There's a Rut In My Gut!

- Elda-Rosa Coulthrust, MA, LCMHC, LCAS, CCS

“There are receptors to these molecules in your immune system, in your gut and in your heart. So when you say, 'I have a gut feeling' or 'my heart is sad' or 'I am bursting with joy,' you're not speaking metaphorically. You're speaking literally.” - Deepak Chopra

In one way or another we have experienced a “gut” feel. We may have once said that our stomach is churning or we have butterflies in our stomach because of nervousness. And it doesn’t help that our anxiety goes through the roof with a host of other symptoms. Let's not mention those things that are unseen, where we remotely suspect that something is about to happen or something fishy is going on.. you can “just feel it in your gut”.

Come to think of it, isn’t it clever that we associate many feelings with the stomach zone, whether good or bad… are our feelings really in our gut?

Well, the scientific answer is a resounding ‘YES’. Our guts have actually been coined as the second brain. Author and philosopher, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe believed that the gut was the “seat of all human emotions”. This is primarily because the gastrointestinal system and the brain are closely linked to each other. As it turns out, the gastrointestinal system is not only responsible for breaking down your next meal - the brain first sends signals to initiate the chemical reaction which triggers the release of acids to start the process. Similarly, chemical reactions can be triggered by just thinking of your next meal - as we take this one step further, the gastrointestinal system can also become sensitive to experiences of stress, trauma, toxins, thoughts, a wide spectrum of emotions - and by the same process cause a chain of chemical reactions. If you have ever been next in line for a "enter at your own risk" amusement park ride for the first time, you may know a similar feeling!

So what does this imply?

Our pillars of health are also linked to our gut balance. Without us even realizing, stressors and our emotional states can be a direct contributor to gastrointestinal states and vice/versa. Stress in the gastrointestinal system can be linked to systemic inflammation, pain, skin issues, hormonal imbalances, mood shifting, lethargy, etc.

Now that we are paying attention to how experiences in the environment may play a role in our somatic experiences, we can integrate some practical strategies to view and manage our health through another lens.

A Few Practical Strategies:

• Relaxation / Meditation

• Herbal teas

• Visualization activities

• Heart rate monitoring

• Health Coaching

• Exercise

• Reiki

• Nutritional modifications

• Create and recite a Mantra such as the examples below:

• As I take on new challenges, I feel calm, confident, and powerful.

• I feel motivated to pursue my purpose.

• I am ambitious and capable.

• I forgive myself for past mistakes, and I learn from them.

• The only thing I need to control is how I respond to situations.

• I have the courage to create positive change in my life.

• I stand in my personal power.