Interoceptive Ability and Emotion Regulation in Mind-Body Interventions: An Integrative Review.
Alessandro Lazzarelli, Francesca Scafuto, Cristiano Crescentini, Alessio Matiz, Graziella Orrù, Rebecca Ciacchini, Gaspare Alfì, Angelo Gemignani, Ciro Conversano
Behavioral Sciences November 18, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/bs14111107 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Integrative review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | mindfulness meditation body movement emotional expression |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Emotion regulation Emotional expression Interoceptive ability Mind–body interventions |
| Citations | 30 |
| Key findings | Interoceptive ability is a crucial aspect associated with the effects of mind-body interventions on emotion regulation. |
Abstract
It is increasingly recognized that interoceptive ability, the capacity to detect, interpret, and consciously integrate signals related to the physiological condition of the body, is central to emotion experience and regulation. Interoceptive ability can be trained and improved through mind-body interventions. This article attempts to provide an integrative review of the link between interoceptive ability and emotion regulation in mind-body interventions. To this aim, (1) we address the constructs of interoceptive ability and mind-body interventions in relation to the double pathway of emotion regulation, and (2) we include a review of selected empirical and qualitative studies. These show that mindfulness meditation affects the brain-body axis through top-down processing, improving both interoceptive ability and emotion regulation. Interventions based on bottom-up processing through body movement and emotional expression are illustrated, but it is argued that they are still under-investigated. In light of the literature reviewed, we contend that interoceptive ability is a crucial aspect associated with the effects of mind-body interventions on emotion regulation. Additionally, we suggest that if studied through both quantitative and qualitative methods, interoceptive ability may serve as a general construct that allows a more integrated view of the polarities related to the spectrum of embodied experience: top-down and bottom-up emotion processing, observational and non-observational body awareness, conscious and unconscious level of interoception.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Two weeks to tune in: Evaluating the effects of a short‐term body scan on interoception Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being September 4, 2025
- Enhancing interoceptive awareness in veterans with PTSD through Mind-Body Therapy in Denmark: A mixed-methods study European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation October 1, 2026
- PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLICATION OF INTEROCEPTIVE EXPERIENCE IN TRAUMA-FOCUSED ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY: CONCEPTS, PRINCIPLES, AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Philosophy May 29, 2026
- Somatic Practices and Their Impact on the Emotional and Physical Well-Being of Women: Evidence, Mechanisms, and the Dotyk Method European Journal of Medical and Health Research May 26, 2026
- Mind the Motion: Feasibility and Effects of a Qigong Intervention on Interoception and Well-Being in Young Adults. Healthcare January 13, 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 29
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Body Awareness in Patients with Chronic Pain and Comorbid Depression Frontiers in Psychology June 30, 2016
- A 12‐week integrative exercise program improves self‐reported mindfulness and interoceptive awareness in war veterans with posttraumatic stress symptoms Journal of Clinical Psychology October 27, 2017
- The Neural Correlates of Consciousness and Attention: Two Sister Processes of the Brain Frontiers in Neuroscience October 31, 2019
- The impact of a brief mindfulness training on interoception: A randomized controlled trial PLoS One September 7, 2022
- Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction (MB-BP): Stage 1 single-arm clinical trial PLoS One November 27, 2019
and 24 more in the library