What is Body Mapping?
Body mapping is creating awareness of one’s body and correcting incorrectly mapped areas to reduce strain and tension and prevent injury.
Since a body map is a representation of one’s body, it can be difficult to realize how daily tasks and interacting with one’s instrument could be faulty. Awareness of the body and adjusting a body map comes from listening to how your body responds to movement and a growing understanding of the human anatomy.
Why is Body Mapping Beneficial?
Imagine believing that your ankles were the only joints responsible for turning when looking at something outside your direct line of sight. If your body map reflected this misconception, you might experience constant ankle pain. Rather than engaging your entire body to support the movement, you would rely solely on your ankles, increasing the risk of strain and long-term injury. While your initial thought may be, “What‘s the worst that could happen?” there are variations to every body structure and how people view their body, which in turn directly relates to their body map and their overall physical health.
As musicians, we make repetitive movements for hours at a time, and without a correct body map, the chances of injury are tenfold. How will you pick up your instrument, how do you support its weight, and where does your body support it?
For those who find it difficult to connect with their body, a body map serves as a visual guide that can be referenced in any situation.
Alt. Text: A close-up point-of-view video showcasing a skeleton, highlighting specific joints and movements that support the, "Why is Body Mapping Beneficial" section. There is no narration.
Alt. Text: A full body point-of-view video showcasing a skeleton, highlighting specific joints and movements that support the, "Why is Body Mapping Beneficial" section. There is no narration.
Where Do I start?
The first step is to create a body map—a representation of how you perceive yourself in terms of space, function, and size. But what does that mean?
Location ("you in space"): How do you fit into your surroundings? How do you experience yourself moving through different spaces? This relates to your sense of kinesthesia.
Function: How do you understand your movement? Where do you perceive your arm to begin? How do you move it? Where do you feel the midpoint of your body?
Size: How do you see yourself in relation to your physical size? Do you stand tall and fully inhabit your height, or do you tend to hunch and make yourself smaller?
This awareness can help you to identify ineffective or harmful movement patterns and replace them with more natural, efficient, and powerful motions—reflecting the body’s true structure, function, and proportions.
Alt. Text: An androgynous student holding a saxophone receives guidance from a male teacher. The teacher's hands support the student's neck, providing tactile feedback while discussing possible mismapping during performance.