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Are your intestines giving you a hard time? Find out how to soothe your abdominal pain effectively.

The belly: the area where everything begins. Born from your mother's womb, nourished through the umbilical cord from your navel, from fetus to baby, from child to adult, you're now an inhabitant of the world. Often neglected, the abdomen represents the source of life, the place where your development was born. In traditional Chinese medicine, the navel is called the "original gate" which refers to the origin of the human being. It's therefore essential to discover and understand the importance of the belly in order to better approach your existence and limit the impact of an overly stressful daily life.

The intestines: your second brain

There are two of them (the large intestine or colon and the small intestine). They contain a variety of bacteria that form the intestinal microbiota. Your colon alone puts to work between 400 and 500 different species of bacteria. These help neutralize toxic elements and keep away pathogens that cause serious illnesses. They also play a role in digestion, vitamin production, and the formation of your immune system. The digestive tract serves as a shield against external viruses. In addition, with 200 million neurons, the intestines circulate information from the vagus nerve to the brain and not the other way around. This is why they're considered to be human beings' second brain.

Other organs such as the stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, and kidneys are obviously important with regards the proper functioning of digestion. But it's particularly the intestines that are of interest in the event of a strong period, an intense episode of stress.

Stress and digestion

In the event of stress, many people tend to pull in their stomachs, which deprives the organs of the space they need to properly perform their function. This withdrawal movement sometimes causes severe and disabling pain. As specified by the RTBF, the organs of the abdomen "are linked together by the fascia that covers and supports them. It's a whole "chain of tension" that occurs and disrupts the other organs". Stress management therefore plays a key role in reducing intestinal pain. For this, abdominal massage is your favorite companion!

Self-massage of the stomach as an ideal anti-stress and pain releif

The effects of self-massage on the stomach are miraculous: back relief, spacing of organs, regulation of digestion, release of tension and emotions. The stomach is a significant emotional space and for this reason, it should be treated respectfully and taken care of.

There are several effective massage techniques to soothe the abdomen and free it from the stress that invades it. Get support from the Chinese massage called Chi Nei Tsang, it will help you in the search for internal serenity.

Here's how to do it:

Practice this technique before or after meals, and specifically during times of full digestion and adopt a cross-legged, kneeling or lying position.

• Place one hand on the navel and one on the sternum, take three deep breaths. Breathing will be your guide throughout the massage session. Trust your breath to perform the movements gently.
• Feel, feel the warmth of your hands on your stomach.
• Take the time to let yourself be filled with this feeling of well-being. Make circular movements using your palms in a clockwise direction (direction of digestion). Repeat these movements all over your stomach.
• Place your hands on your hips and massage the middle of the abdomen on either side of the navel with your fingertips.
• Move your hands flat on your stomach and perform horizontal frictions.
• Form a shape of a shell with your hands and tap them around the navel. You can also tap using the flat of your hands. This gesture facilitates digestion, reduces bloating and promotes energy circulation.

Finally, breathe deeply again by simply placing your hands in the middle of your stomach.
The lower part of the stomach is fragile, it's the only one that doesn't have bones to protect it. You must therefore act delicately, in rhythm with your own breathing. Each movement made will slowly but surely lead you to deep relaxation. In 15 minutes, say goodbye to this ball of stress that's eating away at your stomach!

(MH with AsD - Sources: RTBF/Doctissimo - Illustration picture: Pixabay - Silviarita)