Today we are exploring the relationship between the vagus nerve and the gut.
A large branch of the vagus nerve lies within your digestive organs and it is constantly sending information to and from your belly and your brain.
When the nervous system shifts into fight,
Flight,
Or freeze,
Your digestion becomes secondary.
When you are running away from a tiger,
Digesting food is simply not a priority.
Blood flow moves away from the digestive organs.
Your abdominal wall tightens up.
The diaphragm becomes restricted and movement of food through your gut changes.
For some people that looks like bloating or constipation.
For others it is diarrhea,
Excess gas,
Stomach aches,
And more.
Many people live with chronic gut symptoms because their nervous system has been stuck in fight,
Flight,
Or freeze for many years.
If this is you,
This practice is going to be gold.
After helping so many clients with gut problems,
I've learned that digestion improves when the nervous system feels safe and supported.
In today's practice,
We'll be exploring somatic movement,
Abdominal massage,
And meditation designed to create these conditions.
When your belly softens and begins to feel safe,
Signals travel back up to the brain through the vagus nerve and communicate that safety.
The mind becomes clearer.
The breath becomes deeper.
The body feels safer and begins to heal itself.
Please move into your bedroom.
Dim down all of your lights and prepare your bed.
All of this practice will be done lying down.
Laying on your back on your bed,
Bend your knees,
Placing your feet flat on your bed around hip width apart.
Close down your eyes.
Take an inhale.
And as you exhale,
Let your knees drop in towards each other,
Allowing them to rest.
Bring your palms together.
Rub your hands.
Generate your chi between your palms.
Rubbing until you can feel some heat and moisture.
And when you can feel it,
Inhale.
And as you exhale,
Place your hands underneath your belly button.
One hand on top of the other.
Feel the weight of your hands on your gut.
Feel the subtle warmth of your hands penetrate through your skin.
And see it sink downwards into your digestive organ.
Feel any micro movements of your gut.
Feel any tiny pulsations,
Movements or gurgles.
Feel with both your hands and your belly.
And as you breathe from your diaphragm,
Notice how your hands move upwards to the ceiling with every breath.
Eyes relaxed.
Face relaxed.
Hips relaxed.
Drawing your energy to the cells that lie in your gut.
Next,
We're going to begin working with some acupressure points.
Bring your fingertips up to your belly button.
Now,
Bring them a few inches above your belly button.
Right in the spot between your sternum and your belly button.
One hand on top of the other using the fingertips.
And you're going to apply some firm pressure here.
Not too soft and not too strong.
And maintaining this pressure,
Begin to move your fingertips in a small circle.
Gently massaging this stomach acupressure point.
Keep your belly soft.
If this point is blocked,
You may feel that it's a little tender or firm.
Use the pressure that feels good for your body.
Deep breaths as you make these small circles.
As you work here,
You may notice that you want to sigh,
Yawn,
That your eyes become heavy,
A little watery.
Or you may notice some sounds coming from your abdomen.
And these are all signs that your vagus nerve is signaling that safety to your brain.
And bring your fingertips to a still point.
Maintaining that firm pressure.
Let your body release any tension through a sigh or a yawn.
And we're going to move into a very gentle belly massage.
Keeping the fingertips one on top of the other,
Move your hands over to the left side of your ribcage,
Sliding them over.
Now slide down the left side of your body,
To the left side of the lower gut.
Slide across the lower abdomen to the right side.
And then up the right side to the right ribs.
And sliding back to the center.
And you're going to continue this circular belly massage.
Slow clockwise circles.
Using a pressure that feels good for your body.
Relax your belly as much as possible.
And feel your gut through your fingertips.
And notice if it feels tight,
Tense,
Blocked.
Or perhaps smooth and soft.
And enjoy this massage.
And complete your last circle.
Release your hands away,
Placing them by your sides.
And take this time to breathe deeply from your diaphragm.
And feeling your belly rise up to the ceiling.
And notice how your gut feels after that massage.
If it feels more relaxed,
Freer,
Or more active.
Enjoy this moment.
Let your eyes become heavy.
And we're going to finish this gentle practice with a side lying motion.
Slowly roll onto your left side.
Place your left arm underneath your head,
Straightening your arm up overhead.
Rest your head on your arm.
Bend your knees,
Flex your hips.
And place your right hand in front of your chest.
Laying on the left side helps to support your digestion.
And now using your right hand,
You're going to gently start pushing into the bed.
Pushing and relaxing.
Push,
Push,
Push,
Push.
Creating a rocking motion that runs through your entire spine.
From your head,
All the way down to your hips.
Relax your neck completely.
And allow your head to lull back and forth on your arm.
Allow your eyes to roll backwards in your skull.
Let your hips rock back and forth.
Rocking motions are especially powerful for the nervous system.
It brings back memories when we were safe and rocked as babies.
And come back to stillness.
Laying on your left side.
Allowing your system to recalibrate.
And rest here completely relaxed.
Allow any releases to come from your system.
Let your face be slack.
Feel how gravity pulls your tissues to the floor.
Breathing from your diaphragm.
Noticing the expansion of your belly.
And noticing how your gut feels.
Mind and body completely at peace.
And allow this feeling to express through your face.
Stay here and enjoy this feeling for as long as you need.
