Body Aware: Adolescents&rsquo; and Young Adults&rsquo; Lived Experiences of Body Awareness

Figures & Tables

Overview of themes and sub-themes of adolescent and young adult focus groups.

ADOLESCENTS	YOUNG ADULTS
1. Attention Attention grabbers (intensity, novelty^W, problematic^W, and unpleasantness) Temporality of attention	1. Attention Attention grabbers Temporality of attention Types of attention (voluntary and non-voluntary)
2. Awareness of body sensations Types of sensations (emotions, muscular, and physiological needs) Contextual influence Lack of awareness	2. Body sensations Types (emotion-related, physical, and undefined) Impermanent^M
3. Reactions to body sensations Hedonic (feel pleasure and avoid pain) Accepting Listening Instrumental	3. Processes Labeling body sensations Interpretation Attitudes (hypervigilance-driven, mindful, and trusting^W)
4. Beliefs about body awareness Adaptivity Consequences of not listening Good balance Link between states and sensations	4. Factors influencing body awareness Activities Sociocultural context Past experiences^W Physio-temporal context (e.g., time of day) Mood or state
	5. Reactions to body sensations Reactions to physical sensations Reactions to emotion-related sensations (accepting, being submerged, analyzing, avoiding, approaching, and using body sensations to regulate) Reactions to undefined sensations
	6. Mind-body connection Mind-body distinction^W Sensations, states, and mind
	7. (Mal) adaptivity of body awareness Adaptive Maladaptive

[i] Note: ^W = sub-themes present only in the women’s discourse. ^M = sub-themes present only in the men’s discourse.