Most of us don’t focus on our gut health, that is until something goes wrong and we experience discomfort or illness. Gut health includes a healthy biome of microorganisms living in symbiosis with our systems. They are responsible for helping us digest and create essential substances like Vitamin K. A healthy gut is important not only for our digestive health, but our emotional and overall physical health as well. We are already familiar with the feeling of “butterflies in the stomach,” which is an example of how our minds interact with our gut. The reverse is also true, where our gut can interact with our mind. Researchers have found that our guts are basically a “second brain.” Neurotransmitters, the chemicals that send signals in our brain, are also present in our intestines and are important to gut health. An unhealthy gut can lead to emotional problems such as anxiety. Researchers are continuing to learn more about how this happens as it is highly complex.
There are many causes of a disruption in the healthy gut biome, including a poor diet and stress. Luckily, we have control over both our diets and reducing our stress. A study showed that exercise helped increase the diversity of gut bacteria, thus leading to a healthier gut. Yoga can be one of the exercises, and yoga has a mindfulness component that has been shown to reduce stress by supporting participants to focus on the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. We also are practicing reconnecting the mind and body interconnectedness when we are engaged in yoga. This is sometimes referred to as increasing interoceptive awareness. This is very important when it comes to emotional and physical health, including gut health due to the gut and brain connection.
Dogwood Studio offers weekly online live classes and pre-recorded on demand classes that support the cultivation of inner body awareness, decreasing reactivity, and increasing calm. For example, online Mindful Movement and Yoga Classes and online Chakra Meditation sessions. Both can help reduce stress and realign your mind and body.
Mindful Movement and Yoga is offered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday online from 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Group Chakra Meditation classes are offered Monday and Friday online at 12:30 pm.
Click on the link HERE to sign-up and go to the ‘Classes’ tab. You will need to sign in to your Mindbody account or create a new one.
On Demand Line Up:
Click on the link here to sign-up and go to the ‘Classes’ tab. You will need to sign in to your Mindbody account or create a new one. For more information about On Demand classes, visit our website page HERE or email us at info@dogwoodstudioyoga.com.