Sick to Your Stomach - 4 Ways to Stop Stress Affecting Your Digestion

One of the most common ailments that comes from overwork is digestion issues.

Sick to your stomach- 4 ways to stop stress affecting your digestion

The digestive system is vulnerable to the presence of stress especially when it becomes chronic. This is because the nervous system and the digestive system are closely intertwined. The biochemical and hormonal changes that occur in response to emotional stress have immediate and persistent effect on digestive system. Here are 4 measures that you can take to help manage the stress of daily life and improve your digestive health.

Get moving or get a digestive massage to balance stress- Moderate exercise is one of the most effective ways to manage stress and maintain healthy digestion. Physical activity relieves tension, improves blood flow and stimulates the release of endorphins which improve your mood and reduce the impacts of stress. Baby pose and leg lifts for digestion are extremely helpful for to stop stress affect your digestion.
Cope with life stressors with regular relaxation- There are many effective relaxation practices to help you cope with inevitable stress and minimize it’s impact on your digestion. These ways include meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, Tai chi and spending some time with nature.
Build a stress resistant gut- A healthy gut with a balanced microbiome is more resistant to the negative impacts of the inevitable gut. Omega 3 fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins A and D, and balanced probiotics can all help heal the intestinal lining and provide a diverse array of beneficial bacteria.
Avoid negativity to heal your gut and make use of essential oils. Negative thoughts are a large contributor to stress in modern Life. Learning to recognize your thoughts through mindfulness or other meditation techniques allow you to change your mindset. Positivity and compassion improve the function of the vagus nerve which is crucial in the communication between the brain and digestive system. Cardamom oil and peppermint oil are effective for digestion.

When you learn to understand your emotions and responses to stress and adopt healthy ways to manage stress, you can more effectively digest both food and life.

Here we look at 4 other specific things that can help alleviate the problem:

Kriya for Digestion and Weight Loss

Link to Guru Jagat, Improved Digestion and Weight Loss Kriya

Digestive Massage

Baby Pose

Sitting on your heels in Baby Pose, bring your forehead to the floor in front of you.
Relax your arms at your sides with your palms facing upward near your feet (Baby Pose).
From the waistline, slowly move your hips to the left and right. Imagine you are wagging a heavy tail attached to your tailbone.
Continue moving your hips from side to side for 2–3 minutes (beginners start with 1–3 minutes).
To release the posture, stop moving the hips and bring your palms to the floor at the sides of your head.
Press the palms as you lift up to a sitting position.
Then lie down and relax for 5 minutes.

Benefits

Baby Pose is a relaxed posture that brings circulation to the heart, eyes, and head.

It helps to cleanse the upper lungs and can help you relax when you are anxious or tense.

Moving the hips side to side in this posture is wonderful for massaging the internal digestive organs and will assist in the elimination of waste from the body.

Leg Lifts for Digestion

Lie on your back.
Relax your arms by the side of your body, or place the hands under the buttocks/ lower back to support your back.
Point your toes forward and lift your legs 3 feet off the ground.
Hold the posture with Long, Deep Breathing.
Keep up for 2 minutes.
If you need a break, relax your legs down and resume the posture as soon as you can.

Benefits

This posture works on the gall bladder and slims the waistline.

The angle of 3 feet is important to get the full benefit of this exercise.

Digestive Tea

Ginger Tea This tea is an excellent tonic for women, as is ginger in general (include generous amounts in your cooking). Taken during your menstrual period, Ginger Tea can help keep you energized and soothe your digestion. This tea can also help relieve the aches and discomfort of fever and help soothe the nervous system. Boil 4 or 5 slices of fresh ginger root in 3 cups of water. Add honey and milk to taste, if desired.

Taken from: Seibel, Machelle M.. A Woman’s Book of Yoga Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition (US Kindle: A Woman’s Book of Yoga )

Essential Oils

Taken from Aromahead:

For Digestive Support

4 drops Cardamom essential oil or CO2 extract (Ellettaria cardamomum)

5 drops Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)

3 drops Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

3 drops Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)

Blend essential oils in 1 oz of unscented cream or jojoba oil. Massage into abdomen after each meal. This blend of oils can also be used in an inhaler for nausea or car sickness.