Have you ever had an inexplicably good feeling about something and ended up being correct? Or, conversely, have you ever felt that something just wasn’t ‘right’ but you couldn’t explain why? Well, whilst that that ‘gut feeling’ doesn’t actually originate from your gut, it’s usually where we receive the message – via a chemical-and-hormone hotline from the subconscious – in the form of tightening, twinges or a feeling of ‘butterflies’, and it’s a lot more scientific than you’d think.
“Our gut health plays an important part in the way our brain works. This is called the gut-brain axis,” explains Sas Parsad, gut health specialist at The Gut Co (thegutco.com ). “The brain and gut communicate bidirectionally, meaning they send signals between the central and enteric [gastrointestinal-based] nervous systems.”
This mind-gut connection tells us if we’re hungry, stressed or if we’ve eaten something nasty, but it’s more than just those physical signals that are relayed between our gut and brain. “Our enteric nervous system can be looked at as our second brain that is responsible for ‘gut feeling’” says Sas. “If you have ever experienced something that made you feel scared or uneasy, your gut ‘remembers’ that, so you don’t need a conscious thought to process that information and react to it.” It’s why we might feel a rush of fear or calm after a big decision was made, telling us whether the decision felt right or wrong. Or you may feel uneasy about somebody you see on the street that you’ve never met before.
A gut imbalance
Our guts are full of trillions of bacteria, often described as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ bacteria. In a healthy microbiome, these microbes co-exist peacefully. The good bacteria repopulate often to leave little room for those bad bacteria to multiply excessively, keeping everything in check. However, the microbiome has a delicate balance that’s quite easily thrown off if you aren’t making healthy choices, such as eating plenty of fibre, fruit and vegetables, and getting regular exercise. “If the microbiome is unbalanced, the signals sent between your brain and the gut are skewed,” says Sas. “The gut won’t be sending or receiving the right messages, so you are likely to be less in alignment with that gut feeling. Healing the gut microbiome and maintaining its health can help the gut-brain axis thrive.” This means that following advice on how to look after your gut (such as the tips on the page before) can have a key impact on how well we can tune into our gut instinct.
Strengthen your connection
How to listen to your gut and make better decisions
Want to get more in tune with your gut-brain axis? Follow our experts’ advice below…
Switch off your chattering mind
“There are several ways to tune into the gut,” says psychotherapist and coach Andre Radmall (andreradmall.com ), “and they all involve switching off the chattering mind and tuning into just being in the present moment. Meditation is very helpful for getting out of your head and into the body and breathing deeply from the diaphragm will put you more in touch with the gut.”
Not a fan of meditation? Don’t worry. “If you shy away from meditation, don’t underestimate the power of sitting quietly with a cup of tea, putting your phone down or taking regular walks in nature,” adds Heidi Hauer, a holistic health and life coach who writes about learning to follow your intuition in her book The Queendom Within – Rewrite Your Fairy Tale and Create Your Own Happily Ever After (heidihauer.com). “This might bring you into your body and limit your tendencies to overthink. Notice what arises when you disconnect from the busyness of life.”
Try a body scan
If you want to really tune in to your body, Andre says the mindfulness technique of doing a ‘body scan’ can help. “This means relaxing while becoming aware of the body, scanning gently from head to toe,” he explains. “This is purely an observation exercise to notice any areas of tension, pain or restriction. This practice may also reveal gut feelings.”
Wait for your intuition
We tend to imagine that gut instincts show themselves immediately, but this isn’t always the case. “If you’re struggling with a decision sometimes it’s good to switch off and do something else,” advises Heidi. “This allows your gut to have a space in the decision-making process. Often, the answer will pop up when you least expect it.”
Get writing
According to Andre, journaling and noting down dreams can be very helpful in opening up our awareness of gut level feelings. Heidi agrees. “For mental processes, journaling is a great way to declutter your thoughts and get to the core of the question or issue you are dealing with,” she says. “Remember that journaling doesn’t have to be about documenting your day. Simply put pen to paper and write down everything you are thinking. You’ll be amazed by what comes up.”
Be good to your gut
Just as we can encourage our brains to think more clearly and our body to work more efficiently, so too can we nourish our gut and help hone our instinct, as we’ve said below.
“Moving your body and eating cleaner can help you get back into balance which strengthens that connection with your gut instincts,” Heidi explains. “For example, sugar and caffeine create fluctuating moods that can interfere with what we are thinking and feeling, meaning that we’re not always able to make decisions from a grounded, truthful place. Any chemical or toxins we absorb through our food or drinks or the environment we live in can disconnect us from ourselves, taking us away from our centre. We can also say this about external stimuli, such as heavy media consumption, which can put us in an information overload and override our inner voice.”
Hone your skills
Once you’ve started to recognise what your gut instinct is and how your own sense of intuition works, try practising your skill. Andre suggests setting aside time every day to listen to what your gut may be telling you. Try taking note of what it says in different situations too – for example, when you enter a new environment or meet a new person.
If you feel that you need to check what your instincts are telling you, Andre has another recommendation: “To check your gut instinct is on track it is helpful to talk to others whose instincts you trust,” he says. “I think our gut instinct thrives in an environment where you are being listened to by others.”
Listen to your body
Often gut instincts manifest themselves as very physical sensations. Follow Heidi’s advice to find out what your intuition is telling you…
Silence and stillness are very powerful tools when tuning into your gut instincts as they help to create some space before the brain chatter starts. Allow yourself to slow down and listen deeply to any thoughts, feelings or sensations that are within you.
Gut instincts indicating a ‘yes’ are often experienced as physical sensations, such as a warm, calm, expansive perception towards an idea or a person. A ‘no’ is often felt as a contractive, unpleasant energy.
3 ways to calm your gut
Like our brains, our guts respond well to calming rituals and mantras. Try these gut-calming tips from Cara Wheatley-McGrain, author of Calm Your Gut (£12.99, Hay House)
Soothing mantra
“Something as simple as a mantra, combined with a gentle hand on your belly can be a great starting point,” Cara says. “Say: ‘May my belly be well, may my belly be healed, may I have peace’, and repeat during times of high stress, or whilst shopping or preparing food.”
Belly breath
“Our breath is a great tool for getting tuned into out gut,” says Cara. “In Calm your Gut I share the base belly breathing practice. Place a palm gently on your belly and one on your chest. Now breathe down into the lower palm as deeply as you can into your belly. As you exhale, imagine you are sighing outward as though misting a mirror. Repeat three times. You’ve just hacked into your parasympathetic mode. Doing this for even a few minutes can create more calm and clarity, and support us to tune into our gut.”
Stimulate your vagus nerve
The vagus nerve is essentially the information highway that connects your brain with organs throughout the body. It runs from the brain through the face and thorax right the way through to the abdomen and controls specific body functions such as your digestion, heart rate and immune system. These functions are involuntary, meaning you can’t consciously control them. However, by stimulating the vagus nerve, we can improve these connections for better overall wellbeing.
“There are many ways to stimulate and tone the vagus nerve,” Cara explains. “For example, splash your face with cold water, brave a cold shower, hum, sing, chant or exercise. All of these can help us tune into out gut intuition and feel more connected to our body.”
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