Understanding Mind-Body Experience from the Perspective of Interoceptive Awareness: The Context of Breathing and Mandala Drawing Interventions

This qualitative study examined how a 21-day integrated program fosters interoceptive awareness and mind–body integration among urban adults in mainland China (N = 11). The intervention combined daily nasal breathing regulation, spontaneous mandala drawing, and descriptive journaling, complemented by weekly group sharing. Using a cultural-psychological lens, we investigated how an inward-turning tradition in Chinese culture shapes embodied experience and meaning-making. Applying Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to diaries, drawings, and focus-group data, we identified three interrelated processes: (1) the refinement of bodily attention; (2) a shift from deliberate control to natural immersion; and (3) the symbolization of feeling through artistic expression and social resonance. Findings indicate that systematic engagement in the “breath–mandala” intervention heightened sensitivity to chest-centered embodied sensations and promoted the integration of bodily experience into personal narratives; a non-goal-directed, relaxed practice style facilitated the transition from control to absorption, activating self-regulatory mechanisms; and non-evaluative awareness deepened flow while supporting cognitive reorganization and reflective capacity. The study delineates a core pathway by which breath-triggered interoceptive work operates within mind–body interventions, offering a theoretical basis and practical direction for tailored regulation programs across diverse populations.