Trust your gut, trust your gut, trust your gut. How many times have you recited this mantra only to convince yourself, sometimes with consults from friends and family and colleagues, that consulting your gut just isn’t good enough?

Somehow, we have come to believe that without the critiquing of the intellect of the brain, the nonjudgmental awareness of here-and-now gut smarts is not as good, not as smart. In reality, the wisdom of your gut may be just what you need to live your life on purpose and with passion. And given the reality of time on this earth-bound journey, is there a moment that’s worth living without purpose or passion? My gut and brain and heart shout a loud “NO!”

The gut is smart- left-brained science tells us so…

The gut, extending from the esophagus and on down- is indeed a valid source of smarts. It’s been called ‘the enteric nervous system’ and is considered to be another ‘brain’ by those mind-body scientists investigating the wisdom of the gut. In fact, the gut contains many of the same natural chemicals that are circulating in our brains, the chemicals that generate feelings and thoughts and that determine what we do and say.

Back in the days when our ancestors were considerably hairier, gut instinct was a mode of operating. The challenge today is how do we tune into our guts when the outer layer of the brain, a burden that our hairier predecessors did not carry, tries to override the wisdom of the gut?

Research studies from biological sciences, mind-body medicine, and behavioral science, including sports psychology, provide a few clues about how we can learn to quiet the shouts from our brains long enough to listen to and consider the wisdom of our guts.

Awareness is key and the first cues that your brain is overpowering your gut?- getting wrapped tight in tension that can feel like a knot in your gut and the dreaded ‘shoulds’ and ‘haftas’ that can feel like knots in your head.

Albert Ellis, one of the originators of cognitive psychology (which proposes that thoughts cause feelings and behaviors so changing your thinking will change how and what you feel and do) coined a wonderful term for this language of ‘shouldas, couldas, wouldas and haftas’. He aptly named it ‘musterbation’. I call it the language of ‘misery’ and, believe me, on bad days I can go there with the best of them.

When the outer brain layer leads to flocks of butterflies inhabiting your gut and language that pummels you with the 'shoulds' and 'haftas' that dismiss the desires and passions and intelligence of the gut, try these proven strategies:

Breathe - ditch the hyperventilating and take a few deep breaths. As you breathe, picture a thought balloon hovering above your head. Fill it with the language of misery; breathe in and, as you breathe out, release the balloon up into the air. Think about ‘trashing it’ as you watch that hefty bag of trash-talk disappear into the horizon. Now breathe deep and listen up- to your gut. Fill that thought balloon with what I call the language of mastery- what do you WANT to do? Relish that sensation.

Get a Grip – Wherever it is that you are carrying excess tension, trash that too. Release your white-knuckled grip on the desk or steering wheel and flex and relax your fingers.
Or pull your toes out of the deep curl that anchors you tightly to the soles of your shoes. Be they pumps, wingtips, running shoe or ski boots or in full exposure flip-flops, wiggle your toes.
Or release your tightly-clamped jaw to simply let your mouth open slightly.

The point is to release the tension- trash it- and focus on what your gut is telling you.

Sounds too simple, your brain might say. But brain-generated research tells us that when we get ramped up on the natural biochemical cocktail that sets our lungs to rapid fire, leads us to hold tight to steering wheels or ways of doing and seeing things, and creates tension in our toes or jaws or lower backsides (those moments when we accuse others of being pains in our lower backsides), we lose sight of the bigger picture including our guts.

Sports scientists call it 'visual narrowing.' Real-world research suggests that it's more than our sights that narrow- we hear and see a smaller sliver of the real deal when we are wired tight and flying in fast-forward.

That includes losing sight of the signals coming from our guts. And without that information, it is difficult to access our full wisdom and smarts to determine what we want to do, what is best for us and for those who depend on our decisions.

Finally there is validation for those of us who have heeded our guts and been accused of flying by the seat of our pants- or going on gut instinct. Now, during this second part of the journey, we can choose to tune into, listen to, consider, and rely on gut smarts as we navigate our courses.

Next time you find yourself in hyperventilation mode with your fingers or toes or jaw wrapped tight and a knot in your stomach, pause long enough to breathe and to get a grip. These same strategies that have been put to the test by winning athletes and those who perform at peak levels under pressure can raise your gut I.Q. and lift your spirits at the same time.

Use your gut- or your ‘enteric nervous system’ if you prefer- to live on purpose and with passion- in the Zone for full engagement with life! Life is too short to live it anywhere else.

Looking forward,
Dr. Pam Brill
www.inthezoneinc.com

(See view link The Enteric Nervous System: The Brain in the Gut).
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