The insula

The insula is a brain region where inner bodily sensations are perceived. Feeling the heartbeat, noticing hunger, or sensing the bodily counterpart of an emotion is associated with this region. The insula is one of the neurological foundations of the capacity for inner sensing, that is, interoception. This region forms a link between the body and emotional awareness. Being able to feel one's own body from within rests largely on the working of this region.