Belly Brain
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August 2025
Our brain and our stomach "talk"all the time. In the Chinese medicine system, the stomach and digestion belong to earth- where we root, home and digest. The abdomen is the center of the wheel, around which everything turns. So a healthy gut can directly help healthy mental health. That's one reason we focus so much on gut health in the natural medicine world.
On an anatomical level, the "belly brain" relates to the enteric nervous system (ENS), which has a complex network on neurons lining the GI tract. It's main role is helping digestion run smoothly- from swallowing, to enzyme release. The enzymes help break down food and control blood flow that helps with nutrient absorption and elimination. In fact, outside of the brain, the most nerve cells are in our gut system! The ENS plays a vital role in digestion, mood and behavior, and overall well-being. On a spiritual level, when your stomach is "off," what is it telling you? Do you listen to your "gut" instincts? Can you feel your power in that solar plexus region around the stomach? The physical and energetic are always intertwined. In holistic health, we work with both. "Thought is matter. There is energy and there is matter. That is all life is: energy and matter... Matter cannot exist without energy and energy cannot exist without matter; the two are completely interrelated". Below is a helpful meditation Dr. Joseph recorded to enhance the belly brain connection. Do this at-home weekly, and help your inner and outer self have a balanced brain-gut connection.
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