Introduction
In the hustle and bustle of modern life, we often lose touch with the signals our bodies send us. Interoception—our ability to perceive and interpret internal bodily sensations—is a key to understanding our health, emotions, and overall well-being. Paired with the concept of allostatic load—the cumulative wear and tear on our bodies due to chronic stress—these ideas form a powerful framework and the need for healing.
This guide explores interoception and allostatic load through the lenses of neuroscience, polyvagal theory, somatic healing, neuroplasticity and neurofeedback training. You’ll learn how to enhance self-awareness, reduce stress, and improve mental and physical health with natural wellness practices. This guide provides tools to reconnect with your body, heal from within, and build resilience.
Chapter 1: Understanding Interoception
What Is Interoception?
Interoception refers to our ability to sense internal body states such as heartbeat, hunger, thirst, and even subtle emotional cues. When we are in a heightened stress response, sometimes interoceptive cues seem to alert us of danger even when we are logically safe. Interoception serves as the inner compass that helps us navigate our physical and emotional landscapes.
Interoception and Emotional Feelings
Interoception plays a critical role in shaping our emotional experiences and thought life. Emotions are deeply rooted in the body’s physiological states, and our ability to sense and interpret these states is what allows us to experience feelings like joy, fear, or sadness. Here’s how it works:
- Body-Based Origin of Emotions: Emotions often begin as physiological reactions. For instance, anxiety might manifest as a racing heart, while happiness could bring a sense of warmth or lightness. Interoception allows us to detect these bodily changes.
- Awareness and Labeling: By tuning into interoceptive signals, we can better identify and label our emotions. For example, recognizing that a tight chest and shallow breathing indicate stress helps us manage that feeling more effectively.
- Feedback Loops: Our thoughts and emotions influence interoceptive signals, creating a feedback loop. A negative thought might trigger tension, which can amplify feelings of discomfort or fear. Conversely, cultivating positive thoughts can lead to soothing bodily sensations.
- Emotional Regulation: Strong interoceptive awareness helps us regulate emotions. By noticing subtle bodily cues, we can address stress or discomfort before it escalates.
- Self-Awareness: Interoception enhances our understanding of how our internal states affect our thoughts and behaviors. This awareness fosters personal growth and emotional intelligence.
- Resilience: Developing interoceptive skills builds resilience by improving our capacity to handle emotional challenges and recover from setbacks.
The Neuroscience Behind Interoception – the Brain’s Role
- The Insula Cortex: The brain’s hub for interoceptive awareness.
- The Vagus Nerve: A vital conduit for sensory information from the body to the brain.
- Neuroplasticity: How repeated attention to interoceptive signals can strengthen brain pathways.
By cultivating interoceptive awareness (insula cortex) and improving the body-brain connection (vagus nerve), individuals can use neuroplasticity to rebuild healthier neural networks. This process enables the brain to unlearn habitual stress responses and fosters a state of calm and resilience. Practices like mindfulness meditation, body scanning, vagus nerve stimulation and neurofeedback reinforce these pathways and promote long-term recovery from anxiety and chronic stress.
Chapter 2: Allostatic Load and Its Effects on Health
What Is Allostatic Load?
Allostatic load is the cumulative effect of chronic stress on the body. Unlike acute stress, which is temporary, chronic stress causes prolonged activation of the stress response system, leading to wear and tear.
Signs and Symptoms of High Allostatic Load
- Chronic fatigue
- Mood swings
- Persistent aches and pains
- Difficulty concentrating
- Immune dysfunction
- Hormone imbalances
- Weight problems
- Dysregulated Nervous System
Effects of Allostatic Load: Stress and Recovery
- HPA Axis: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the body’s central stress response system. It regulates the release of cortisol and other stress hormones. Prolonged activation of the HPA axis due to chronic stress can lead to systemic imbalances, including disrupted sleep, weakened immune function, and metabolic disorders.
- Inflammation: Chronic stress leads to an overactive immune response, promoting low-grade inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation is linked to conditions like cardiovascular disease, depression, and autoimmune disorders.
