The key to this delicate undertaking is being able to safely sense both intense and subtle body sensations and feelings. It turns out that there is a paired brain structure that appears to do exactly that: wedged in between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex are the insula (nearer to the limbic system) and cingulate (nearer to the cortex). Briefly, the insula receives input from the internal structures of the body, including muscles, joints and viscera. Together, insula and cingulate help us make sense of these primitive sensations by weaving
