Gut Check: How Stress Impacts Digestion

Your gut isn’t just a food processor, it’s a second brain. Inside the walls of your digestive tract is an intricate network of nerves called the enteric nervous system, which communicates constantly with your actual brain. Together, they form the gut brain axis, a superhighway of signals that influences everything from mood to metabolism.

How Stress Disrupts the Gut

When life feels hectic, the body shifts into fight-or-flight mode. This is helpful if you need to outrun danger, but it puts digestion on the back burner. Blood flow is redirected away from the stomach and intestines, stomach acid levels change, and muscles in the digestive tract can spasm or slow. The result? Bloating, indigestion, constipation, or sudden urges to run to the bathroom.

Chronic stress magnifies these effects. Over time, it can alter gut bacteria, increase inflammation, and even trigger conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Breathwork to Calm the Gut–Brain Axis

The good news: the gut also listens when you press pause.

• Box Breathing (4-4-4-4): Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat for 5 minutes to lower cortisol and bring blood flow back to the digestive system.

• Diaphragmatic Breathing: Place a hand on your belly and breathe deeply so your stomach rises more than your chest. This stimulates the vagus nerve, which tells your gut, It’s safe to digest.

  
  

Sound Healing for a Settled Stomach

Gentle sound vibrations can shift the body into rest-and-digest mode.

• Crystal Bowls or Crystal Harp: Their long, resonant tones help slow brainwaves and release tension in the abdominal muscles.

• Tuning Forks on the Solar Plexus: Placing a vibrating fork over the upper belly can reduce cramping and support healthy gut motility.

• Guided Sound Meditations: Listening to a 15-minute sound bath before meals can prime the digestive system.

  
  

Nourish Calm, Digest Better

Stress is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to rule your digestion. By adding a few minutes of breathwork or sound healing to your day, you invite your gut and mind to work together again.

✨ At Healing Energy Roots, I combine yoga, sound therapy, and Ayurveda to help you find that calm. Join a class or sound bath to experience the difference from the inside out.