Interoception Classes
Build skills in listening to your body
Have you ever been told to listen to your body,
and all you could think is “but HOW?”
The answer is INTEROCEPTION
What’s interoception?
Intero- is like interior, and -ception is like perception
Interoception is the sense that perceives and processes information about what’s happening inside our skin, just like the five senses tell us what’s happening outside our skin.
In other words, interoception is how we feel what we’re feeling.
For some people, listening to our body is intuitive and easy.
For others, not so much.
some of us can barely feel anything inside our body
some of us feel too many things too hard
some of us can’t make sense of our body’s signals
Fortunately, Interoception skills can be learned.
Why might we have weak interoception?
All of our senses are more complicated than just passively receiving information.
Hearing is more than sound waves hitting our ears - it’s also our brain translating sound waves into information, then interpreting that information into meaning.
Our brains learn how to interpret the information from our senses as part of our early development, with the help of the people around us.
Depending on our diverse nervous systems, and our circumstances in early life, we may or may not have learned how to accurately interpret interoceptive information.
People with neurodiverse brains are more likely to have difficulty with interoception. That includes:
ADHD
Alexithymia
Anxiety
Autism
Chronic pain
Complex trauma
Depression
Sensory processing differences
Why does interoception matter?
Having stronger interoception skills can help us regulate ourselves, so we can take better care of ourselves.
Noticing we’re getting tired means we can rest before we’re exhausted.
Noticing we’re getting overwhelmed means we can do something before having a meltdown.
Noticing we’re cranky means we can avoid snapping at people we love.
Noticing we’re uncomfortable means we can adjust before chronic pain flares up.
Noticing that we like something means we can do more of it.
Noticing when our gut says no gives us a chance to get out of bad situation.
Noticing we’re upset means we can figure out why.
Noticing we’re safe means we can allow ourselves to rest and relax.
Plus, stronger interoception gives us the tools to get more out of therapy.
Build your interoception in community
In the interoception class series, you can expect
A chance to explore your own unique sensory experience with judgment-free support
An affirming space with others who get it
A playful learning environment with no bad questions and no wrong answers
A slow pace with time to process and experiment
Exploring different sensations and emotions together
Tools to keep building interoception skills going forward
