The Belly Buddy™

Stress and the Gut
"The feeling you get when your gut says 'NO' but your mouth says, 'YES, I'd be glad to." - Dick Frances

Our stress and worries are not only mental, It is also physical. When we are stressed our body's response is the "fight or flight" reflex. The "fight or flight" reflex is automatically activated by our sympathetic nervous system. It is designed to help us deal with life-threatening emergencies. It does so by acting in 'sympathy' with emotions such as anger and fear. It prepares us for intense action. Our blood pressure and breath rate increases, our muscles tense, and blood is shunted off to our limbs, away from our digestive system, thereby turning off proper digestive and elimination function. The bi-product is indigestion, bloat, gas, constipation and/or a flare up of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

What can you do to support yourself during stress filled times?

Comfort and Listen to your Gut
To begin, simply lie down comfortably on your back. Place a warmed Belly Buddy™ on your abdomen. Its warmth brings blood function back to your stressed belly. Notice how the warmth attracts your breath into your belly. Breathe deeply so that your belly begins to expand as you inhale and retract as you exhale.

As you and your belly relax, see if you can listen to your belly. What do you sense? What do you feel? What is your belly telling you? What does it need to feel relief? As you learn to listen to your 'gut feelings' during this experience, begin to listen and honor them in the midst of your everyday life.

As featured in Gut Wisdom: Understanding and Improving Your Digestive Health.

https://youtu.be/8u6yIqTGk_0