Massaging this area can actually improve depression and anxiety! 2 Yoga training helps you get rid of bad mood

Life is stressful and full of trivial matters. Are your negative emotions overflowing? Always feeling anxious, depressed, and lack of motivation, but can't find a solution? In fact, it is not difficult to get rid of a bad mood! Experts say that according to research findings, when the body's gastrointestinal system is relaxed, emotional problems tend to improve as well. Using mindfulness yoga to relax your stomach and intestines is a great way to simply relax your body and mind, and heal yourself without asking for help from others.

The intestine is the second brain of the human body. The gastrointestinal system is highly correlated with depression and anxiety disorders.

Mindfulness yoga teacher Sangeeta Li mentioned in her book "100 Everyday Mindfulness Yoga: Yoga that Anyone Can Practice Anytime, Nearly 100 Research Papers Plus 100 Practical Yoga and Meditation Exercises" that most people think that the gastrointestinal tract is just a digestive system and its status is not as high as the brain or heart, but in fact, research in recent years has confirmed that the intestines are the second brain of the human body!

Dr. Michael Gershon, a professor at Columbia University in the United States who specializes in the abdominal nervous system, proposed the concept of "the intestine is the second brain" as early as 1998. He believes that "because the intestine has more than 100 million nerve cells, it will affect the brain nerves and organs throughout the body." But 20 years ago, when Dr. Michael Gershon proposed this theory, he was ridiculed by many scientists. However, now more and more scientific studies have confirmed that the gastrointestinal system is highly correlated with depression and anxiety disorders.

90% of the body's serotonin and 50% of dopamine are produced in the intestines. A healthy stomach and good mood will naturally improve

In recent years, many scientific studies have found that when our brains have sufficient serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters, we can maintain a positive state of happiness. However, what many people don’t know is that 90% of the serotonin and 50% of dopamine in the human body are not produced in the brain, but are produced in the intestines and then sent to the brain.

90% of the serotonin and 50% of dopamine in the human body are not produced in the brain, but are produced in the intestines and then sent to the brain!

Anthony L. Komaroff, professor at Harvard Medical School and editor-in-chief of Harvard Health Publications, published an article titled "The gut-brain connection" in Harvard Health Publications. “Anger, anxiety, sadness, elation, all of these feelings (and more) can trigger gut symptoms, and when it comes to functional gastrointestinal disorders, it’s difficult to successfully treat them without also taking into account the impact of stress and emotion,” the study states.

Are you filled with bad emotions? Follow the experts to do 2 mindfulness yoga massages for the stomach and intestines, effectively relax and find peace

In addition, Kerstin Suarez, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Zurich, also found in her 2010 study, "The Relationship between Psychological Stress and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders," that "stress is the main cause of gastrointestinal diseases, and suggests that stress reduction interventions may be beneficial for these patients, among which relaxation therapy, hypnosis, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have been shown to be helpful for gastrointestinal diseases."

To put it simply, when we are emotionally tense, our gastrointestinal digestive system will be deeply affected. Conversely, when our gastrointestinal digestive system functions well and we feel relaxed, we will also feel emotionally relaxed and calm. In view of this, Teacher Li Yiru also further shared that there are two yoga exercises that can be easily performed in your spare time at home to help gastrointestinal digestion. Provide friends who are in the following situations as a reference for daily health care and relief:

Recommended practice time

1. Work under high pressure, high speed and high performance goals for a long time.

2. Faced with a difficult job or task.

3. Those who have constipation or diarrhea due to stress recently.

4. Doctors point out that gastrointestinal dysfunction comes from friends who are under too much stress.

5. Friends who are chronically nervous, unable to relax, depressed, and anxious.

6. Candidates, interviewees, and athletes who are under great pressure.

★ Exercise 1: Massage the gastrointestinal tract

Exercise steps:

1. Find the muscles on both sides and above and below the stomach.

2. Make fists with both hands and use the knuckles of both fingers to massage the upper, lower, left and right muscles of the stomach.

3. Massage for 3 minutes with abdominal breathing (5 minutes if you have time).

4. Feel the changes in your body and emotions before and after the massage.

5. Continue practicing for at least 7 days and observe the differences in your physical and mental state.

Moderate gastrointestinal massage is also a good way to help the gastrointestinal system relax and assist in improving emotional problems.

★ Exercise 2: Standing twist to massage the abdominal viscera

Exercise steps:

1. Stand in a relaxed position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands hanging naturally.

2. Inhale, turn your head to the left, look at your shoulders, turn your shoulders backward, turn your pelvis backward, turn your pelvis to the limit, keep your body posture at the limit of the twist, and take three deep breaths.

3. Observe that when you take a deep breath and exhale, the twisted parts on both sides expand and contract slightly. Observe whether the left shoulder and the right shoulder are at the same height during the standing twisting movement? Is it possible that the left shoulder and the right shoulder are at different heights in order to twist more? Observe your breathing while twisting. Is your breathing smooth? Or do you want to hold your breath when your breath reaches your chest or a certain position? Observe whether you hold your breath unconsciously due to being busy on weekdays.

4. Next, inhale, exhale, and return your body to normal.

5. Change to the other side and do the movement.

6. Inhale, turn your head to the left, look at your shoulders, turn your shoulders backward, turn your pelvis backward, turn your pelvis to the limit, keep your body posture at the limit of the twist, and take three deep breaths.

7. Observe that when you take a deep breath and exhale, the twisted parts on both sides expand and contract slightly. Observe whether the left shoulder and the right shoulder are at the same height during the standing twisting movement? Is it possible that the left shoulder and the right shoulder are at different heights in order to twist more? Observe your breathing while twisting. Is your breathing smooth? Or do you want to hold your breath when your breath reaches your chest or a certain position? Observe whether you hold your breath unconsciously due to being busy on weekdays.

8. Inhale, exhale, and return your body to normal.

In addition to massaging the gastrointestinal tract, people can also perform standing twists and yoga movements to massage the abdominal internal organs, which can also help relax the "second brain." (Photo provided by Zero Limits Publishing)

【Tips】：

Finally, it should be reminded that if you want to improve anxiety and depression problems, it is recommended that people try to find ways to maintain mental health in daily life, such as moderate exercise, yoga practice, adjusting work and rest schedule, arranging appropriate leisure activities, etc. If the situation still does not improve, do not be afraid to see a doctor. You should seek professional help as soon as possible to help get rid of the bad mood. This is a good way to regain the quality of life.

Zero Limits Press "100 Daily Mindfulness Yoga: Yoga that Anyone Can Practice at Any Time, Nearly 100 Research Papers with 100 Practical Yoga and Meditation Practices" / Author: Li Yiru