A Healthy Gut = Healthy Intuition

When it comes to the health of our bodies and tapping into our inner knowing, or intuition, the gut which houses our third chakra, plays an extremely important role. The third chakra, also known as Manipura or the Solar Plexus, is located in the abdomen below the chest. Anatomically it’s comprised of 2 separate bundles of nerves that intertwine in the abdomen, hence the reason we experience “gut feelings” and “butterflies in our stomach.” Also known as the second brain, the gut is home to more than 100 million neurons - that’s more neurons than there are in the spinal chord or peripheral nervous system. The solar plexus is a part of the sympathetic nervous system which monitors our fight or flight response, and plays an important role in the functioning of the stomach, kidneys, liver, and adrenal glands.

Physically a healthy and balanced third chakra will result in feeling purposeful, inherently valuable as a human being, and able to contribute to the world in a productive and satisfying way. Spiritually and emotionally the third chakra governs self-esteem, pleasure, individual will and personal identity and responsibility. It’s easy to deduce then, that when our third chakra is balanced, we have a deeper level of self trust and can respond to the messages we receive through our bodies, believing that we are supported. On the other hand, when the energy or life force of the third chakra is blocked, there can be issues related to low self-esteem, control, manipulation and misuse of power. Physically, this imbalance can manifest as digestive issues, ulcers, diabetes, constipation, irritable bowel, malabsorption of nutrients and disordered eating. In this space of physical dis-ease and insecurity, it’s more likely that our precious energy will be spent looking outside of ourselves to others for answers. Usually, this cycle of ill health both physically and emotionally leads us to a place of either victimhood or asserting power in a way that isn’t beneficial to all involved.

When we start to understand the magic of the body and the interconnectedness of our physical, spiritual, mental and emotional health, a whole new world of wonder and possibility opens up. Instead of thinking that our lives and bodies are against us, we can instead listen to the messages that the body extends and respond with love, compassion and the belief that our intention to heal will in fact produce greater levels of balance in the body, mind and spirit. Learning to support ourselves through healthy nutrition, exercise, meditation, prayer, and other self care practices is so important. When we fuel our cells with the right nutrients, regulate stress through our breath, create endorphins and detoxify through exercise, and become present to ourselves, our loved ones, and our relationship with God, we clear out the mental and physical debris making space for our incredible intuition to become our guide.