Body Wisdom Is Not Woo: The Science of Neuroception, Interoception, and Somatic Awareness
Trusting Neuroception: A Radical Act
The day I learned to truly trust my body wisdom everything began to flow with ease. As a child I was deeply attuned to my body and the little signs, but like many children, around the age of 7-10 I began to disconnect. For some of us it can be that it’s too much, we are socialized to ignore it, or due to traumatic circumstances we are taught not to trust it. Neurodiverse children and individuals tend to also struggle with this, either due to being hypersensitive, hyposensitive, or a combination.
But here’s the truth: trusting our intuition — our innate body wisdom — is what we are designed to do. We have an entire system devoted to it. Not only is it powerful, but it’s also essential for our well-being.
4 Things You'll Learn About Somatic Awareness - The Power of Your Body's Language:
What is neuroception and interoception awareness
How neuroception shapes first impressions
Understand the connection between interoception, neuroception and trauma
How to harness somatic awareness - your body's language
Scroll down if you prefer to explore with me on YouTube!
The Harm of Dismissing Body Wisdom
If more of us trusted our intuition, we’d feel less anxious, rely less on external validation, and take the time to think critically about the stories and messages we are fed by the media. This is the heart of somatic awareness: discernment.
Have you ever been told to ignore your gut feeling because it’s not “logical”? Or maybe you grew up in an environment where intuition was dismissed as silly or irrelevant. The problem with this belief is that it cuts us off from one of the most reliable tools we have for navigating life: our nervous system’s subtle but powerful signals.
When we don’t trust these signals, we end up in cycles of anxiety, burnout, or disconnection. We second-guess ourselves, ignore red flags, and override our body’s needs until illness or overwhelm forces us to stop. Our bodies often know what is true and healthy long before our minds catch up.
Think about those times when you wished you had listened to your gut — whether it was a relationship, a career move, or even something as simple as leaving a social situation early. Often, hindsight makes it clear: the body knew all along.
From Neck-Up Living to Somatic Awareness
For decades, Western culture has conditioned us to live from the neck up: rationalize, push through, and perform. We’ve been trained to ignore the subtle sensations that tell us when something feels unhealthy, not right, or unsafe. And we wonder why we are seeing such staggering rates of anxiety and other concerns stemming from this. Here’s some stats:
In 2024 the American Psychiatry Association found 62% of Americans experienced anxiety
In 2025 Stats Canada reported 18.3% of youth 15 and up experienced a mood disorder and/ or substance abuse
In 2023 Fortune found 42% of working moms struggle with anxiety/depression
This disconnection from the body doesn’t just happen in adulthood; it starts early.
As babies, we are profoundly attuned to subtle signals. Neuroception is how we first make sense of the world — long before language or reasoning. Sensitive and neurodiverse children are especially attuned to these energies, but without the tools to process what they sense, they may feel overwhelmed, shut down, or dissociate. Over time, this lack of tools leads to chronic stress, anxiety, and even physical health concerns.
What Is Neuroception?
So, what is neuroception? Neuroscientist Stephen Porges, the creator of Polyvagal Theory, introduced this concept to explain how our bodies unconsciously detect safety or danger in our environments.
The neuroception definition is this: the body’s automatic ability to sense cues of safety, danger, or threat without conscious thought. Neuroception is like your body’s built-in surveillance system. Every 4–7 seconds, your nervous system is scanning: Am I safe? Do I need to mobilize? Or is it okay to rest and connect?
This process happens before your thinking mind can catch up. Stimuli are sent to your thalamus and amygdala, which quickly assess and signal through the vagus nerve. Neurotransmitters and hormones cascade throughout the body, shifting you into either a sympathetic (fight/flight) or parasympathetic (rest/digest) state. Meanwhile, your conscious mind is still trying to interpret the situation — often relying on past experiences.
This explains why you might walk into a room and immediately feel “off,” even if nothing looks wrong. Your body already picked up on cues your mind hasn’t registered.
What Is the Definition of Interoception and How Does Interoceptive Awareness Work?
