Cultivating Interoception: Reconnecting to the Body’s Inner Compass
In a culture that rewards productivity over presence, it’s easy to lose touch with the simple art of feeling ourselves. We are trained to look outward — to measure, analyse, and understand life from the neck up — while the body quietly holds the stories our minds have long forgotten.
Yet beneath the noise, there is a subtler language — one that speaks in sensations, temperature shifts, breath patterns, and emotional waves. This is the realm of interoception: the ability to perceive and interpret the internal signals of the body.
Interoception is what allows us to notice the flutter of excitement in the belly, the catch in the throat when we hold back tears, or the soft sigh that comes when we finally feel safe. It is the foundation of self-awareness, emotional regulation, and embodied presence. And for those on a healing journey — especially those recovering from trauma — interoception is nothing short of sacred.
What Is Interoception?
Interoception is the body’s internal sensing system. It’s how you perceive the physiological state of your inner world: your heartbeat, breath, hunger, fullness, temperature, pain, pleasure, and emotional tone.
It’s an ancient intelligence, constantly scanning your internal landscape and sending real-time updates to your brain about how you’re doing. You might think of it as your “felt sense” — a term beautifully coined by Eugene Gendlin and later expanded upon by Dr. Peter Levine, the founder of Somatic Experiencing® and one of the pioneers in the field of trauma healing.
Dr. Levine teaches that trauma is not what happens to us, but what happens within us as a result of what we could not complete or process at the time. When an overwhelming event occurs and we cannot fight or flee, the body freezes — locking that survival energy inside.
Over time, this stored energy dulls our interoceptive awareness. We may feel disconnected from our bodies, numb, or hypersensitive — swinging between over-activation and shut-down. The body’s signals can feel confusing, even threatening. So we learn to override them.
But healing, Levine reminds us, is not about reliving the trauma. It’s about restoring the body’s natural rhythm — completing the self-protective responses that were once frozen and allowing the body to feel safe again. Interoception is the bridge that makes this possible.
The Felt Sense: A Doorway Back to Presence
Dr. Levine often guides clients to notice their internal sensations with curiosity and compassion. He calls this the felt sense — a living, dynamic experience of the body in the present moment.
The felt sense is subtle, like a whisper at first.
You might notice a tingling in your hands, a heaviness in your chest, a gentle warmth in your belly. These are not random sensations; they are the body’s way of communicating.
When we slow down enough to feel these messages — without analysing or rushing them — the body begins to unwind. Energy that was once stuck in contraction starts to move again. The nervous system finds a rhythm of expansion and release, tension and relaxation.
This is interoception in action: a return to embodied dialogue.
As Levine writes in Waking the Tiger, “The body is not a machine to be fixed; it is a living, breathing organism that knows how to heal if given the right conditions.”
And those conditions begin with awareness.
Trauma and the Disconnection from the Body
For many trauma survivors, feeling the body can be terrifying. When the body has been a place of pain, chaos, or betrayal, disconnection becomes a form of safety. We may live in our heads, control our environment, or rely on external validation — anything to avoid the uncertainty of what’s happening inside.
But this disconnection comes at a cost. Without interoception, we lose access to vital self-regulating signals. We don’t know when we’re tired, hungry, or overwhelmed. We may ignore early cues of burnout or anxiety until they become full-blown symptoms.
The journey of cultivating interoception, then, is a tender process of learning to trust the body again. It requires patience, titration, and compassion — qualities Dr. Levine calls the “golden keys” of trauma healing.
He teaches that the nervous system heals not through force, but through gentle pacing — moving between activation and settling in small, digestible doses. This oscillation allows the body to gradually expand its capacity for sensation without overwhelm.
Over time, what once felt unsafe begins to feel tolerable. Then familiar. Then safe.
This is how we reclaim our inner compass — not by pushing through, but by softening in.
The Practice of Listening
Interoceptive awareness grows through simple, consistent practice. You don’t need fancy tools or long rituals — only a willingness to pause and pay attention.
Here are a few gentle ways to begin:
1. Body Scanning with Curiosity
Find a quiet space and close your eyes. Bring your awareness to the crown of your head and slowly move your attention down through your body — noticing sensations without judgment.
Is there tingling, pulsing, tightness, warmth, coolness, numbness?
Just notice. There’s no right or wrong — only information.
2. Tracking Sensations
Throughout the day, pause and ask:
“What’s happening in my body right now?”
Maybe your shoulders feel heavy, or your stomach feels fluttery.