- Neuroplasticity and Resilience: While stress can negatively impact the brain’s structure and function—particularly in areas like the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex—it’s possible to build resilience. Practices like mindfulness, physical activity, and neurofeedback can help rewire the brain for better stress management and recovery.
Chapter 3: Polyvagal Theory and Somatic Healing
- Three States of the Autonomic Nervous System:
How Polyvagal Theory Relates to Healing
- Understanding how the nervous system responds to safety and danger.
- Tools to shift into the ventral vagal state for healing.
Ventral Vagal (Green Light)
- What it feels like: Calm, safe, and connected to others.
- What it does: This is your all is good mode. Your body relaxes, your heart beats calmly, and you can think clearly and talk to people easily.
- When it happens: You’re in this state when you’re doing something you enjoy, like hanging out with friends, cuddling a pet, or feeling safe and happy.
Sympathetic (Yellow Light)
- What it feels like: Alert, nervous, or ready to fight or run away.
- What it does: This is your uh-oh mode. Your heart beats faster, your breathing gets quicker, and your muscles get ready to move.
- When it happens: You’re in this state when you feel stressed or in danger, like if someone startles you or if you’re running to catch a bus.
Dorsal Vagal (Red Light)
- What it feels like: Tired, frozen, or like you just want to hide.
- What it does: This is your I give up mode. Your body slows down a lot—your heart beats slower, and you might feel heavy or disconnected.
- When it happens: You’re in this state when something feels overwhelming or when you’re really sick or exhausted.
Why This is Important
Your body is always switching between these states, depending on what’s going on. The goal is to spend most of your time in the green light (ventral vagal) state because that’s where your body can heal, grow, and feel happy. When you feel stressed (yellow) or shut down (red), there are ways to help your body feel safe again, like taking deep breaths, getting a hug, or doing something calming.
Think of your body as a team that works best when it knows how to stay calm and bounce back from stress! Your body has a special system called the autonomic nervous system that helps you deal with the world around you. It’s like a traffic light with three colors, each telling your body how to feel and act:
Healing the body from chronic stress or illness requires gently calming the allostatic stress response while nurturing the nervous system’s natural capacity for safety and healing. Polyvagal Theory offers critical insights into this process, highlighting the roles of the nervous system states and strategies to shift into the ventral vagal state, which supports rest, recovery, and social connection.
Understanding the Allostatic Stress Response in Relation to Polyvagal Theory
- Allostasis refers to the body’s process of maintaining stability through change, primarily by activating the stress response to adapt to challenges.
- Chronic Stress Impact: When stress is prolonged or overwhelming, the system becomes dysregulated, leading to an overactive stress response. This dysregulation, known as allostatic overload, can exacerbate physical and mental health conditions, including inflammation, fatigue, anxiety, and depression.
- Importance of Gentle Healing: Abrupt attempts to calm the stress response can paradoxically trigger more distress, especially during times of illness or heightened sensitivity. A gentle approach respects the nervous system’s capacity and avoids overwhelming the system.
Polyvagal Theory and Nervous System States Neuroscience Explanation:
Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, explains how the autonomic nervous system (ANS) navigates between three primary states:
- Ventral Vagal State (Safety and Connection): Associated with relaxation, social engagement, and healing. It is the rest-and-digest state governed by the vagus nerve.
- Sympathetic State (Fight-or-Flight): Activated during danger or stress, it prepares the body for action by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and energy mobilization.
- Dorsal Vagal State (Shutdown/Immobilization): A state of conservation or freeze, occurring when stress is overwhelming or prolonged, leading to disconnection, fatigue, and numbness.
Importance of Shifting into the Ventral Vagal State
Healing occurs most effectively in the ventral vagal state, where the body feels safe and supported. This state promotes:
- Reduced inflammation.
- Improved immune function.
- Better digestion and nutrient absorption.
- Enhanced emotional regulation and resilience.
Chronic stress often traps individuals in sympathetic overdrive (fight-or-flight) or dorsal vagal collapse (shutdown). Gentle interventions are crucial for guiding the nervous system back toward ventral vagal activation without triggering additional stress.
