Earth: Trust your gut
The gut is known as the second brain, or the enteric nervous system. More than 100 million nerve cells lines the digestive tract. This system triggers mood changes, initiates functional bowel changes and communicates with the central nervous system (brain).
Every felt ‘butterflies in your stomach”? Ever become nauseous at the thought of a situation or seeing a person? Ever had a “gut wrenching” experience?
These sensations may be fleeting or protracted. How do we care for this intuitive, reactive nervous system?
Here are two ways to support the gut:
1.My favorite physical support is a yogic cleansing technique, nauli.
2. My favorite nutritional support includes personalized probiotics & herbs.
Gut Roll: the Good Kind!
Nauli is a yoga technique used in Panchakarma to cleanse the internal organs and tone the abdominal by doing a rolling motion using the abdominal muscles. While perhaps more directly impacting the large and small intestines, the spleen, stomach and pancreas get a great massage with Nauli.
Give Nauli a try by following the beginner’s basics below!
NAULI
- Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and knees slightly
bent (about 5 degrees) - Straighten your spine
- Relax your shoulders, arms and chest; feel the weight of your body
directed down toward your knees - Begin the exercise by pushing your abdomen out, feeling a slight
pressure as if your stomach was full - Pull your abdomen inward and try to make your belly button touch
the spine; this completes one full round - After completing 10 rounds pull your abdomen inward
as much as you can and hold then allow gravity to release the hold. repeat the series, increasing to 50 by the end of week four.
Attaching a healthy habit to an already existing habit simply sets us up for success
I find it convenient to start my morning with nauli immediately after I neti or brush my teeth. Try nauli every time you brush your teeth.
Watch a demonstration video here
Herbal Gut Support
Support the Earth element and our guts, by trying Triphala, the “Ayurvedic pre/probiotic.” Triphala contains three fruits with five of the six tastes recognized in Ayurvedic medicine including: Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Pungent and Astringent. Triphala (or a constitutionally appropriate probiotic or a spore formulation) is an excellent supplement for the transitional Earth seasons (four times a year). Two weeks of continual use then as needed or on a rotational basis is my general prescription for folks.
I encourage you to choose probiotic strains, spores, fermented foods and drinks suited for your unique health. Strains of flora should be customized for food allergies, weight loss, constipation, diarrhea, cognition, post anti-biotic care. At times, a triphala enema with sesame oil may be right for you. Other times a butyrate or coffee might be a best choice for your digestive health concerns. Probiotics and enemas can be used prophylactically in a seasonal rhythm during the 14-18 days around the solstices and equinoxes to support the earth element. Schedule a telemedicine visit to customize your probiotic strains, discuss your health concerns or create a seasonal wellness plan here:
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