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September/October 2011 Alternative Health
Unwind Your Belly

by Barbara Loomis

Barbara Loomis

Tension in the belly affects the whole body and potentially inhibits how we move through life.

Since your abdomen is your core — your entire body branches out from this focal point — it makes sense to release tension in the abdomen to promote overall health.

Most people don't realize that their unprocessed emotions are stored in the digestive system waiting to be addressed. Poor emotional digestion is one reason for ill health as emotional blockages prevent good energy flow physically. For instance, I’ve experienced relief from chronic neck pain when my belly was massaged. I’ve also cried during treatment, not out of pain, but relief as sadness I carried around for years was finally released.

These intensely emotional and physical healing experiences inspired me to dedicate my training to abdominal bodywork and the mind-body connection. One approach of working with the belly is Chi Nei Tsang (CNT).

CNT is a form of bodywork used first thousands of years ago in China by Taoist monks to strengthen and purify their bodies on their journey to enlightenment. The practice encompasses abdominal massage, breath work, and Chi Kung principles to cleanse and purify internal organs of built-up toxins and emotional stresses.

CNT can help flush toxins from the liver, lymph, kidneys and colon. It can improve digestion and assimilation, aid elimination, and stimulate the lymphatic and circulatory systems. It also relieves back, shoulder and muscle tension, improves breathing restrictions, increases vitality, and clears unprocessed emotions.

Not only do your organs function as a team, but each major organ holds energy, manifesting differently according to whether it’s in balance or not. For example, the liver holds feelings of kindness and generosity when in balance, or anger and frustration when not in balance.

The liver has many metabolic functions in the body including synthesizing proteins, metabolizing fats, and forming and secreting bile. Plus the liver detoxifies and metabolizes drugs, alcohol and environmental toxins.

The liver also plays a role in all flows in the body including the menstrual cycle and how we flow through life. Do you get frustrated when faced with obstacles, or see the situation as a learning experience and go with the flow? Your reactions to stress could be a reflection of liver chi imbalance/ balance.

As the liver secretes bile, it’s no coincidence that the word bile also signifies an inclination to anger. CNT uses healing sounds to help release stored emotional and physical stress from the internal organs. Everything in the world has a different energy vibration (this is not a new age concept, but a quantum physics reality). Each organ has a particular sound that helps release stress from that organ.

Liver Sound Meditation

The healing sound for the liver is “shhhhhh.” Reach your arms over your head with your fingers interlaced, palms up, relax shoulders and lean slightly to the left to open the liver area. Now make the “shhhhhh” sound three to six times, releasing any stress, anger or heat held in the liver. Return your hands to your lap, palms up. Smile down kindness and gratitude to your liver by imagining your smile infused with a healing green light flowing down to your liver.

It's been proven through blood tests that true feelings of compassion can enhance the immune system. We all know what stress does to the immune system, but we rarely think about the other side. So yes, smile down to your liver. Where your attention goes, your energy flows.

Barbara Loomis, LMT, CPT, is a Restorative Exercise™ Specialist and certified practitioner and educator of abdominal massage with more than 14 years of training. She combines ancient healing techniques with the science of biomechanics. Visit www.nurturance.net.