of the body are relative to each other, and the orientation of the body relative to gravity. This sense is called proprioception.
The proprioception system also takes in information from our eyes, and from receptors in our skin, muscles, and joints that sense stretch, pressure, and movement. The brain processes all of these sensory inputs, giving us a "mind's eye" view of how all of our body parts are positioned and moving through three-dimensional space.
The vestibular system is the sensory system that provides the leading contribution to the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance. The brain uses information from the vestibular system in the head and from proprioception throughout the body to understand the body's dynamics and kinematics (including its position and acceleration) from moment to moment.
Equilibrioception is the ability to keep your balance and sense body movement in terms of acceleration and directional changes. The sense of balance, which is usually barely noticeable in the background of each of our movements, only becomes manifest in its function during intense stimulation (such as VR-experiences) or in the event of illness, which may quite literally turn your world upside down.
