Years ago, I learned this simple healing technique that you can do at home. It involves the enteric brain and can help to heal trauma, stress, and issues resulting from these things.
The enteric brain is often referred to as the second brain. It is located within the membranes of the gut and abdomen. While it does not create logical and linear thought like our primary brain, it does help to keep the physical body in balance. The enteric brain holds 90% of serotonin and 50% of dopamine found in the body.
At times you may have said, “I make a gut choice,” or noticed that your gut would react when you’re in the midst of turmoil. We may refer to it as having butterflies in our stomach. Many health conditions result when the enteric brain system is out of balance.
If I am going through a lot of stress or I cannot sleep at night, I use what I call an energy ball. It is nothing more than a fitness ball with varying weights. If I’m having back pain or other somatic issues, I’ll usually grab my energy ball and work with it for a few minutes. It does not take long to see a difference.
If you are just starting out, a one or two-pound ball is probably more than enough. With time, you will want a heavier weight, but in the beginning, this small weight can be a lot to take. I believe the ball I use most of the time is about six pounds, but now and then that is too much for me.
While it is much easier to show how to do this, the goal is to feel the weight. You are trying to connect what you feel on your body to what you notice in your mind. Also, you move it around slowly, and I mean slowly as if you’re using a magnifying glass to see every cell that lies underneath it. When you do this, you might begin to notice areas that are painful. You might notice tight and tense places. There is also a chance you may feel nothing when you first start doing this.
As you move the energy ball around, you hold up on the points that are painful, tense or catch your attention. Applying breathing to this place will help as you ever so slightly nudge the energy ball around. Sometimes after working with it for a few minutes in a spot, it is helpful to move on to another place. It is sometimes helpful to remove the ball for a few moments. If you try to push the energy ball too fast with your body, your body will shut down. That will not be as effective.
This is a very simplified explanation of what enteric brain work is all about, but even experimenting just a little can bring significant results. You have to find out and figure out what works for you because I cannot tell you what does. I know what works for me and many others, but for each person, this is a different experience. While it is best to work with someone who knows how to do this, trained practitioners are hard to find.
Don’t go overboard with it when you start to get it figured out. A little bit of this work goes a long way. Fully engaging and feeling what is going on with the enteric brain is much more effective. Connect with what you feel, and you will be on the right track. It is about understanding the felt sense.
The enteric brain is a great way to deal with anxiety and depression. It goes where the mind will not go, and the effects happen quickly. I have been able to drop myself down out of major anxiety when I practice this. There have been so many ways that it has helped. When I can’t sleep at night or when a rash kicks up, I turn to the energy ball.
It does not take much to activate the enteric brain and help it restore balance to the body. The more you work with this and become proficient with it, the more it will do for you. Essentially, it activates the healing mechanisms we have within our body. Not only does it work with the enteric brain, but it connects the mind and body together.
COMMENTS
Where on my body am I putting the weight of this ball? Am I lying down while I do this?
You’re aiming for the “enteric brain area” which is basically the abdomen in simplistic terms. I really need to do a video demonstrating this more because it isn’t real easy to describe the technique in an article. I am working on how to demonstrate it, but just difficult in the written word.