Stress or Digest
By Mary Muller

“When the enteric nervous system runs the bowel well, there is bliss
 in the body.” – “The Second Brain,” Michael Gershon, MD

“Stress or digest” sounds like an ultimatum, and it is. This is our biological imperative.

A friend recently told me she was having problems with her digestion that she could not understand. She also shared that her life was tremendously stressful, a bit like a pressure cooker with the mix of demands of family, work and visitors. She was surprised when I suggested that her stress levels and her lack of digestibility might be related. She did not know that an adrenal or stress response includes a shutting down of the digestive system.

When we are stressed, circulation to the gut is cut up to fourfold and enzyme production is reduced up to 20,000 times. The body’s need to send energy to the heart and muscles takes precedence over the ability to digest. Chronic stress creates repercussions in the digestive system such as constipation, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, gall bladder problems and more.
How do we get energy and circulation back to the gut?

Life choices. Cut stress. Limit the number of demands and responsibilities in your life. Pick priorities that are manageable.

Eating choices. Take time to eat. Choose to create a relaxing space in your schedule and your environment. Eat with friends or family. It is a fact that eating in good company releases endorphins that give us a sense of pleasure and well-being. Enjoy quiet or gentle conversation.

Support your digestion with movement, supplementation and peace of mind. The digestive system has the roles of secretion, digestion, assimilation and elimination. It has valves that open and close as materials move through. It secretes enzymes, hydrochloric acid, buffers and lubricants. The general movement is downward and outward, called peristalsis in Western medicine and apana in Ayurveda. This combination of movement, secretion, assimilation and elimination does not need direction from the brain. It works on its own. Therefore the gut has been called the enteric nervous system or the “second brain” due to its ability to produce neurotransmitters and communicate within itself.

Movements That Support Digestion
Apana squat – Bring your body into a squatting position with arms wrapped around the legs. Gently rock and breathe. This encourages digestion and apana. It’s great for constipation or gas. If your knees have problems, do this lying on your back.

Tummy Rock – Place your left hand on your forehead and your right on the belly button. Gently rock your right hand, then hold. This encourages the fire of digestion and is great after eating.

Tapping – Do regular EFT tapping to decrease emotional stress, rebalance body chemistry and encourage healthy movement.

Digest and feel your best!

Suggested Reading:
“The Second Brain,” by Michael Gershon, 1998 Harper Collins, New York.
“Energy Exercises,” by Mary Louise Muller and John Chitty, 1992 Polarity Press, Boulder.

Mary Louise Muller is an authority on energy medicine. She and her husband have a private practice in Murrieta and teach internationally through LifeShapes. You can see her upcoming classes on www.lifeshapes.org. Muller is co-author of “Energy Exercises: Easy Exercises for Health and Vitality.”