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Writer's pictureLana Jelenjev

EXPLORING INTEROCEPTION: HOW TO EXPAND OUR MIND-BODY AWARENESS

In one of our previous newsletters, we touched on the importance of Exploring our 8th Sense: Interoception. We understand the importance of building our capacity to know our internal states. This is why we are offering this resource on expanding our interoceptive awareness. 


  • Noticing - awareness of comfortable, uncomfortable and neutral body sensations

  • Not-Distracting - emotional reaction and attentional response to sensations that reports our tendency to ignore or distract oneself from sensations

  • Not-Worrying - tendency not to worry or experience emotional distress with sensations of pain or discomfort

  • Attention Regulation - capacity to sustain and regulate attention to body sensations

  • Emotional Awareness - awareness of the connection between mind-body integration)

  • Self-Regulation - ability to regulate distress by attention to body sensations

  • Body Listening - active listening to the body for insight

  • Trust - experience of one’s body as safe and trustworthy


Before you take the official assessment, do a pulse check, where do you find yourself in these dimensions? 


Here are some questions to ponder on:


NOTICING: How am I able to easily gauge sensations?

NOT-DISTRACTING: How am I able to be present and not to distract or ignore the sensations that are coming up for me?

NOT-WORRYING: How am I able to calmly and collectively tend to the sensations that I am experiencing?

ATTENTION REGULATION: How easy is it for me to refocus my attention from thinking to sensing my body?

EMOTIONAL AWARENESS: How easy am I able to notice and discern the changes in my emotional states?

SELF-REGULATION: How easy is it for me to understand and manage my behaviors in relation to what I am sensing?

BODY LISTENING: How open am I to notice and interpret cues and signals from my body?

TRUST: How deep is the trust and safety that I have around my body?


Use the wheel in plotting your interoceptive awareness then take the survey at https://osher.ucsf.edu/research/maia 


We are curious what comes up for you in this assessment and how congruent it was with your plotted wheel! Let us know in the comments or join us for the next community gathering to share!



Worksheet on Increasing Interoceptive Awareness
Worksheet on Increasing Interoceptive Awareness

 

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES


JOIN OUR FREE MONTHLY ND COMMUNITY GATHERINGS

We are hosting monthly community gatherings. Our wish for these sessions is to start getting to know each other and to understand how best we can support the ND movement and community. Do join us every last Friday of the month! Register and secure your spot here.


DOWNLOAD OUR NEW FREE TOOLS

Check out our latest free resource: 80 Check-in Prompts for Children. We will be uploading other versions of this card deck soon! If you are interested in supporting this work by translating this card deck in your own language, do let Lana Kristine Jelenjev know. We would love for this work to be accessible in different languages!


SUPPORT OUR ADVOCACY

We are able to provide these resources, tools and learning sessions through voluntary work. For individuals with expendable income, donations are welcome and can support us in providing our work to more parents, educators, organizations and communities specially for marginalized sectors. If you are interested in bringing Neurodiversity Awareness and Advocacy to your schools, companies or organizations please do contact us directly. 



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