Metacognition: How Awareness Shapes Learning, Healing, and the Body’s Patterns
Back in high school, I was just a student/athlete trying to get through classes, when one English teacher gave me advice that shifted my view of learning. He said, “The most important thing you can learn is how you like to learn.”
At first, it seemed abstract. And this lead me to dig deeper in order to understand what he mean. When I started noticing that I retained more when I could physically work, when I could use my hands by moving and feeling, I realized that I was a kinesthetic learner. This awareness changed my study habits and it shaped my future. It led me to a career where my hands are my tools, and learning is always in motion. This, at its core, is metacognition. The term was coined in the 1970s by psychologist John Flavell. Simply put, metacognition means “thinking about thinking.” It’s the ability to step outside your own thoughts, examine how you’re approaching something, and adapt. In education, it’s recognizing whether you study best by reading, listening, or teaching others.
In therapy, it’s noticing patterns in your thinking (like automatic negative thoughts) and learning to question them rather than react. In everyday life, metacognition is that moment when you ask yourself: “Why do I always respond this way? Is there another way to approach this?” Working in manual therapy for over 16 years, spending one to two hours with each patient, I’ve had to practice metacognition constantly. Early in my career, I realized that I needed to observe rather than absorb. Patients arrive with pain, stories, and struggles. If I absorbed every ache and tribulation, I would carry that weight into the next session. I also realized my own life stressors could impact the session. Through metacognition, I learned to separate, to disassociate what’s going on in my world from the presence I need to offer my patient. In doing that, I’ve gained clarity and control when thoughts scatter. Metacognition has allowed me to show up fully, both as a practitioner and as a person.
When I read “Stop Believing Everything You Think,” it was a reminder of how powerful this skill is. The book emphasizes that not every thought is truth. We’re wired to believe our thoughts automatically whether they’re about what we can’t do, or fears that hold us back. But when we practice metacognition, we learn to pause. We ask: Is this thought helpful? Is it based on patterns I can change? That’s when real growth happens.
This same principle is at the core of how we work at Neuro Muscle Works through the Hypertonic Anatomy Model (HAM). Just as I learned how I liked to learn, we help our patients recognize patterns in their bodies. When we assess muscle patterns, areas of inhibition or hypertonicity, we’re helping patients become aware. They start to notice: “I always hold tension there,” or “After that release, my movement changed.” This reflection allows them to connect their experiences, just as metacognition helps us connect our thoughts.
Over time, we see patterns emerge. Patients who once felt stuck in a cycle of pain begin to notice what triggers it and what changes it. They reflect on what stability feels like, not just what pain feels like. They begin to approach their body’s patterns with the same reflective curiosity we bring to thoughts.
In the end, metacognition is about ownership. It’s about realizing that just as we learn to think, we can learn to reflect. Just as we form habits, we can change them. Just as the body develops patterns, it can form new ones. Whether it’s learning, healing, or simply moving through life, awareness is the first step and when we reflect on our patterns, we open the door to lasting change. That’s how metacognition supports not just how we think, but how we heal.
