Body Vocabulary, Feelings Wheel, and hte Felt Sense

The body vocabulary and feelings wheel are a useful tools for improving our connection to our body and emotions - both building blocks of emotional awareness, regulation, and resilience, and an important part of any healing journey. Accurately naming the sensations and emotions we feel helps to enhance interoception (different from introspection) or felt sense, namely, our ability to sense and understand internal signals and experiences. Interoception already exists within all of us to some extent. On a basic level, it allows us to attune and attend to needs like thirst, hunger, and sleepiness. With practice, a fine-tuned interoception supports our self-discovery and understanding of the world. 

Take a moment to reflect on how often you might experience emotions or behaviours that seemingly come out of nowhere. Perhaps you "blew up" at a loved one, or found yourself  feeling hopelessly defeated suddenly, despite having pleasant weekend. Perhaps you often feel "fine," until you don't, and find yourself in a tempest of confusing, overwhelming emotions, or participating in behaviours you don't want to engage in or simply don't understand, more often than you think should be typical. Or perhaps you feel and sense very little, but find that your "neutral" state feels very similar to sadness, disconnection and/or dissatisfaction. All of these could be signs that the felt sense is impaired in some way, leading us to be surprised and/or overwhelmed by our own inner experience, or feeling like we don't have much of one. 

The "antitode" to this is developing the felt sense. By better understanding our inner state, we can more effectively  attend to the inner needs, triggers, or wounds that our mind and body communicate through our emotion and physical state, helping us feel more connected, supported, and regulated. Knowing what we're feeling and sensing as it happens allows us to notice the early sings of emotional shifts, helping us to respond from a mindful and grounded, rather than reactive, place. Finally, enhanced interoception also improves neuroception, which is the unconscious process which allows us to accurately measure threat and keep ourselves safe (you may know this as the gut feeling that has helped you avoid danger in the past).

What Now?

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The beginning of this work might be confusing or feel pointless. Some part of you might feel overwhelmed or scared at the idea of connecting to these experiences, as they may feel too. big and overwhelming. You might feel you are already so rules by emotions you don't see the benefit in connecting to them any further. You might feel well connected already, or "connected enough," and see little point in expanding your felt sense vocabulary. 

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By checking in often, and using tools like the below to support your practice. As you read through the feeling wheel, do you know how these emotions feel, or do you only understand them cognitively? If you answered the latter, you may benefit from using this tool. As for the body vocabulary, you can write down what you feel, where, and to what level. For example, it's more interoceptive to say "I feel a strong tightness in my heart,

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By increasing this capacity we also build neuroception - the unconscious process allowing us to accurately measure threat and keep ourselves safe (you may know this as the gut feeling that has helped you avoid danger in the past). By building an 

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More broadly, it can help us to understand ourselves. Consider how often you might blow up at others, or become hopelessly defeated with no sense of why. Interoception allows us to better understand 

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 to notice the early signs of emotional shifts, helping you respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.

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is the sense that allows us to accurately measure threat and keep ourselves safe (neuroception). In a broader sense, it supports our healing and self-discovery by teaching us about our inner experience, reactions, and . 

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• Body Scanning: Gently exploring the body for sensations and noticing any areas of tension or discomfort. 

• Resourcing: Identifying and accessing internal resources that promote a sense of safety and well-being. 

• Movement and Breathing: Using movement and breathing exercises to facilitate the release of tension and promote regulation. 

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This increased awareness allows us greater insight into our experience by helping us to notice early signs of emotional shifts, ultimately allowing us to attune and attend to our feelings, and to the needs they communicate. On a basic level, interoception helps us identify things like hunger, sleepiness, and thirst. With practice, a fine-tuned interoception becomes the basis for our understanding of the world. 

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 to notice the early signs of emotional shifts, helping you respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. Over time, using this list can improve emotional regulation by helping you recognize and name your physical and emotional states, leading to healthier coping strategies and better emotional balance.