Interoception and Mind-Body Interventions: Learning from Embodied, Respiratory, and Contemplative Practices

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Background

Interoception is the perception of the functioning of the body, affects our perception of time, sense of self, and is involved in a wide range of cognitive processes, including everyday decision-making. Interoception forms a crucial aspect in the study of both mental and physical health, mental and physical ailments, and in mental and physical general functioning. Interoception is also a key component in a number of practices, usually involving either physicality, breath-work, meditation, or a combination of these. It is of increasing interest to pay heed, not only to the benefit these practices may bring in interventions, but also how these practices can deepen our understanding of interoception. Additionally, many physical interventions, such as mindful movement practices, exercise training, and rehabilitation, involve significant aspects of interoception, but have been largely understudied. These practices can expand our understanding of the modulation of the phenomenological, central processing of interoception. Additionally, they may also provide indications for top-down and bottom-up modulation of interoception.

The aim of the current Research Topic is to overcome the divide between researchers with expert knowledge of interoception, and researchers with expert understanding of mind-body practices such as yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, therapeutic movement, and exercise training. We propose that a practice-based perspective on interoception will allow for novel insights, encourages interdisciplinary cross-pollination, and broadens the scope as well as the depth of research in this field. We encourage interoception researchers to relate their findings to existing practices, modern or ancient. Likewise, we encourage experts and researchers on mind-body practices to present their manuscripts with a focus on the role of interoception within the practice(s) discussed. This Research Topic aims to be integrative, rather than exclusionary.

We welcome submissions of manuscripts from researchers of different disciplines, including (but not limited to) neuroscientists, medical researchers, psychologists, sport scientists, physical therapists, and researchers in oriental studies amongst others. We encourage manuscripts dealing with (but not limited to) the role or modulation of interoception in physical therapy, any form of exercise therapy (e.g., Feldenkrais), thermal stimulation, yoga, Qigong, Taijiquan, martial arts, dance, mindfulness, other forms of meditation, breath-work, and other practices which modulate interoception.

We will consider both manuscripts with a primarily theoretical focus as well as contributions with a primarily translational value for interventions. We encourage researchers to contribute original papers, review articles, and opinion papers, as well as other types of contributions supported by Frontiers.

Keywords: Interoception, Embodied interventions, Contemplative Practices, Breath-work, Yoga, Exercise, Rehabilitation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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