It can seem weird to think about. But, just like the rest of our muscles, the muscles of our intestines also benefit from hands-on work!
We know that food we put inside our intestines can have a huge impact on how well they function and it’s the same for how things are going around the intestines. Our intestinal loops themselves interact with the tissues around them. Those tissues include other organs (bladder, uterus, etc.), fascia, and the abdominal wall. They can stick to each other and prevent food material from moving through easily because the intestine itself can’t move easily. This can happen because of adhesions in the form of scar tissue and also because of adhesions that are simply stickiness in the fascia or muscle.
Many of us know first-hand that when the intestines aren’t working properly, it can cause a lot of pain and distress. Often, this comes in the form of:
- nausea
- gas/bloating (often extreme)
- bowel obstructions
- cramping
- a belly that is tender to the touch
- constipation/loose or watery stool
- difficulty getting a full breath
- and more
Is it safe to touch?
Especially if you’ve been in pain for a long time, it can feel very unsafe to touch your belly. That’s why I always say, if you’re going slow and letting your hands sink into your belly (and NOT pushing into your belly) it’s going to be very difficult to hurt yourself.
Also, the techniques you use matter. While you might not hurt yourself, it’s pretty easy to aggravate your intestines if you’re already struggling. And no one wants that. Your best chance to get results without sending yourself into a flare is to go slow and study up on effective and safe ways to massage your own intestines.
How to do it?
The first thing you always need to do is warm up your belly and mind with gentle, soothing strokes. When you are feeling relaxed, then you can start to sink your fingers into your belly layer by layer.
You are looking for spots that:
- cause you some discomfort (not excruciating pain – if you find one of those, call your doctor)
- are hard or resistant to your touch
- cause an emotional reaction
- feel like a “slowdown” in the tissue
Once you have those spots:
- Gently explore them
- Hold on to the area while you breathe – see if you can relax into it and get more information about it through touching the area
- Make tiny “scrubbing” motions with your fingers (for very short periods of time, usually no more than 5 seconds)
- Soothe and smooth the tissues if you feel things getting heightened – take a rest, drink some water
Want some highly experienced, safe instruction on this?
I teach you how to do all of this, in detail, in my hands-on programs. I hope to see you in there!