When Worry Gets You in the Gut
/We don’t like to think of the festive time of year as the thing that also makes us a little crazy, but there’s no denying that, in addition to joy and love there can be a sense of anxiousness and overwhelm.
The connection between anxiety and digestive issues
Stress, if left unchecked, causes a whole myriad of challenges for almost every system of the body including the digestive system.
When we’re stressed, the body’s response is to slow down or shut down the digestive system. This means food is not getting digested properly which can lead to digestive complaints. It makes sense from a survival perspective. If there is a real and immediate danger to your life your body in all its wisdom will direct its energy to the body systems that help you escape. For example, the large muscles in the arms, legs and torso and the heart and lungs.
If you are in danger—real or imagined—the last thing your body wants to spend energy digesting a holiday meal. In fact, under severe stress your body will force you to eliminate that extra weight one way or another. Or should I say from one end or another…
When the stressor is a little less life threatening you might only feel this response as mild to moderate nausea, abdominal cramps, heartburn, gas, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea.
None of these physiological responses to stress are enjoyable, especially during the holidays.
Hand gestures to reduce stress and improve digestion
To help manage stress during the holidays you can practice a simple meditation technique using hand gestures called mudras; a tool at your fingertips. A mudra is a shape you make with one or both hands. The gesture shifts your breath, blood flow and subtle energy to specific areas of your body and you are simply focusing on your breath for a period of time.
How mudras work
The fingers contain large numbers of sensory and motor nerve endings which communicate messages easily to the mind and body. The ancient practitioners of yoga and Ayurveda perfected mudras to consciously direct the breath and the body’s subtle energy in order to achieve different objectives, whether spiritual or physiological. There are hundreds of mudras that can help with everything from connecting t your higher self to managing stress. Below is a short practice you can use during the festive season to help reduce stress and improve digestion.
Use Mudras to reduce stress and improve digestion
Studies show that even 5 minutes of meditation a day can reduce stress and we’ve already made the link between stress and digestive issues. Start with just a couple of minutes and work your way up. It can be easier to stay with your meditation longer if you add an intention to your practice but for now, let’s start with a simple mudra/breath meditation.
Find a comfortable place to sit where you won’t be disturbed.
Place your hands in the mudra called “Apana” mudra: Touch the tips of the middle and ring fingers of each hand to the thumbs of the same hand. Extend the index and little fingers. Rest the backs of the hands onto the thighs or knees. Relax the shoulders back and down and keep your spine extended.
Effortlessly “watch” your breath for 2-5 minutes. As thoughts come up (and they will) just notice the thought, let it go, and come back to noticing your breath. Notice what part of your body is expanding and softening with each breath. Notice if the inhale or exhale is longer. Notice if there are pauses after the inhale or exhale.
What you may observe with Apana mudra is the breath naturally drops to the abdominal area and away from the chest. You may notice a natural lengthening of the exhale and slight pause at the end of the exhale. This type of breathing encourages the nervous system to relax and the digestive system to “rest and digest” helping to keep digestive challenges in check.
Happy Holidays and may your mudra meditation bring you comfort and joy!
=)
Lori
