This somatic awareness questionnaire (bodily sensations also known as interoceptive awareness) was developed to assess one's ability to identify, interpret and integrate interoceptive signals. Why is this useful? There is growing evidence to suggest that greater interoceptive awareness and interpretation can lead to greater wellbeing. According to Dr. Helen Weng at UCSF, “Researchers and clinicians are recognising interoception as a key mechanism to mental and physical health, where understanding our body’s signals helps us understand and regulate emotional and physical states.”

It can be beneficial to measure interoception in a therapeutic setting, like yoga therapy, because effective emotional regulation involves the ability to accurately detect and evaluate cues related to physiological reactions to stressful events. Signals sent from our internal organs to the brain play a major role in regulating emotions and fending off anxiety and depression. Together, we can explore building interoceptive skills to influence emotional and physical resilience through mindfulness, movement, and nervous system regulation.