Emotions: The role of the insula

Buried deep inside your brain sits an area known as the insula. The insula scans the internal body. Heart, lungs, gut, skin.

It is looking to see how they are doing and whether they need attention. Depending on what it finds, it regulates the organ.

The process is autonomous. It happens without your permission.

Ordinarily, you may not pay attention. After all, your insula is doing a fantastic job managing and regulating everything. Why intervene?

Training yourself to over ride autonomic functions is among the most valuable skills you can develop.

So how can you do this?

Interoception is the ability to look inside. You scan your body to “feel” what is happening. To the untrained, it may not amount to much. When you look inside you can barely sense anything.

But the more you do this, the better you get. You can start with breath, which is the easiest. Watch your breath as it enters your nose, travels through your chest and then in a burst mixes with your blood as the lungs release oxygen.

It may all seem esoteric in the begining. Which is fine. You are honing your senses to look inside.

You are training your insula and over riding the autonomic function. Think of it as telling your insula that there is another helping hand, willing to work alongside.

The stronger your training, the earlier you can tell when your insula kicks in to respond. The response is likely a threat perception, making your heart race, your blood flow, your breathing become rapid.

You are in fight or flight mode.

But a trained person can regulate this response. By over riding the insula and in English saying “dont worry, we got this.”

A regulated fight fligth response means that you are in better control of your emotions. The more you practice, the better you get.

Here is to building a calmer you, someone who can regulate your mood and emotions.

Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain