In the past decade, we’ve seen an explosion of new research and information about gut health. It’s now reported that 1 in 5 Americans suffer from some type of digestive disorder. You can read more about how to heal your gut from a physical perspective here. But today, I want to talk about how to heal your gut from a mind-body perspective.
After coaching thousands of clients through the Conscious Cleanse and in my private nutrition coaching practice, I can tell you with certainty that true healing does not happen on clean eating principles alone. You cannot lose weight, heal your digestive issues, develop a good relationship with food, or overcome chronic illness without understanding the inner workings of your mind.
But how does this work exactly?
How do you learn to trust your gut instincts?
And can you develop this ability?
We’ve all heard the sayings “listen to your gut” and “trust your gut.” I’ve often used these phrases myself in my coaching as a way to help clients tune into themselves at a deeper level. Sometimes described as a sixth sense, an intuitive hit, or an inner knowing, we all have this innate ability. Before we get into the metaphysics of it all, let’s take a look at the almighty vagus nerve and its role here.
The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body running from your brainstem to your colon. It’s long been known that it’s responsible for breathing, digestion, coughing, sneezing, swallowing, vomiting, and more. However, it was once thought that the vagus nerve was communicating from the brain to the organs of the body. Now it’s recognized that 80 to 90 percent of the sensory intel is coming from the gut to the brain. Stop and reread that last line. Kinda makes me wonder if the gut shouldn’t be called the “second brain,” but rather the “first brain.” Regardless, this sheds new light on how to put your gut (ie – your body) and your mind into right relationship.
According to this abstract in Nature the gut-brain axis, by way of the enteric nervous system (ENS), has raised consciousness as a contributor to health, which is exactly why we must understand that our intuition is not just magical thinking. It’s a gift that we must learn to work with if we are to truly heal and realize our full potential.
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift. The rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” – Albert Einstein
Put another way, the body is meant to be a servant to the intuitive mind, not the other way around. You can think of your intuitive mind as your Higher Self. From this perspective, you always have a choice. You can either listen to the dictates of the physical body and all the ways of its conditioning. Or you can tune into the part of you that is eternal, timeless, and all-knowing. Seeing yourself in this new light, you allow source energy to flow through you, supporting a healthy immune system, detoxing and repairing itself as designed, and integrating all types of physical modalities such as food, supplements, or other medical interventions.
A long time ago, I was drawn to the work of Louise Hay. In her timeless book You Can Heal Your Life, she offers the idea that the stomach digests all the new ideas and experiences we have. As you work to heal your digestive issues and balance your microbiome, consider some of the following questions:
Who in your life are you having a hard time “stomaching”?
What in your life feels like a big punch in the gut?
Where are you not trusting your instincts?
Where are you not being true to yourself?
From this inquiry, I hope you’ll be able to gain a new perspective about what your gut symptoms may be trying to tell you so you can heal and be whole.