Listening to your body: the science behind the cliché

Plus: a guided “body scan” meditation + live Q&A tomorrow

To me, the most frustrating thing about clichés is not that they are corny and often weaponized by people who have no idea what the fuck they are talking about. No, it’s that clichés are generally true.

This is the case with “listening to your body,” a notion often bleated at us by overly enthusiastic spin instructors or unctuous yoga teachers. Lordy, I hate to admit that these people are right.

But they are. There’s actually a scientific term for the ability to sense internal states: interoception.

Interoception has been shown to have many benefits, including reducing anxiety and improving both emotion regulation and decision-making.

And the cool thing is that interoception is a trainable skill. Research suggests one of the best ways to do this is via “body scan” meditation.

Here’s how to do it:

• Assume a comfortable position—sitting or even lying down.

• Bring your full attention to the top of your head. What sensations can you feel? You don’t have to strain too hard; just feel what you can.

• Then slowly sweep down your body: forehead, eye sockets, jaw, lips, throat, neck, shoulders, chest, arms, belly, back, bottom, thighs, knees, calves, shins, feet.

• Every time you get distracted, just start again.

Today on the pod, I talk about interoception (and more) with Dr. Christiane Wolf, who is a doctor, dharma teacher, and ultramarathoner. This episode kicks off a month-long series called Get Fit Sanely, where we talk about how to take care of your body without losing your mind.

Paid subscribers get the pod ad-free here. It’s also available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. PLUS…for the first time, we are serving up guided meditations tailored to each of the Get Fit Sanely episodes.

The meditations are from Cara Lai, a friend of the pod and hilarious dharma teacher. In today’s body scan meditation, she warns, “If your chakras open and you have a full body orgasm—not my fault.”

Oh, speaking of Cara… Paid subscribers have access to a live meditation + Q&A session that she and I will be doing together tomorrow, Tuesday, June 3rd, at 3:30pm ET. Cara will guide the meditation, and we will both field your questions.

In addition to getting the 10% Happier podcast ad-free, paid subs get a cheatsheet for each episode (below, with key takeaways, time-coded highlights, and a transcript), can comment on posts, access subscriber chats, and join our twice-monthly live video sessions, in which I guide a meditation and take questions. Join the party.

Episode cheatsheet

The big takeaway

Dr. Christiane Wolf—dharma teacher, physician, and ultra marathoner—challenges the cliché of “listening to your body” by diving deep into the science and practice of interoception (inner body awareness).

Running, Resting & Really Listening: The Radical Power of Interoception: