Somatosensation: Feeling your body

At any given point in time, you can experience your body. Where your hands are. What sensations you feel. Pain, heat, cold.

This is known as somatosensation.

The ability of the human body to sense touch, temperature, pain, pressure, vibration, and the position of your limbs in space.

In essence, it is the stream of data that your body sends to your brain every second, telling you where you are and what is happening inside and around you.

Most of us never pay attention to this capacity. It operates quietly in the background. But in reality, it shapes everything you think, feel and do.

Without this ability, you could not walk, drink coffee, run or speak. Most of what you experience is based on predictions being performed by your brain.

Yes, the pain in your wrist is a best guess by your brain that what you are experiencing should be classified as pain.

Because this is a prediction, you can train yourself to modulate what you feel.

Think of this like strength training or swimming. You need to practice to get better. In the same way, if you practice somatosensation, you will get better.

Better in this case means the ability to override your autonomous system and experience the sensations with awareness.

Better means to modulate what you are experiencing. Changing the prediction that your brain is making, so to speak.

Honing the ability to modulate these sensations improves the fidelity of the experience. You recalibrate and get better.

So if you want to start, here is how.

Start by paying close attention to physical signals long before they escalate. Notice the pressure of your feet on the ground, the temperature of your hands, the subtle shift in muscle activation when you stand from a chair.

Practice slow, controlled movements. Tai Chi, for example.

Even simple things like barefoot walking on uneven surfaces improve feedback from the soles of your feet.

The benefit is profound.

Better somatosensation improves balance, reduces injury risk, increases movement efficiency, and stabilizes your emotions.

When your body feels in control, your mind automatically follows.