11/06/2025
𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕐𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕂𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕤 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕐𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝔹𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕎𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕊𝕒𝕪
I once worked with a veteran who said his stomach always acted up before appointments. He wasn’t eating anything different. No food allergies, no bug, just… knots, tension, and sometimes nausea.
We traced it back, every time he had to tell his story, his gut tightened up first. Long before the tears came, long before the memories surfaced, his stomach already knew what was coming. I realized, digestion doesn’t just start in the mouth. It starts in the nervous system.
Nervous System 101🔅
Your nervous system is your body’s messaging network. It’s made up of two main branches:
• The sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight)
• The parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest)
When you’re calm, blood flows to the gut, enzymes get released, and digestion runs smoothly. But the moment your brain detects stress, real or perceived, it flips the switch. Blood gets redirected to your limbs. heart rate increases, digestion slows or stops. Your body’s not thinking about absorbing nutrients, it’s preparing to survive.
The Vagus Nerve: The Link Between Mind and Gut🔅
The vagus nerve is the direct line between your brain and your digestive tract. It tells your stomach when to contract, when to release acid, when to rest.
If that line is constantly jammed with stress signals, your stomach never gets the chance to work properly.
This shows up as:
• Bloating
• Acid reflux
• Constipation
• Loose stools
• That constant “pit in the stomach” sensation
It’s not random. It’s a physiological response to the messages your nervous system is sending.
Long-Term Stress Reshapes the Gut🔅
It’s not just about short-term flutters. Chronic stress alters the landscape:
• It disrupts your gut microbiome the bacteria that manage digestion, immune response, and even mood.
• It weakens the integrity of your gut lining, contributing to inflammation and “leaky gut.”
• It increases pain sensitivity in the gut wall leading to conditions like IBS.
Over time, the nervous system and the stomach stop functioning as separate systems. They become one tightly woven feedback loop. The more anxious you feel, the more digestive problems you have. And the more your gut struggles, the more anxious you feel.
Healing Requires a Two-Way Strategy🔅
You can’t treat the stomach without calming the nervous system. and vice versa.
What helps:
• Regulated breathing (5 seconds in, 5 seconds out) stimulates parasympathetic tone.
• Adaptogens like ashwagandha or tulsi (Holi basil) support stress resilience without sedation.
• Nervine herbs like chamomile or lemon balm calm the system without shutting it down.
• Mindfulness, even in small daily doses, can increase vagal tone and reduce gut hypersensitivity.
• Therapeutic movements like walking, stretching, tai chi, moves both energy and blood flow, and reduces cortisol levels that impair digestion.
In conclusion, if your stomach has been feeling “off,” there’s wisdom in that.
We’re used to asking “what did I eat?” when our digestion is off. But just as often, the better question is: “What’s been going on in my nervous system?” Because your gut isn’t just where food gets broken down, it’s where emotions get processed, where your body keeps score, and where your brain quietly sends everything it doesn’t want to say out loud.
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