How to Calm Stomach Pains Caused By Stress: A Relaxation Technique

The Idea

I got the visualisation idea for my relaxation technique from a post on DailyOM - one of my favourite sites.  I would reference it but I can't find it anymore.

Interestingly, it's only when I was doing my morning chakra exercises that it clicked - the solar plexus (the gut) is the home of the third chakra - a wonderful sunshine yellow colour.  Now how's that for synchronicity!

And by the way, the gut is our second brain which is why it tightens up when we're anxious or afraid. And it becomes painfully hard when we back ourselves into a corner out of fear of expressing ourselves.

I provided this off-the-cuff technique about five months ago to a young lady on Yahoo Answers who wanted to know how to calm stomach pains caused by stress.

She liked it so it must have worked for her and I thought I'd share it here as well. It's a 15-minute technique but can be done for a long as you like. Try it and see.

The Technique

1 - Find yourself a quiet spot and sit down or lie down and close your eyes and relax.

2 - Start breathing in and out - in through your nose and out through your mouth. There's no rush so go at your own pace.

3 - When you're comfortable with that, imagine that you're pulling the air directly up through the soles of your feet and into your chest. Do this slowly. Breathe in through your nose - filling your stomach and chest like a balloon - then out through your mouth.

4 - When you feel comfortable with step 3, move on to step 5.

5 - This time imagine that there's a bright yellow sun in your tummy, warm, comfy and nurturing, just above your navel.

6 - Now, inhale through your nose and imagine that you are pulling this wonderful golden yellow light up through feet, legs and hips into your chest, and it's spreading into your arms and head.

7 - As you exhale, imagine this golden light is circulating in and out of your body constantly creating a golden bubble around you, keeping you calm and protected.

8 - Do this for as long as you like at home but 15 minutes is good enough. You can do it sitting anywhere. Afterwards, you'll feel very calm.

9 - Repeat the entire sequence every time you feel anxious. With practice, you'll be able to do it anywhere with your eyes open.

Most people don't breathe deeply, particularly women. When you're not accustomed breathing deeply, you will feel an ache under your breasts and in your upper back when your ribs expand as you breathe in. For men, the ache would be in their upper chest and back when they breathe in.

This ache is caused by unaccustomed movement of your lungs inflating and expanding your chest. It's not a problem so don't fuss unless you have medical issues. If that's the case, get advice from your doctor before-hand.

 

Do write and let me know how you get on with this relaxation technique on how to calm stomach pains caused by stress, and most importantly, tell me if it works for you. If you have other simple, relaxation techniques, please share them with us. It will contribute to the whole.

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