Gentle Tools to Shift into the Ventral Vagal State with Somatic Work
- Slow, Rhythmic Breathing
- Safe, Predictable Touch
- Mindfulness and Interoceptive Awareness
- Soothing Sounds and Environments
- Polyvagal-Informed Movement
- Vocalization and Social Connection
Here’s a list of more practical techniques to help calm your nervous system and promote healing:
Body Scanning: Tune into Sensations and Emotions
- Find a quiet place to sit or lie down comfortably.
- Close your eyes (if you’re comfortable) and take a few slow breaths.
- Start at the top of your head and slowly move your attention down your body, part by part (e.g., head, neck, shoulders, chest, arms, stomach, legs, feet).
- Notice any sensations—tingling, tension, warmth, or even no sensation—and acknowledge them without judgment.
- If you feel emotions like stress or sadness in certain areas, place your hand there and imagine sending it kindness.
- Example phrase: I feel tightness in my shoulders. That’s okay; I’m just noticing it.
Grounding Exercises: Reconnect with the Present Moment
- 5-4-3-2-1 Technique: Identify:
- Place your hands on something solid, like a wall or table, and focus on how it feels (cool, firm, smooth).
- Walk barefoot on grass, sand, or a soft rug to feel the ground under your feet.
- Hold a small object (like a rock or piece of jewelry) and focus on its texture, weight, and temperature.
- Sip a warm drink and notice the sensation as it moves down your throat.
Breathwork: Activate the Vagus Nerve Through Slow, Deep Breathing
- Diaphragmatic (Belly) Breathing:
- 4-7-8 Breathing:
- Box Breathing:
- Humming or Chanting:
By practicing these techniques regularly, you’ll train your body to respond to stress in healthier, more calming ways. Each technique can be adapted to fit into your daily routine or used whenever you feel overwhelmed.
The Role of Neuroplasticity in Healing
Repeatedly practicing these gentle tools helps reshape the brain and nervous system through neuroplasticity, strengthening pathways that promote safety and relaxation. Over time, this can reduce allostatic load, improve resilience, and restore balance to the autonomic nervous system.
Positive experiences help wire our brains by activating neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form and strengthen neural connections based on repeated experiences. When we experience joy, connection, or accomplishment, our brain releases certain neurochemicals that not only elevate our mood but also promote healing, resilience, and overall well-being.
Chapter 4: Rewiring the Brain with Neuroplasticity
What Is Neuroplasticity?
The brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections in response to learning, experience, or healing. Neuroplasticity training refers to exercises or activities designed to enhance the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new neural connections. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s natural ability to adapt and change in response to experiences, learning, or injury. Training the brain through targeted activities helps improve cognitive functions, memory, motor skills, and emotional regulation.
Practical Applications
- Mindfulness Meditation: Build awareness of thoughts and sensations.
- Gratitude Journaling: Shift focus to positive experiences.
- Visualization Techniques: Imagine desired states of well-being.
- Activate Neurochemicals: Engage in activities or recall memories that boost the happy chemicals. Evoke feelings, focus thoughts and concentrate on what makes you feel good.
Neurochemicals That Elevate Mood and Promote Healing:
Dopamine: The Reward and Motivation Booster
- What it does: Dopamine is released when we achieve something, experience novelty, or anticipate a reward. It motivates us to repeat positive behaviors.
- Healing role: Boosts focus and energy, promotes learning, and enhances neuroplasticity.
Examples: Completing a goal, receiving praise, or engaging in fun activities.
Serotonin: The Mood Stabilizer
- What it does: Serotonin fosters feelings of happiness, calmness, and emotional stability. It is also involved in regulating appetite, sleep, and digestion.
- Healing role: Reduces stress, promotes relaxation, and supports immune function.
Examples: Spending time in nature, practicing gratitude, or recalling happy memories.
Oxytocin: The Bonding Hormone
- What it does: Oxytocin is released during physical touch, social bonding, or acts of kindness. It creates feelings of trust, connection, and safety.
- Healing role: Lowers stress hormones, reduces inflammation, and enhances resilience.
Examples: Hugging a loved one, petting an animal, or helping someone in need.
