02/04/2026
๐ฆ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ
Hello,
I hope this message finds you as warm and well as you can be as we round into February.
Late last fall, I sent out the first newsletter in a series Iโm calling ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ. In that first edition, I explored the topic of safety and introduced ways to think about safety within two specific contexts: within yourself and within a place. If you missed it, you can find it on my website under the "Resources" tab.
In the weeks since then I sent out the previous newsletter, Iโve continued to notice just how much each of us is carrying. Iโm also increasingly aware of how important it is to understand that the sensations in our bodies are not signs that something is wrong with us. Rather, they are signals that our nervous system is working on our behalf by communicating needs, responses, and information meant to help us navigate our lives.
Whether weโre moving through the aftereffects of the holidays, responding to local or political events, or adapting to winter weather, our bodies are constantly adjusting. They are doing their best to keep us safe while navigating complex and often demanding conditions. As they respond to cues both inside and outside of us, sensations and emotions naturally arise. At times, these sensations can feel intense, confusing, or difficult to understand.
In this monthโs ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ, I want to turn toward the body โ your precious body โ with curiosity and compassion, so you can begin to listen to its messages more clearly and understand what it may be communicating to you.
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ โ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐.
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๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ
One of the things that is often overlooked in conversations about sensations or emotions is that these experiences are not always signs that something is wrong or that the body is failing to regulate.
Oftentimes, these are signs your body is responding accurately.
If your heart races when the world feels unstableโฆ If your chest tightens when your autonomy feels threatenedโฆ If your body wonโt settle in environments that feel unsafe, extractive, or misalignedโฆ This may be your body perceiving what is happening around you, and responding!
Your body is exquisitely attuned to context. Long before your thinking mind catches up, it's tracking safety, power, belonging, and threat. It senses when something is supportive, and when something is not.
When we treat every sensation as something to quiet or fix, we risk silencing information that matters.
๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, โ๐ป๐ฐ๐ค ๐๐ฐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ด ๐จ๐ ๐๐ธ๐๐บ?โ , ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐๐ธ, โ๐๐ฉ๐๐ต ๐ช๐ ๐๐บ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ก๐ณ๐ฆ๐ช๐๐จ ๐ต๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ญ ๐ฎ๐?โ
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๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ
Interoception is our ability to sense what is happening inside the body. It is the ability to notice sensations such as tension, ease, warmth, heaviness, breath, hunger, fatigue, or subtle movement. It is how we feel ourselves from the inside.
For many of us, the capacity to notice what is happening in our body was interrupted or discouraged early in life. Many of us learned that our body was dirty or bad, and our sensations and feelings were too much. We had to learn to shut them off or turn them down. And through this process, we learned to prioritize thinking, doing, or pleasing over sensing. This conditioning can make body sensations and emotions feel unfamiliar, intense, wrong, or even confusing.
Reconnecting with interoception allows you to gently and compassionately begin noticing what is present for you. Interoceptive awareness allows us to recognize when the body is signaling for rest, for movement, for boundaries, or for support. It helps us discern what is sustainable and what is not. It helps us stay connected to ourselves while we make our way into the world. ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐, ๐๐น๐ผ๐๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐น๐, ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐.
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๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด: ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ
One simple way to begin practicing interoception is through body mapping.
Body mapping is the gentle act of noticing where sensations live in the body. Rather than asking why something is happening, we begin by noticing where we feel it and what itโs like.
Examples may be, you might notice a tightness in the jaw. A heaviness in the chest. A fluttering in the belly. A sense of numbness in the legs.
You might also notice moments of ease or comfort such as the support of the chair beneath you, warmth in your hands, a softening in your shoulders, or a steady, calming rhythm in your breath.
There is no need to change or fix what you notice. The practice is simply to observe with curiosity and respect.
When we gently and compassionately bring our attention and awareness to sensations and allow them to be felt in a specific part of the body, often something shifts. The nervous system registers that it is being listened to, that it is being heard
Body mapping can help our nervous system move us out of global overwhelm (โSomething is wrongโ) and into specific awareness (โThis is what Iโm noticing, right here, right nowโ). This specificity helps the body feel less alone with its experience and more supported in finding its own rhythm.
