Interoception: our body and how to listen to it

Sometimes, I feel drawn toward reading a book, without knowing why. When I then read it, there is always an important lesson waiting for me. This time, it was about something we all have with us all the time: our body and how to listen to it.

I recently read "Inner Sense: How the New Science of Interoception Can Transform Your Health" by Caroline Williams (in German: "Sich fühlen: Die neue Wissenschaft der Interozeption als Schlüssel für körperliche und geistige Gesundheit").

The book is about interoception: our ability to sense and interpret what is happening inside our body. Our heartbeat, breathing, hunger, tension, fatigue, temperature, emotions… all those signals constantly provide information about our physical and mental state.

And learning to notice these signals can help us better understand what our body needs and support our health.

I learned a lot but also already knew some of the helpful practical tips, for example, that meditation and mindfulness can help us become more aware of our bodies and understand their signals.

But one thing really surprised me: Strength training can also improve our ability to sense and connect with our body.

That made something click for me. There are certain simple strength exercises that felt good doing, even though I couldn't explain why. Now I have a better understanding of what is happening: by strengthening my body, I become more aware of the signals coming from within, which also strengthens my mind and overall health.

It is a lovely reminder that health isn't only about guessing what is good for us. It's about learning to listen to the signals our body to know what is good for us.

#Interoception #Health #Mindfulness #StrengthTraining #Wellbeing #BodyAwareness #HealthyLiving #SelfAwareness