Endorphins: The Pain Relievers
- What they do: Endorphins are natural painkillers released during physical activity or laughter. They create feelings of euphoria and reduce discomfort.
- Healing role: Relieve physical pain, improve mood, and encourage relaxation.
Examples: Exercising, laughing, or enjoying a favorite hobby.
GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid): The Calming Agent
- What it does: GABA helps calm the nervous system by reducing overactivity and promoting relaxation.
- Healing role: Decreases anxiety, aids in better sleep, and helps the body recover from stress.
Examples: Deep breathing, movement and NeurOptimal brain training.
Endocannabinoids: The Bliss Molecules
- What they do: These chemicals are naturally produced in the body and contribute to feelings of pleasure, relaxation, and pain relief.
- Healing role: Help reduce stress, improve mood, and support overall mental health.
Examples: Exercising, experiencing runner’s high, or relaxing in a peaceful environment.
Why Positive Experiences Matter for Healing
- Stress Reduction: Positive experiences counteract the effects of stress hormones (like cortisol), calming the nervous system and reducing inflammation.
- Immune Boost: Positive emotions improve immune function, making the body better equipped to heal and fight illness.
- Improved Resilience: Repeated positive experiences build a buffer in the brain, making it easier to recover from future stressors.
Practical Tips to Increase Positive Experiences
- Practice gratitude daily (e.g., write down 3 things you’re thankful for).
- Engage in activities that bring joy, like hobbies or spending time with loved ones.
- Prioritize physical touch, like hugs or holding hands.
- Spend time in nature or under the sun to boost serotonin levels.
- Practice mindfulness to savor positive moments fully.
By regularly engaging in activities that promote the release of these neurochemicals, you’re not only enhancing your mood but also rewiring your brain to support long-term emotional and physical well being.
The Challenge of Neuroplasticity Training with a Dysregulated Nervous System
For many, the promise of neuroplasticity—the ability to rewire the brain for better emotional and mental health—feels out of reach. If you are dealing with a dysregulated nervous system, brain fog, low energy, or difficulty focusing, traditional neuroplasticity exercises can feel overwhelming. This isn’t a matter of willpower or motivation; these challenges stem from the brain’s impaired ability to engage effectively in such practices.
When the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotional regulation and stress responses, is overburdened, it can become stuck in survival mode. This makes it harder to focus, learn, and adapt to new ways of thinking or being. The very tools intended to foster growth and healing can feel inaccessible because the brain lacks the flexibility and capacity to integrate them.
If this sounds familiar, it’s important to know that it’s not your fault. These challenges highlight the need for a supportive and non-invasive approach to jump-start the healing process and restore balance. This is where NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback can play a transformative role.
Chapter 5: NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback to Simplify the Process
Why Use NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback?
Most people who are chronically stressed due to allostatic load are too overwhelmed to successfully integrate natural methods to calm and regulate the brain and central nervous system, let alone help it to achieve peak performance. NeurOptimal® is simple to use for people who lack focus, motivation and are stuck in an overwhelmed state. It is a relaxing, passive and enjoyable process to train the brain to self-optimize.
What Is NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback?
NeurOptimal® is a cutting-edge neurofeedback system designed to promote brain flexibility, adaptability, and resilience. Unlike traditional neurofeedback, NeurOptimal® doesn’t require a diagnosis or focus on specific brainwaves. Instead, it uses real-time data detected through the EEGs that show cortical activity and oscillations to train the brain to function more efficiently.
How NeurOptimal® Works
- Real-Time Feedback: Sensors monitor brain activity and provide subtle auditory cues when change occurs. NeurOptimal® supports the ability for the individual to make decisions (unconsciously within the brain – it’s like it is looking itself in the mirror) of movement based on the information NeurOptimal® is giving in that millisecond allow the cues to provide information back to the brain to self-correct.
- Non-Invasive and Safe: The system doesn’t impose any external stimuli but rather helps the brain reorganize itself naturally.
- Flexibility and Resilience: NeurOptimal® users enjoy regular sessions and report improvement in the brain’s natural ability to recognize moments of discomfort while adapting to stress, process emotions, and recover from challenges.
