The Bio-Energetics Of Digestive Health
According to the publication Harvard Health, there is indeed a gut-brain connection and it can link emotions to stomach problems and vice versa. We’ve developed language that speaks to what science is now discovering: the gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. We’ve all had “gut-wrenching” experiences, felt “butterflies” before a important event or just had a “gut feeling” about a situation or person. I’ve found my gut to be more reliable than my brain at times, perhaps most of the time. My gut is more honest while my brain tries to justify or minimize the situation or action.
Our emotions of fear, grief, anger, anxiety, joy and all the others in between can affect the gut. This is especially true for people who have had extensive testing, tried every medication and there still seems to be no causal factor for their digestive issues. In these cases, it would seem important to address the emotional components to get to the root of the issue.
NES Health has discovered emotional connections of the digestive system based in part of the idea of meridians in Chinese medicine. NES Health protocols address the energy of the emotions associated with digestive struggles. As I reviewed the files of four people with severe and chronic digestive complaints, the areas of large intestine, small intestine, stomach and spleen came up as needing support as they progressed on their journey of healing.
The following are descriptions from NES Health of the emotional aspects of the respective pathways for the major organs of digestion.
Large Intestine
According to NES Health, emotionally, the large intestine represents our ability to hold on and to let go. Just as the colon sifts through the dregs to pick out the valuable nutrients they contain, excreting the rest, so we want to find the value in our experiences and let go of those that no longer serve us. Sometimes the hardest thing to let go of is our grief. When things become messy in life, it can be hard to see the goodness that’s around us. We may feel like throwing it all away, the good with bad, not finding anything worthwhile to hold on to at all. Our sense of self-worth, how we value ourselves and our experiences and how fulfilled, or not, we feel, are linked with the large intestine pathway. When it is energetically blocked, we may find ourselves judging life experiences in a negative light and holding on to polluting beliefs and feelings.
Small Intestine
This represents our ability to digest life and to absorb the goodness from it. It also represents our mental capacity for assimilating ideas and processing thoughts. When this pathway is not flowing well, we may experience poor concentration, indecisiveness, difficulty in holding a train of thought and forgetfulness. There is a link here with learning difficulties in childhood. There is also an association with feeling “fed-up” or having had “our fill” of a situation. Conversely, when this channel is flowing well, we can feel energized and excited (that anticipatory happy buzz in the guts feeling).
Stomach
The emotions associated with the this pathway revolve around the themes of digestion and nourishment. The stomach pathway helps to process thoughts and feelings, as well as food. There may be an issue that is hard to digest, something that leaves a bad taste in the mouth or weighs heavily on the mind. There may be mental hyperactivity, anxiety or confusion too. There’s an emotional link with eating of course. We may eat to stuff down feelings that we cannot handle, or to help us to feel more fulfilled or content. Also bear in mind the central position of the stomach. This pathway represents having a strong and stable center. A strong stomach gives us the appetite for life.
Spleen
This is most damaged by the emotion of worry. Just as over-eating, or toxic accumulation can stress the spleen, so can obsessive worrying and over-thinking, giving it too much to handle. Thinking and memory recall can become less sharp and we may feel bogged down and unable to see a way to move forward, at least not with an agile mind and an agile body. The Chinese term for bad temper is ‘bad spleen energy’, an association also reflected in the English term ‘splenetic’ which means bad-tempered. Sugar regulation issues typically cause mood issues, such as irritability, temper tantrums or bouts of melancholy. With exhaustion there can sometimes be the exhaustion of hope. On the other hand, the spleen pathway brings acceptance (which is a powerful way to relieve stress and restore hope) and the ability to experience pleasure, a basic indication of well-being. The themes around nourishment relate to sympathy and compassion and the ability to take care of ourselves and others. It is possible to have too much sympathy as well as a lack. With too much sympathy we may have a “poor me” attitude or become overwhelmed and too involved in the struggles of others. Balanced energy brings stability, security and trust in our self-ability to heal and move forwards in life.
Given the major role that emotions play in our digestive health, it would be wise for us to pay closer attention to them and respect them for being messengers in guiding us to better health.
Ingrid learned meditation at the age of 19. Later in life she was fortunate to work under the medical direction of Dr. Deepak Chopra as he was first bringing the principles of Ayurvedic medicine to the world. She founded Inner Image Health Screening, LLC in 2006 to bring Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging to Maine. It is the longest serving thermography clinic in the state, currently offering thermal imaging in 14 locations.
www.MyInnerImage.com/NES
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ELM™ | Maine
