Welcome to this somatic tracking practice for the gut and digestive system.
I know firsthand how frustrating and exhausting persistent gut issues can be.
For me,
Somatic tracking was a powerful tool in understanding my symptoms,
Which are largely driven by unresolved stress and tension.
By bringing curiosity and safety to these feelings on a regular basis,
Over time they started to lose their power.
So in this session we'll gently explore what's here for you today,
And ease that fear and invite in a greater sense of balance and calm.
So settle into a comfortable position and you can close your eyes or just relax your gaze down.
See if you can feel the ground beneath you providing support,
And then just take a few slow calming breaths.
Feeling the rise of your torso on the inhale,
And then the fall on the exhale.
The breath can act as your anchor point,
If you like.
You can return to if you ever find yourself getting distracted,
Or if things get a bit overwhelming.
If it feels comforting to you,
You could also place a palm onto your gut throughout the practice.
Kind of feeling the the warmth of your own touch,
A physical reminder of safety.
I'm gonna turn our attention towards the the body now.
See if you can pick up on the predominant sensations related to your gut today.
I'm just going to start a little gentle inquiry.
Putting out some some simple questions and seeing what,
If anything,
Comes back.
So is there any tightness or constriction anywhere along your digestive track today?
Any pressure or bloating or urgency even?
Perhaps even a fluttering nausea or unease?
If there is a sensation today,
See if you can kind of get an idea of the scale.
So is it all across your midsection?
Is it more pinpointed or maybe it's throughout your whole body?
You can even see if it has kind of a shape or a texture to it.
Remembering there's there's no right or wrong here,
We're just inquiring with a sense of curiosity and lightness.
Just trying to collect information and then observing what's happening today right in this moment.
Not the the story that we might have associated with symptoms or sensations.
And it's it's not always easy but we're trying our best not to judge whatever we find.
We don't have to like it,
We're just observing with a sense of neutrality.
I know how frustrating it can be to have recurring gut issues and trying all the diets and the supplements but to no avail.
Feeling anxious about social events and sometimes just being stuck by the bathroom for days at a time.
It's not fun.
We can acknowledge that frustration that we might have with symptoms and our desire for them to just go away in the long run but our short-term aim here is to just observe the sensations from a bit more of a detached and neutral position.
Just watching through a lens of safety.
And that's kind of how we teach the brain that it's safe to let go of those sensations.
To stop clenching those smooth muscles throughout the digestive tract.
To stop generating discomfort as a as a distraction or a or a side effect.
Just to settle down and relax a bit.
So back to our inquiry.
You're doing great by the way.
Is this sensation that you've picked up on,
Is it static today or is it moving around the body?
Can you kind of trace where it feels the strongest right now?
You able to to kind of gently follow it?
And has the the intensity changed in any any way at all?
It could be up or down.
Either is either is okay.
You're safe either way.
And as we acknowledge the sensations and reassure our nervous system that we're safe,
Sometimes we start to feel things and clenching a little bit in that moment.
Not always but sometimes.
Just remembering that's not our that's not necessarily our target today.
It's a nice side effect if it happens but we are practicing being outcome independent.
Remember if a sensation intensifies and it starts to feel overwhelming at any point,
Anywhere above a five or six out of ten,
You can always gently return your focus to the breath.
So that's always there for you to remind you that you're safe.
But you can also step away from the exercise at any point.
Now you can keep your your focus lightly on the the sensations or you could start to inquire a little deeper and ask yourself if if there was an emotion associated with this sensation,
What would you what would you name it?
Now not always but often there's some sort of underlying emotional component to our symptoms.
Could be a clenching anger,
A buzz of anxiety,
Pang of guilt or a heavy sadness.
Sensations and emotions kind of go go hand in hand.
So just put that question out there and go with it.
Let the mind wander.
If something comes up see if you can watch it.
Can you be present with your emotions in the same way that you are endeavoring to be present with the symptoms or sensations?
Just inviting it in and letting it play out a bit.
Again if it gets too much pull back to the breath or the feeling of being grounded.
And if there's no specific emotion that's completely fine too.
You just stick with the sensation.
And if there is a story or a hurt or any fear or anything difficult that comes up associated with the emotion or the sensation,
Just reminding yourself that you have the capacity to feel difficult feelings and to sit with difficult sensations too.
And just because something feels harmful doesn't necessarily make it so.
So just noticing the sensations or the emotions for the final few more moments.
And letting go of that focus now.
If the mind wants to wander you can let it wander.
And well done.
That is kind of bravery in a nutshell.
You've turned your attention towards discomfort when everything is screaming at you to look the other way.
So in the short term we've taken the time to provide messages of safety to the body in the midst of difficult sensations.
So even if there's not relief right now,
The idea is we're reducing fear around those sensations.
Which from a mind-body-nervous-system perspective can potentially help to turn down the volume of those sensations.
We're essentially changing habits within the nervous system and that can take a little bit of time and consistency and patience.
So don't be too hard on yourself.
Don't be too rigid in your practice.
But just endeavor to show up as consistently as you can.
Take care.
