On Interoception and Intuition: Going Inside for Holistic Healing

How do you know if you are making the best decisions for your life? How can you tell if the opportunity in front of you is the right path to follow, at the right time? Although no one can predict the future, paying attention to your body signals plays an important role in making empowered decisions to support your whole health. 

A few years ago, my dad asked me why I (almost) always seem to make the right decisions for myself and for the people I care for. He was curious to know how I was able to do that. To be honest, I had never stopped to think about it. And while I don’t particularly believe my decision- making process is flawless, looking back most of my crucial decisions have ultimately yielded positive outcomes. I answered something like: “Thank you… I don’t know… I do talk with a lot of people and pay attention to the choices they make…” He looked at me and silently nodded, and I knew that I would have to go deep inside to find a better explanation.

Years later, during the pandemic, I started writing an article on integrative modalities to promote wellbeing in healthcare workers. I had been toying with the idea of using the five senses meditation and our interoception as tools to promote self-awareness in the present moment. Ironically, I never submitted the article - yet I never stopped thinking about our senses. A few months later, an opportunity arose to explore these thoughts further. I was invited to speak in a podcast about our intuition and how it affects our health. I knew this was the chance to travel deep into the fascinating world of our most complex sensorial signals!

Most people are aware of five classic senses. Our sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste help us connect to our world and receive many signals. During childhood, we tap into our senses to learn about the world. Children are very good at noticing and remembering subtle details. Yet many of us tend to forget to pay attention to our senses as we grow busier in our lives. For example, do you remember what color your significant other is wearing today? Do you stop to appreciate the smell of your food before you eat it? When was the last time you - and I- literally stopped to smell the roses?

The five senses meditation is a simple tool we can use to promote a mindful state wherever we are. By intentionally focusing on the things we can see, touch, hear, smell and taste, we can bring a more aware presence to our everyday experience. In the classic version of the practice, we start by noticing five things we are able to see, specifically looking for things we wouldn’t usually stop to notice. Next, we pay attention to four different things we can feel – for example, the texture of our clothes or the softness of a blanket. We then listen to three different sounds in the background which could be sounds of nature, voices, or even the humming of the home appliances. We finish by noticing two scents we can smell and one thing we can taste, pleasant or unpleasant. This practice is accessible to most individual and group settings - no specific knowledge, experience or equipment are required!

However, when making complicated decisions, we need to integrate many more signals. In addition to the five senses, there are other complex senses like the vestibular balance (or sense of equilibrium) and proprioception (or our sense of the body’s position in space). A much more complicated sense is the interoception - our awareness of our body sensations and our brain’s ability to interpret them. 

Interoception is central to our thought process, decision making, and even our own perception of the self. As we develop our sense of interoception, we are better able to navigate the world, anticipate challenges and create more positive experiences. These days, whenever I think about intuition, I also think about interoception!

As you might imagine, when we lose the ability to interpret our own body’s messages, we are at increased risk of becoming ill. A faulty sense of interoception has been linked to many disease processes including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, chronic pain and substance use disorders. 

A fascinating area of research is the interrelation between chronic pain, the fascia, and interoceptive dysfunction. The fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue that encases every muscle, nerve, blood vessel and organ in the body. Medieval Persian scholars were aware of the presence of fascia throughout the entire body and its role in communicating signals and nourishing the tissues. In fact, according to ancient medicine principles, the clinical benefits of acupuncture, cupping and massage could be explained due to the fascia and its communicating role. More recently, the fascial network has been proposed as the physical component for the meridians of Traditional Chinese Medicine - supporting a more holistic approach to chronic pain healing.   

Many traditions consider our fascia as the organ that stores our emotions. Chronic stress, trauma, and overuse can trigger fascial inflammation. When we lose the ability to understand and process our emotions, chronic stress and trauma can manifest as pain. Although poorly understood, myofascial pain is thought to account for at least 30% of chronic pain, with its associated disturbances in proprioception and interoception. Fortunately, the fascial network’s accessibility presents therapeutic opportunities for the treatment and prevention of chronic pain!

A year or so ago, I started noticing a nagging shoulder pain and difficulty elevating that arm. I could no longer elevate both arms over my head without feeling shooting pains down my right arm. At first, I attributed my pain to too many chaturangas during my yoga teacher training. But then I started noticing the tension in my arms while driving or when sitting at the computer for too long. For a while, I thought I would never regain full range of motion in my arm. 

But then I started correlating my pain and stiffness to other stressful circumstances in my life. I began noticing how my pain would intensify with prolonged sitting and other repetitive tasks - and would decrease with gentle movement and stretching. I started moving more and taking more desk breaks. I also resumed my weightlifting practice, concentrating on my arms and core by using free weights while balancing on a stability ball. Yet the modality that brought me the most relief was the practice of mindful self-compassion.

Mindful self-compassion involves focusing on our common humanity and imperfection with an attitude of kindness. Its practice can help us be more compassionate towards ourselves and others. When we sit with our emotions with gentleness, we are better able to understand the messages they are trying to tell us. One particular exercise that helped me was imagining my upper neck and shoulders as two big sponges that I could squeeze to release stagnant water and then release to absorb fresh water. Once I started noticing the interconnection between my physical and emotional pain, I started to intentionally seek opportunities to stretch my body and my mind. Now, whenever that nagging pain tries to come back, I know it is reminding me to slow down and take better care of my mind and body.

This year, I’m intent on exploring new and old ways of relaxing and going inside for better clarity and calm. Focusing my attention on my body signals and emotions is helping guide my journey. I wish you a year filled with interoceptive awareness and positive growth!

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