Benefits of NeurOptimal®
- Reduces allostatic load by enhancing the brain’s capacity to regulate stress responses.
- Supports the brain and CNS to improve sleep quality, focus, and emotional regulation.
- Supports the brain’s natural interoceptive awareness by fostering a stronger mind-body connection.
- Interrupts persistent consistent cortical patterns that are detrimental to our healing and recovery.
- Optimizes brain function by allowing the brain and CNS to be flexible, adaptable and resilient to stressors.
Simple Steps to Get Started
- NeurOptimal® is designed for home use and specifically designed to not need a QEEG brain map or a protocol. It is a brain training system to allow your brain to function at its best moment to moment.
- Schedule regular NeurOptimal® brain training sessions. Certified trainers recommend 2-3 times per week. If you own your own machine and need support for an acute issue or are serious about optimizing your brain health, you can train up to twice/day.
- Enjoy the healing process. Be mindful that the body is a dynamical healing system and NeurOptimal® is designed with that in mind as it is also a dynamical neurofeedback® system.
Chapter 6: Step-by-Step Healing Practices Overview
Step 1: Cultivate Interoceptive Awareness
- Practice daily body scans. Be self aware and casually observe what your body is telling you. Be mindful to not be focused on your symptoms.
- Journal physical and emotional sensations. Rate them on a scale of 1 to 10 on their intensity. You can also track how often they occur throughout your day.
- Tracking your progress is important. Once an issue or symptom is resolved, your brain is on to the next “threat” it wants to bring your attention to and one forgets that they are no longer dealing with a particular issue or symptom.
Step 2: Reduce Allostatic Load
- Prioritize sleep hygiene and aim for 8 to 9 hours of restful sleep.
- Follow an anti-inflammatory diet rich in whole foods.
- Incorporate gentle movement and regular exercise. Weight training enhances myokine production – a powerful neurochemical the body produces to support brain health, enhance mood and calm inflammation.
Step 3: Engage the Polyvagal System through Somatic Work
- Use self-soothing techniques like humming or singing.
- Practice eye contact and social engagement to foster connection.
- Develop a consistent relaxation routine.
Step 4: Rewire with Neuroplasticity
- Set daily intentions to reinforce positive habits.
- Challenge limiting beliefs through cognitive reframing.
- Celebrate small victories to solidify new neural pathways.
Step 5: Incorporate NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback
- Schedule sessions to support mental clarity and stress resilience – or better yet – train at home with your own personal system.
- Track progress and notice shifts in emotional regulation and cognitive performance.
Chapter 7: Sustaining Long-Term Wellness
Building Resilience
- Develop a growth mindset.
- Strengthen relationships and social networks.
- Create a personalized self-care routine.
Embracing Self-Awareness
- Regularly check in with your interoceptive signals.
- Use stress as a guide to adjust your habits and routines.
- Commit to lifelong learning about your body and mind.
How Positive Experiences Shape the Brain
- Neuroplasticity and Repetition
- Survival Mechanism
- Looking Ahead
Conclusion
Healing is a journey, not a destination. Interoception and allostatic load provide a roadmap to understanding the interplay between our bodies, minds, and emotions. By harnessing the power of neuroscience, polyvagal theory, somatic healing, and the power of neuroplasticity – we can transform our relationship with stress and build a foundation for lasting well-being.
For those who struggle with a dysregulated nervous system or find the aforementioned healing methods too challenging, NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback offers a gentle yet effective solution. By supporting the brain’s natural capacity for self-regulation and adaptability, it empowers us to reconnect with our inner wisdom and cultivate resilience.
Remember, the tools and practices outlined in this guide are not about perfection but about progress. Each small step toward greater awareness, balance, and connection brings you closer to a life of vitality and peace. Embrace the process, and trust in your innate ability to heal. Since healing is not linear, you may find sometimes you take two steps forward and one step back. Be patient, persevere – have grit and grace. Once you experience personal transformation – commit to helping others relieve their suffering as well through education, encouragement and the tools you have successfully utilized during your own health journey.
*For more information about Interoception and Allostatic Load as well to access the NeurOptimal® system please contact me at:
Marly Jones, ND, NPT-C
