How is your gut feeling?

Your gut isn’t called “the second brain” for nothing!  It is the main processor for your feelings, and demands as much respect as the brain in your head!  Also known as the solar plexus, your gut, or belly, sends you strong signals as to how you are really feeling at any moment.  By acknowledging the real presence of emotions, you begin to sort out what is actually happening to you.  The more you are observant of your gut, the more you realize how often you feel specific emotions, and then, what triggers them.  Once you recognize the trigger, you are on your way to control your emotional reactions.

Just saying to yourself that you feel angry helps you to get a grip on your response to the situation. Acknowledging fear or anxiety is an excellent way to reduce those feelings.  Fear is embedded in our genes from the dawn of man. Although we now have no real need to fear predatory animals or starvation, we still carry fear in our psyche. While there are normal fears that save us from danger and life-threatening situations, we are still left with the primitive fears of nonexistent danger. These fears activate without good reason. By focusing on gut feelings, we can sort out which fears are relevant, and deal with them.

The practice of deep breathing is a life-saver! It is a great stress reliever while sitting in traffic.  Focus on your belly, your solar plexus. Slowly breathe into it; feel it relax. Then slowly exhale. When you take a deep breath, push out your belly. This causes the muscles below your lungs (your diaphragm) to massage the solar plexus. You cannot remain anxious for long when doing this massage. Another soothing activity is massaging your belly with your hand in a circular, clockwise direction. Do it as long as it takes to become relaxed. An excellent time is just prior to sleep. You will definitely find yourself in a relaxed state, and will fall asleep more easily.

By focusing on the solar plexus, you become aware of your feelings.  Habitually ignoring or squelching emotions leads to illness. Something happens to cells that are often in a state of anxiety. They cannot maintain health and fear simultaneously.

People who are aware of their feelings are reading the signposts on the road to good health. Every effort to recognize the state of your solar plexus speeds up the process. Deep breathing is a powerful method of freeing yourself from fear, stress, and anxiety.   I have discovered that deep breathing is also a method for increasing creativity!

 

Jacqueline Shuler

Nov. 11, 2018