Over time, body mapping can help you recognize familiar patterns; where you tend to hold stress, where ease naturally arises, and how your body signals both fatigue and readiness. Body mapping allows you to begin to foster a new relationship with yourself.
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๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ: ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ (๐ฑโ๐ณ ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐)
Youโre invited to try this practice seated or lying down. You are encouraged to do whatever feels most supportive for you right now.
Begin by letting your eyes soften or close, if that feels comfortable. Take a few moments to notice the contact points between your body and whatโs supporting you: the chair, the floor, or the bed beneath you. Thereโs no need to change your breath. Simply notice it as it is.
Now, gently bring your attention into your body. You might begin by scanning slowly from the top of your head down toward your feet, or you may choose to start wherever your attention naturally goes.
As you notice a sensation, pause there. Youโre not trying to relax it, change it, or understand it. With curiosity, just notice: Where is it located? Is it tight, soft, warm, cool, heavy, light, still, or moving?
If words donโt come, thatโs okay. If it feels ok, gently stay with the sensation itself, giving it space just to be there.
If your attention is drawn to an area of ease or comfort โ perhaps the support of the chair, warmth in your hands, or a place that feels neutral or settled โ allow yourself to linger there for a few breaths. Let your body register that experience.
If you encounter a sensation that feels intense or uncomfortable, you might acknowledge it gently and then widen your awareness to include something supportive nearby such as a place of ease, the rhythm of your breath, or the sense of being held by gravity. You are in charge of the pace.
Before closing the practice, you might quietly ask yourself: โWhat does my body want me to know right now?โYou may get an answer, and you may not. Your willingness to listen is sometimes just what is needed.
When youโre ready, take one slow, unhurried exhale and allow your attention to return to the room.
As you return your attention to the present moment, you might notice that something has shifted, or you might not. Either way is okay. Body mapping is a practice of relationship, and not about outcomes.
***๐๐ง ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ง๐ง๐ช๐ค๐ถ๐ญ๐ต, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ช๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฑ๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ. ๐๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ, ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ญ๐ธ๐ข๐บ๐ด ๐ง๐ฆ๐ญ๐ต ๐ด๐ข๐ง๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ฉ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ.
๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ด๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ข๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ง๐ต๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ต, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฎ๐ด, ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฎ๐ต๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ธ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ณ. ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐บ: ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฑ๐ด ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฎ๐ต๐ฉ, ๐ค๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ, ๐ด๐ฐ๐ง๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ, ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ. ๐๐ฆ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ.
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๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ:
Pause for a moment and notice where the sensation of urgency lives in your body. Is it in your chest, your belly, your jaw? Name it quietly: โUrgency is here.โ Then notice one place in your body that feels even slightly more settled or supported, and let your attention rest there for a few breaths.
๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป:
Take a moment to orient to your body. Feel your feet on the ground or the support beneath you. Ask yourself: โWhat is my body saying right now?โ You donโt need a full answer. Just notice the tone or direction of the signal before you speak or act.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฑ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐:
Rather than trying to make it stop, gently map it. Where is it located? What is its quality? Stay with it for a few seconds, then widen your awareness to include something neutral or comfortable nearby such as your breath, warmth, or the sense of being supported.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐บ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณ:
Pause and let yourself notice and receive it. Where do you feel it in your body? How does it register? Is it softness, warmth, spaciousness? Take a few breaths there. These moments are like money in the bank for your nervous system! They let your body know that right here, right now, in this way, I am OK.
๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐:
Place a hand on your body โ wherever feels most comforting โ and ask, โWhat did you need today that you didnโt receive?โ Thereโs no requirement to solve anything. Let the question be a form of listening, or building your relationship with yourself.
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In times like these, when so much feels charged or uncertain, it can be tempting to override the body in order to keep going. But your body is asking to be listened to with care and discernment. Learning to listen to your body allows you to stay more rooted within yourself while you meet the world.
As you continue Listening In, my hope is that you find moments of clarity, steadiness, and self-trust by honoring the wisdom your precious body has been carrying all along.
If youโd like support in this work, I welcome you to reach out. This is listening we can practice together.
With care for all that you are,
Jennifer Welch, MMT, MT-BC, SEP, CHt
Music Therapist | Somatic Experiencing Practitioner | Hypnotherapist
www.jenniferleewelch.com