To deepen this understanding, let’s bring in interoception awareness. While neuroception is about scanning external safety or danger, interoception is about sensing internal states — hunger, thirst, heartbeat, sensations in or on the body.
The interoception definition is simple: the perception of sensations from inside the body. When we neglect interoceptive signals — like forgetting to breathe deeply, ignoring thirst, or suppressing the urge to use the bathroom — our bodies shift into stress. Over time, this neglect can create patterns of disconnection that echo childhood trauma or unmet needs.
As I initially mentioned, this is quite common in neurodiverse children and individuals; however, it is a skill set that can be developed. Part of the reason many struggle with interoception is due to unmet needs, due to struggles in processing the information based on differences in how our brains are wired, or due to limited capacity in the nervous system, leading to overstimulation or dissociation. But we can develop this ‘muscle’ too!
Both neuroception and interoception awareness form the foundation of somatic awareness — the ability to notice, interpret, and respond wisely to body signals.
Neuroception and Trauma: Why the Body Remembers
Now, let’s look at the relationship between neuroception and trauma. Trauma deeply influences how our neuroception operates. If someone experienced unsafe environments in childhood, their nervous system may become hypersensitive — interpreting neutral cues as dangerous. This can look like chronic anxiety, hypervigilance, or difficulty relaxing, even in safe situations.
On the flip side, trauma can also lead to a shutdown response, where the nervous system numbs or dissociates to cope. In either case, trauma hijacks neuroception, making it harder to discern what is actually safe in the present moment.
Healing trauma, then, is not just about retelling stories. It’s about re-educating the nervous system. This happens through safe environments, supportive relationships, and somatic practices that restore body trust.
The Power of Body Language and Body Wisdom
You may have heard the phrase the power of body language, usually in reference to how others perceive us. But body language is also a conversation with ourselves. Tight shoulders, shallow breath, or a clenched jaw are signals of how safe or unsafe we feel. By noticing and responding to these cues, we create what I like to call a body wisdom sanctuary — a space where we honor and respond to our inner guidance.
Just like a dashboard in a car, our bodies provide feedback. Ignoring this feedback leads to breakdown — chronic stress, anxiety, or illness. But listening builds resilience.
Making It Practical: Everyday Activities to Foster Somatic Awareness
So how do we begin to trust our body wisdom again? One way is through playful, accessible practices. For children, especially those with unique sensitivities, I often recommend activities for autism spectrum disorder that focus on interoceptive and neuroceptive skills. These include:
Gentle breath (to notice how breathing changes state)
Movement games that help children feel safe in their bodies
Sensory exploration, like noticing textures or sounds
Energy check-ins: “Is this my feeling, or someone else’s?”
Expressive activities like drawing how the body feels
These practices empower kids and adults alike to recognize signals, regulate emotions, and restore resilience.
If you want to learn a practical tool to help your child develop Somatic Awareness, go here!
Building Your Own Body Wisdom Sanctuary
At the end of the day, you have two choices. You can dismiss body wisdom as “woo” and keep pushing through until anxiety, overwhelm, or illness forces you to stop. Or, you can choose to honor the incredible intelligence of your body. You can learn the language of somatic awareness, reconnect with interoception awareness and neuroception, and offer your nervous system the safety it’s been scanning for all along.
By trusting your body wisdom, you don’t just reduce stress or anxiety — you build true resilience. You give yourself and your family the gift of connection, safety, and empowerment. Most importantly, you create a lasting body wisdom sanctuary where your whole self can thrive.
Trusting the Science of Body Wisdom
Body wisdom is not woo. It is science. It is neuroception, interoception, and Somatic awareness in action. It is the timeless intelligence that has been guiding us since birth. The invitation is simple: pause, listen, and trust. Your body already knows the way forward.
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🌺 Katie
Resources Cited:
American Psychiatry Association: https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/annual-poll-adults-express-increasing-anxiousness#:~:text=Washington%2C%20D.C.,President%20Petros%20Levounis%2C%20M.D.%2C%20M.A.
Stats Canada: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/7642-rising-mental-health-concerns-among-youth
Fortune: https://fortune.com/2023/04/07/working-moms-depression-anxiety/
