Body Intelligence Scale (BIS)—assesses Body Intelligence

The Body Intelligence Scale (BIS) measures what the body knows—or Body Intelligence. The online BIS questionnaire is available to Wellknowing Consulting clients and health-care practitioners and researchers at set fees.

The BIS questionnaire measures three dimensions of Body Intelligence: Energy Body Awareness, Comfort Body Awareness, and Inner Body Awareness. The questionnaire consists of 32 statements rated on a 5-point scale and a short list of biographical questions and requires about 10 minutes to complete.

What is Body Intelligence? We all know that sensations within our bodies tell us when we are hungry, thirsty, and sleepy. Babies and children are often acutely aware of their bodily needs for food, liquids, and sleep. However, we often learn to ignore these bodily sensations. We may “push on” through sensations of hunger, thirst, or fatigue in order to get a task done or meet a deadline. We may ignore pain, too, pretending that a headache or fever is not there. Athletes in competitive sports are often deliberately taught to ignore pain in order to win a race or beat a past record. Physical injury or personal trauma may block sensations from certain parts of our bodies. Certain internal feeling states are more acceptable for women and others more acceptable for men. Cultures and ethnic groups, too, favor certain feelings and ignore or suppress others.

For brief periods of time, ignoring internal sensations is not likely to harm us. Unfortunately, ignoring bodily sensations can become a habit. Over time, ignoring sensations within the body may become a habit that may be difficult to turn “off” and “on” at will.

Contact Rosemarie Anderson at rosemarie@wellknowingconsulting.org for information, fees, and appointments.

Directory:

• Body Intelligence Defined
• What your BIS scores mean
• What is Embodied Writing?
• Body Wisdom Practices