Pause Before You Go: Cultivating Interoception After a Bodywork Session

We often think the moment a massage ends is the moment to stand up and carry on with the day. But what if those last few minutes of lying quietly on the table are actually part of the therapeutic process? At Olive Tree Therapies, I invite you to stay present for a moment after the hands leave the body. That pause helps your body fully land, supports the nervous system to integrate the work done, and cultivates what is called interoception - our inner sense of what is happening inside our body (Chen et al., 2021).

What is interoception and why it matters

Interoception is the brain’s awareness of signals from our internal systems such as the heart, lungs, gut, muscles, and immune system. It’s how we sense tension, fatigue, hunger, thirst, calm and a myriad of other sensations and emotions. Strengthening this awareness seems to allows us to respond to our body’s needs before overwhelm or pain arises (Pinna & Edwards, 2020) - like listening to the nervous system’s whispers before they become screams and shouts. Have you ever found yourself bursting for a pee without noticing any signals prior? Indeed, dysfunction of interoception may be an important component of many neurological, psychiatric and behavioural disorders (Chen et al., 2021).

Research also suggests that touch therapies like massage may enhance interoceptive awareness and improve emotional regulation, helping the body and mind feel more connected and at ease (Eggart, Queri & Müller‑Oerlinghausen, 2019).

Why staying on the table/floor helps

• Integration of touch work: Massage moves fluids, releases muscles, and shifts patterns of holding. Immediate standing or movement may disrupt these changes; pausing lets your body absorb them

• Nervous system regulation: The nervous system responds to touch. Resting quietly supports calm and balance rather than a sudden return to activity

• Heightened awareness of sensations: Noticing warmth, breath, subtle muscle shifts strengthens interoception. You learn what your body feels like when it’s moving from a place of ease

• Empowering your agency: Pausing before moving encourages you to notice and respond to your body rather than follow habitual cues

• Respite: Noticing how your body feels allows you to register that, perhaps, your body is having respite from the unpleasant sensations you may have been feeling before treatment commenced

How to make the most of this time

• Observe your body without judgement by leaving expectations out of it

• Allow sensations to guide your next movements

• Be curious about what you notice. Yes, you may feel more relaxed than before, but maybe not. If this is the case, then see this as invaluable and important information for the future

• Notice how you feel now and compare it to how you felt when you first arrived. Again, leave judgement out of it

• The length of time you can stay present with your body is highly individual. Some people may be able to stay with their bodily sensations and emotions for minutes at a time whilst others may only be able to do so for a few seconds - refrain from judging!

Why this fits my approach

At Olive Tree Therapies, I take a person-centred, trauma-informed approach. That means offering not just skilled touch, but space for your body to be heard, which is why I don’t end a massage on the dot and rush you out the door. The whole of the therapeutic hour is important, not just the time you are receiving bodywork. The few minutes at the beginning and end of a session are part of that: a chance to ‘check-in’, orientate, ground, sense, and respond to your body. Cultivating interoception is one of the ways touch therapy supports you in becoming an active participant in your own well-being.

References

• Chen, W.G., Schloesser, D., Arensdorf, A.M., Simmons, J.M., Cui, C., Valentino, R., Gnadt, J.W., Nielsen, L., St Hillaire‑Clarke, C., Spruance, V., Horowitz, T.S. & Vallejo, Y.F., Langevin, H.M., 2021. The emerging science of interoception: sensing, integrating, interpreting, and regulating signals within the self. Trends in Neurosciences, 44(1), pp.3‑16. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7780231/ [Accessed 1 November 2025].

• Eggart, M., Queri, S. & Müller‑Oerlinghausen, B., 2019. Are the antidepressive effects of massage therapy mediated by restoration of impaired interoceptive functioning? A novel hypothetical mechanism. Med Hypotheses, 128, pp.28‑32. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31203905/ [Accessed 1 November 2025].

• Pinna, T. & Edwards, D.J., 2020. A systematic review of associations between interoception, vagal tone, and emotional regulation: potential applications for mental health, well-being, psychological flexibility, and chronic conditions. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, p.1792. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01792/full [Accessed 1 November 2025].