Mindfully Connect to your Gut

The mind-gut connection started over 5,000 years ago from Ayurvedic Healing. Through the robust healing science of Ayurveda,  many lives have changed, including mine.  The goal is to heal the whole internal system, as everything is connected to the flow of nature’s rhythm. Working with individuals, I have seen how they have noticed their unique energy channels and patterns once I show how the Doshas and Dhatus play out from the mind to the Agni ( fire) and from the Agni ( fire ) to the mind.

Agni

Agni is our digestive fire located in every tissue and cell in our body and determines what stays around (is assimilated/digested) or removed as waste. If our Agni is weak or out of balance, toxins accumulate, leading to mental health issues and chronic illness. Throughout the many years working with western medicine providers, I knew a pill wouldn’t fix this. It isn’t that simple of a solution. In Ayurveda, it is getting to the root cause, which starts with the whole self. Working with many GI physicians, I knew patients needed more of an integrated health solution over the  “covering up symptom” approach. When I was told back in the day I either take a prescription or have a procedure to “fix” my issues, I ran to Ayurveda.

Connectedness to our mind, body, and emotional world is essential for acceptance. As a result, our inner world can signal directly to our minds and guts to speak to us. Over the years of living more Ayurvedic, I felt signs and messages aligning with my soul’s wisdom. These signals have become more robust, guiding me in the right direction.  The gut-brain axis has been discussed for many years, and it is just the tipping point of what is to come. However, in Ayurvedic healing, everything is connected, which has been taught to us through our chakras. 

For this reason, some of the most incredible moments of joy in my life came from the power of my thoughts and the strength of my solar plexus. Communication channels of energy can send messages from the crown chakra to the root chakra, and we must listen to them. Our solar plexus, our primary “powerhouse,” is the fire element in our chakra system. When strong, we feel more confident and vibrant in our lives—even in our decision-making. Our agni center is a game changer in making dramatic changes within ourselves.

Energy

When energy is stagnant in one channel, it can impact the other. In Ayurveda, when you are constipated, you can experience anxiety; when you are depressed, you can have a slow metabolism. All this plays out from our Doshic tendencies and our imbalances. 

What we feed into the mind, we feed to our gut. Therefore, what we feed into our gut, we feed into the mind. So when our agni ( fire ) digestion is strong, we can eliminate toxins, leading to a more balanced flow of assimilation and digestion. Our minds can be disturbed when we absorb toxins and cannot eliminate them properly. Our clarity turns foggy, and our thinking capabilities are blurred.  Haven’t you noticed how processed foods cause brain fog? Even irritability?

Toxins

Toxins can show up in our digestion and then our mind, even affecting how we think. Therefore, when our thinking is distorted, it can show up as a chronic accumulation in our gut. This is why our choices are essential for both. In Ayurveda, looking at the five koshas, “sheaths,” the physical, energy, mental, wisdom, and bliss body, can direct us to pay attention to the layers that are part of our whole system and soul.  Throughout my own Panchakarma treatments and setting up others through the process, the release of toxins can show up in many ways. Toxins, through unprocessed emotions, can rise to the surface and be exposed, and our minds can release unhealthy thought patterns. Panchakarma is a detox procedure in Ayurveda that is personalized based on the patient’s goal. It is a program for the consciousness that cleanses and then rejuvenates.

Eliminating deep-seated ama ( toxins) in our tissues is the goal of Panchakarma and resetting digestion. Once this is complete, the mind becomes extremely clear, and we elevate to a more Sattvic state. From my experience and guiding others in this direction is a body reset. It can move us towards healing the mind and gut and releasing the unprocessed emotions we hold onto.  The procedure can be sustained by changing our daily habits weeks and months later, which can set us up for success. Only some people are candidates or willing to go through the Panchakarma process, so changing our daily habits is the start. Our mind can be a reflection of our gut, and our gut is a reflection of our mind. So we must treat their relationship with respect and honor it. 

Starting Small

Simple daily habits can go a long way:

• Meditation before breakfast and lunchtime.
• Sipping warm water throughout the day.
• Sitting down for meals and eating slowly. 
• Taking Ginger before meals to stimulate the digestion. 
• Consuming foods aligned with your constitution.

In Ayurveda, simple habits make the lasting change,

“To conquer the mind, we must heal the gut. To heal the gut, we must conquer the mind.”

Amani Mind