Interoceptive Learning

Interoception refers to the process through which we connect to the sensations that arise from within the body. 

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Interoception is a sense, though perhaps not the ones we learn in school. Interoception helps people understand how they feel moment-to-moment. For example, someone with good interoception might notice they're feeling hungry and get a snack, or notice their heart racing and take some deep breaths. Interoception skills are also necessary for more advanced functions, such as knowing when to use the bathroom or being aware of anger or upset. 

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Interoception is closely connected with the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and plays a key role in maintaining physiological homeostasis. Physical sensations from the body can also contribute to emotional experiences. For example, a tight or heavy stomach might signal fullness and motivate someone to stop eating, while shivering muscles or goosebumps might indicate that someone is cold and prompt them to put on a sweater.

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Standardized test taking is a physical experience. And learning to tune into the signals that your body is sending you gives you an endless portal of opportunity — of growth, expansion, presence, availability, open-mindedness — to make new choices. 

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Jasmine, founder of Ivy League Prep, is pioneering a fusion of interoceptive learning into standardized test prep and the educational process. Yes, hard work and discipline pay off. Yes, memorizing the formulas matter and building reading comprehension skills is always a crucial part of the process. And yet, what happens when you step into the testing room? Can you connect in to what your body is experiencing and manage yourself? At Ivy League Prep, we center the student in every way possible, starting with: what do you feel and where do you feel it? Through somatic exercises, we build an array of internal resources that completely transform the test-taking experience — if you are willing to temporarily suspend your attachment to your current habits and make room for the possibility to make a new choice.

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Don't just get "tutoring." Learn how to change your own life, one question, one interoceptive signal at a time.