Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/918051
A B M P m e m b e r s e a r n F R E E C E a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e b y r e a d i n g M a s s a g e & B o d y w o r k m a g a z i n e 95 THE ROLE OF THE GUT BRAIN Another major emotional center is the "gut brain," more formally known as the enteric nervous system. Also known as the "second brain," the gut brain is located in the belly area. This system is a collection of neurological tissue and employs about 30 neurotransmitters and 100 million neurons to regulate digestive processes and also mood and emotions. The role played by the neurotransmitters in the gut brain is astounding. For example, about 95 percent of the serotonin (a mood regulator) in the body exists in the enteric nervous system; the rest is produced by the brain. Too much serotonin in the gut can cause conditions such as anxiety and even osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis. 6 How do you know if you're dealing with gut emotions rather than head emotions? Gut emotions trouble the stomach. Literally. I've found that the strongest and most easily triggered emotions usually lie in the gut and don't clear unless felt and expressed, often through therapeutic modalities such as age regression or the replay of a traumatic situation. Clients with gut-based emotional issues might also need to make lifestyle changes, particularly diet alterations. Case in point: trillions of microbes live in the gut. Certain foods feed the unhealthy microbes, causing everything from lethargy to anxiety. Moreover, the types of microbes that create emotional disturbances in the gut can also travel to the brain. One such pathway is the vagus nerve, which carries bacteria, other types of microbes, and chemical and hormonal information from the gut to the brain, and vice versa. In fact, about 90 percent of the fibers in this nerve serve this function. This microbial journeying has been linked to physical and emotional imbalances, and even Alzheimer's disease. 7 THE ENERGETIC HEART We've painted a complicated picture for healers seeking to unlock the emotional issues that create client discomfort. While it's helpful to acknowledge the emotional issues and solutions that emerge from the head and gut brains, the good news is that there is a more elegant method. It involves working through the energetic heart, which is a combination of the physical and subtle heart. Through both physical and subtle perspectives, the heart is an extremely powerful determiner of health in the body, both emotionally and physically. The physical heart contains about 40,000 neurons, which are similar to those in the brain. In fact, these neurons enable the heart to function like its own brain. As such, the heart produces a FACILITATING THE SPIRIT'S REACTION How do you assist a client with correctly receiving, analyzing, and interpreting their spirit's reactions to a situation? The following steps, employed through the energetic heart, will help. Select a Focus Help your client focus on a need, which might involve a pain, memory, or unmet goal. Breathe Into the Heart Ask the client to center in their heart and to then breathe deeply. Now, request that they let only their spirit or highest self help them feel the feelings associated with the subject. Share the Emotions Let the client state aloud any and all feelings, whether deemed positive or negative, then decide which emotion is predominant. Label and Interpret Using the following outline, assist the client with figuring out the message that their emotion is sharing from a spirit point of view. A. Anger reveals the need to establish a boundary, thereby increasing personal power. B. Fear indicates lack of security and shows what to do to become safe. C. Disgust insists that something or someone is unhealthy. Getting rid of the toxic food, habit, person, or other ingredient is purifying. D. Sadness indicates an inability to perceive love in a situation. Following the "flow" of sadness leads to new ways to give or receive love. E. Joy says, "Yes! I want more!" Focusing on joy brings more joy. Distribute the Spirit's Feelings Ask your client to focus on their heartbeat and breath while their spirit distributes the emotion, as well as the healing, needed throughout their body. Commit The distributed feeling will unlock and cleanse other emotions and also lead to further insights or the need for action. Ask the client to decide if there are any other steps they must take toward further healing. Years ago, Emily Dickinson wrote, "The heart wants what it wants, or else it does not care." And essentially, it wants to share love, the greatest healing power of all.