• interoception = less stress + anxiety •
Have you heard of interoception?
🤔
In my self regulation/nervous system journey this last year, I came upon this concept, which unlocked another “aha” moment in my healing.
In its simplest form, interoception is our ability to sense what is going on in your body (hunger, thirst, energy, heart rate, breath).
This is a relatively innate concept, yet one we block ourselves from experiencing due to stress, a long to-do list + our society-imposed expectation to be busy + productive at all times. (Sound like you, too? 🤷🏼♀️)
(And, if you’re skeptical + it sounds too woo-woo, science has confirmed that signals are sent by nerve endings in our brain, which help us process our emotional experiences — another physiology to emotion connection 👍🏻)
Are you aware that the more you practice interoception, the more you’re able to reduce stress + anxiety?! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
This is why so many people find yoga beneficial. Why we take a deep sigh of surrender + relief when we land on our mat (because perhaps it’s the first time we’ve allowed ourselves to let go all day). It’s why when we bring our awareness to the sensations in our body, we can relate to the emotional ones as well. Especially in the more still yoga practices such as meditation, pranayama (breathwork) or yin yoga, we arrive, allowing ourselves to be guided back home to our body, welcoming + observing each sensation.
Each time we conclude a practice, savasana (corpse pose) encourages us to feel the physical + emotional shifts that have taken place since we initially landed on our mat.
These practices encourage us to be more mindfully attuned in our bodies. Redirecting our senses away from tension or anxious thoughts, to one of stillness, breath + body awareness, reflection + curiosity.
Can you incorporate moments of stillness + bodily awareness today?
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