Neuroscience is very clear about this; our sense of ourselves and ability to truly โKnow Thyselfโ, directly corresponds to our capacity to feel the physical sensations in our body and clearly interpret the signals received, so that we can care for ourselves properly and respond to our direct life experience appropriately.
Cultivating sensory awareness is a major part in trauma recovery and the restoration of the connection to our whole Self/Being.. many trauma survivors are masters at the art of numbing and this has allowed them to survive and cope (which is something to recognize and honor) but it has done so at the cost of their direct connection to their inner visceral experience; their ability to have a strong felt sense of self and to feel fully sensually alive.
According to Bessel Van Der Kolk in The Body Keeps The Score, trauma survivors need to learn that they can tolerate their physical sensations, befriend their inner experience, and are capable of creating new action patterns, neural pathways, and mind-body connections.
