Where do you feel it in your body?…

How is your interoceptive awareness?

A few years ago during coach training, my coach whispered, “and where in your body do you feel the feeling of joy?” I didn’t know…and I was honestly annoyed. The question felt a little too beyond. It was illogical. “The joy is in my head,” I snapped back. 

But it wasn’t. There was just a skill I had the opportunity to build. Interception is the ability to sense what’s happening in your body- like hunger. And it’s a powerful tool for understanding your emotions by way of your body- like being joyful, content, or anxious. Not only can you understand emotions this way, but you can really let them go too.

— Maria Villarroel, Editor at LinkedIn News

My favourite therapist taught me the same lesson/skill. He says that our bodies do alert us, if we’re willing to tune in and tackle the feelings. It won’t always be pretty because feelings of stress and anxiety let us know that there’s perhaps uncomfortable work to be done. We may need to make difficult changes. Avoidance and denial are probably more common because who really wants to move toward the pain. But my therapist insists that the only way to heal and enjoy greater fulfilment in life is by acknowledging and reconciling with our muck. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO

Blessings,

Chatgirl