Instead of naming it “anxiety” or “tension,” describe it in raw sensation: “a tight band,” “a swirl,” “a buzz.”
This keeps you in the body rather than the story.
3. Pendulation
A core Somatic Experiencing practice, pendulation involves moving awareness between areas of discomfort and areas of ease.
For instance, if you notice tightness in your chest, also bring attention to a neutral or pleasant area — maybe the soles of your feet or the warmth of your hands.
Move slowly between the two, allowing the body to find balance.
This teaches the nervous system that it can safely move between activation and rest — restoring flexibility and resilience.
4. Micro-Moments of Grounding
Instead of waiting for a dedicated practice time, weave moments of interoceptive awareness into daily life.
Feel your breath as you wash your hands.
Notice your feet while you walk.
Taste your tea fully.
These micro-moments build the muscle of presence.
5. Compassionate Noticing
Above all, meet what arises with kindness. The body may reveal sensations or emotions that have been buried for years.
Instead of trying to “fix” them, offer gentle acknowledgement:
“I feel you. I’m listening.”
That simple affirmation tells your nervous system that it is safe to unfold.
Why Interoception Matters for Healing
When we cultivate interoception, we strengthen the bridge between body and mind.
We become better able to self-regulate, to discern what we need, and to navigate life with authenticity and grace.
Here’s what begins to shift:
Emotional regulation improves. We recognise sensations before they spiral into reactive behaviour.
Boundaries become clearer. We can sense what feels expansive versus contracting.
Safety deepens. We start to trust the body as a resource rather than a threat.
Presence expands. We inhabit the moment instead of watching it from a distance.
Dr. Levine describes this as restoring the body’s natural rhythm of expansion and contraction, which he calls the “dance of life.” When this rhythm flows freely, we feel alive, connected, and resilient.
In this way, interoception is not just a practice — it’s a pathway home.
From Disconnection to Glow
At Glow Somatics, we speak often about reclaiming your radiance — but radiance is not a surface glow. It’s an inner luminosity that emerges when you are truly connected to yourself.
Interoception is the foundation of that connection.
It’s how you begin to feel yourself again after years of numbing, performing, or surviving.
When you start to notice the small things — the rise of your breath, the way your chest softens after a deep sigh, the warmth in your belly after a nourishing meal — you’re rebuilding a relationship with your own body.
You’re saying: I’m here now.
This embodied presence changes everything. It deepens intimacy, enhances creativity, and restores your natural sense of joy. It’s also the key to sustainable healing — because when the body feels safe, the heart can open.
And when the heart opens, your glow becomes magnetic.
The Somatic Path Forward
Dr. Levine often reminds his students that the body is our greatest teacher.
Through interoception, we learn that safety is not an idea; it’s a sensation.
That healing is not a destination; it’s a rhythm.
And that aliveness is not something we chase — it’s something we allow.
When you begin to cultivate interoception, you are no longer at war with your body. You become its ally, its witness, its home.
Healing then becomes less about “doing” and more about “allowing” — allowing the tremble, the sigh, the tears, the laughter. Allowing life to move through you once more.
That’s where the body finds peace.
That’s where trauma transforms into wisdom.
That’s where you remember who you truly are.
A Simple Practice to Try
Find a quiet space and sit comfortably.
Close your eyes and take a gentle breath.
Feel the weight of your body supported by the ground.
Bring your attention to your heartbeat. Can you feel it? If not, that’s okay — just notice the breath.
Now place one hand on your heart and one on your belly.
Notice which one moves more with each breath.As you breathe, silently repeat:
“I am here. I am listening. I am safe.”
Allow any sensations, emotions, or impulses to arise.
If you feel tension, simply notice it — and when you’re ready, shift your awareness to somewhere that feels neutral or pleasant.
Back and forth. Breath by breath.
Stay for a few minutes, or as long as feels good.
When you open your eyes, notice how your body feels — perhaps a little softer, a little more alive.
💖 Remember
You don’t have to “get it right.”
You don’t have to force anything.
The body heals in its own timing.
As Dr. Levine beautifully says, “Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.”
By cultivating interoception, you give yourself the tools to rewrite that sentence — to turn survival into safety, numbness into aliveness, and fear into flow.
So today, take a breath.
Place a hand on your heart.
Feel the quiet hum of life moving through you.
That’s your body speaking.
That’s where your glow begins.
Ready to reconnect with your inner world?
Book a free Sacred Glow Introduction Call to explore how somatic healing can help you restore your natural rhythm, deepen body trust, and reclaim your radiant vitality.