Your Gut Isn’t Just About Digestion — It’s a Nervous System Story
- mindfulmotionsdall
- Jan 14
- 3 min read
By: Steele, Mindful Motions Yoga
When people hear "gut health," they often think of digestion, bloating, or food sensitivities. But the gut is about more than what you eat — it’s deeply connected to how you feel, think, and respond to stress.
At Mindful Motions Yoga, we talk often about the brain–body connection. What’s sometimes overlooked is that the gut is a major player in that conversation. In fact, many researchers now refer to the gut as the body’s “second brain.”
Let’s explore why gut health matters, how it connects to your nervous system, and how yoga can gently support both.
The Gut–Brain Connection (In Simple Terms)
Your gut and brain are in constant communication through a pathway called the gut–brain axis. This includes:
The vagus nerve, which helps regulate stress and relaxation
The enteric nervous system, a network of neurons embedded in your digestive tract
Gut microbes that influence mood, inflammation, and immune response
Here’s the surprising part: about 90% of serotonin — a key neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation — is produced in the gut, not the brain.
So when digestion is off, stress is high, or the nervous system stays in “go mode,” it can show up as:
Anxiety or low mood
Brain fog
Fatigue
Digestive discomfort
Trouble sleeping
This is why gut health isn’t just a nutrition issue — it’s a nervous system issue.
Stress, Digestion, and the Nervous System
When we’re stressed, rushed, or overwhelmed, the body shifts into sympathetic nervous system dominance (fight-or-flight). In this state:
Digestion slows
Blood flow is redirected away from the gut
Inflammation increases
Chronic stress can quietly disrupt digestion even if your diet is “healthy.”
This is where yoga becomes more than movement — it becomes regulation.
How Yoga Supports Gut Health
Yoga supports gut health by working upstream — calming the nervous system so the body can do what it’s designed to do.
1. Breath Regulates the Gut
Slow, intentional breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, helping shift the body into parasympathetic mode (rest-and-digest). Even a few minutes of steady breathing can improve digestive function.
2. Gentle Movement Improves Circulation
Twists, side bends, and mindful transitions increase blood flow to digestive organs — without force or strain.
3. Stillness Reduces Inflammation
Practices like yin, restorative yoga, and yoga nidra help lower cortisol levels, which may reduce gut-related inflammation over time.
4. Awareness Changes Habits
Mindful movement builds interoception, your ability to notice internal signals. This awareness often leads to better choices around rest, nourishment, and boundaries.
A Gut-Supportive Yoga Mindset (Not a Quick Fix)
At Mindful Motions Yoga, we don’t believe in extremes or “fixing” the body. Instead, we focus on supporting it.
Gut health isn’t about:
Perfect diet
Forcing detoxes
Pushing through discomfort
It is about:
Consistency over intensity
Creating space for rest
Letting the nervous system feel safe enough to heal
Yoga doesn’t replace medical care or nutritional support, but it can create the internal conditions in which healing is more possible.
Bringing This Into Your Practice
If gut health is something you’re working on, try approaching your practice with these intentions:
Move slowly enough to breathe comfortably
Notice when tension shows up in your belly or jaw
Prioritize classes that emphasize regulation, not exhaustion
Allow rest to be productive
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your gut is less, not more.
Final Thought
Your body isn’t broken, it’s responding to its environment.
When we create practices that calm the nervous system, we don’t just feel better mentally. We support digestion, immunity, energy, and resilience from the inside out.
That’s the heart of what we practice at Mindful Motions Yoga — connecting the brain, body, and breath in ways that support real life, not perfection.
Namaste Friends,
Steele
Mindful Motions Yoga
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