Stress: Its Effects on Qi in the Abdomen

By: Vivian Menjivar
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:41:53
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Stress is talked about a lot in the media and seems to be the cause of almost every disease imaginable. The most common symptoms of stress, according to the American psychological Association, are:

- Emotional distress--some combination of anger or irritability, anxiety, and depression, the three stress emotions;

- Muscular problems including tension headache, back pain, jaw pain, and the muscular tensions that lead to pulled muscles and tendon and ligament problems;

- Stomach, gut and bowel problems such as heartburn, acidic stomach, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome;

- Transient over arousal leads to elevation in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, heart palpitations, dizziness, migraine headaches, cold hands or feet, shortness of breath, and chest pain.

Acute stress can crop up in anyone's life, and it is highly treatable and manageable.

There are many common remedies for stress. Among them are meditation, yoga, gardening, deep breathing, and exercise, and of course various types of psychotherapy and medications.

We know how we feel when we are under stress, but we don’t always understand why or how this is happening. Here is a short explanation according to the Traditional Chinese Medical model contrasting it with Traditional Maya Healing model.

Let’s start with the basis of everything that exists, Energy or Qi.

What is Qi?

Qi is universal energy we connect with from our surroundings, also called source or God energy. This energy flows within us, around us and through us. We are this energy vibrating so fast that we appear to be a solid form of matter.

Abdominal, Uterine and Prostate health is dependant on the smooth flow of Qi, Blood and fluids through the body/mind complex

This Qi flows in vessels or channels called meridians, according to Chinese Medicine.

There are 8 meridian/ organ complexes directly responsible for this balance. When in balance, all the systems in the body are working optimally.

The meridian system runs contiguously with the nervous system, endocrine system, vascular system and circulatory system. This cycle runs through all the meridians in a cycle called the nutrient cycle; spending approximately 2 hours in each organ complex through the day and night. When the body is in perfect health this energy runs smoothly creating balance in all the physical organs.

All movement of energy through the abdomen is dependant on the liver, spleen, stomach.

• The Liver is responsible for the smooth flow of Qi, blood and fluids. It works to course the energy through the meridians and the blood through the arteries and veins. It is also responsible for the smooth and regular flow of menstrual blood.

• The Spleen is responsible for making blood. Its energy is upward moving, which keeps the organs in their place. This includes the uterus and prostate. It is directly related to uterine and bladder prolapses.

• The Stomach moves the energy down. This helps with the digestion and elimination of food. It works with the spleen to form the Central Pivot, a clockwise moving energy system that keeps the energy flowing in its correct direction. The central pivot is also called the Solar Plexus according to Ayurvedic medicine.

In a state of balance you don’t realize any of this is happening, digestion is good and thoughts are clear. You are able to breathe deeply and bowels are regular. The Energy System in Oriental Medicine may seem complicated yet it is truly holistic, each area of the body is interrelated in a delicate weave that makes up the intricacies of its divine wisdom.

Now let’s add stress to this picture.

Stress is a very powerful culprit. In western medicine they have connected how stress can impair our immunity, effect our adrenals causing people to go into fight or flight mode and in extreme cases even post traumatic stress disorder.

According to Dr. Rosita Arvigo, teacher of Maya Traditional Healing and Maya Abdominal Massage, many anxieties and emotions through life are stored in our body's tissues and organs. A very common place is in the organs of the digestive system. Those so called "butterflies in your stomach" can lead to constipation, indigestion, heartburn, gastritis, and eventually to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Gastro-Esophageal Reflux (GERD), Crohn's disease and more.

Stresses and emotions cause the small intestine and colon to be "twisted or kinked" leading the blockages in the flow of peristalsis. Surrounding fascia creates adhesions that mal- position organs and impede proper blood flow and enzyme secretions.

According to Chinese medicine, because emotions are energy, they overwhelm the Liver, causing stagnation of Liver Qi in the lower rib, upper abdomen area. Stagnation of Liver Qi over a period of time will cause the Spleen and Stomach energy to reverse direction. This may cause or aggravate any or all of the following: (IBS) Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Colitis, Ulcers, Constipation, Diarrhea, (GERD) Gastro– Esophageal Reflux Disease, Leaky Gut Syndrome, Uterine Prolapse, Indigestion, as well as many other chronic diseases and disorders.

According to Dr. Rosita Arvigo, individuals with digestive disorders benefit greatly from Maya Abdominal Massage. Many of our common disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Indigestion, Constipation, and heartburn are usually treated with antacids, muscle relaxants, and a variety of other medications. These treatments address symptoms, not the causes. By using the techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage, the upper abdomen is also given a deep, thorough massage to loosen the tight muscles around the stomach and the arteries that feed the digestive and eliminative organs with their vital blood supply. The diaphragm is gently massaged allowing relaxation of tight musculature. Maya Abdominal Massage helps to break down fascial adhesions, scar tissue and removes any "kinks" in the digestive tract. Often there is a dramatic improvement after just one session when combined with proper diet and self-care

According to Chinese medicine, the downward movement of the Maya Abdominal Massage helps keep the stomach energy flowing downward. This ensures proper digestion and elimination. It also works to unblock any possible stagnation of Liver Qi which is very common just below the ribs; this ensures the smooth flow of blood, Qi, and fluids through the abdominal cavity.

Working on the belly in a clockwise motion keeps the central pivot flowing ensuring the flow of Spleen and stomach Qi. Qi does not flow through scar tissue. By breaking up old scar tissue this allows Qi to flow again where it was once blocked and stagnant.

The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage® are centered around the ancient Mayan techniques, which reposition organs that have dropped and restricted the flow of blood, lymph, and nerve and chi energy. As with any other natural healing, the Arvigo Techniques seek to restore the body to its natural balance. This technique aims to relieve obstruction to the flow of Qi, blood and lymph.

Maya Abdominal Massage can help redirect this energy back to its healthy direction and move stagnation so the Qi flows freely through the abdomen creating health and balance.

Gentle Self Healing Massage to move Qi in the Abdomen

Find a massage oil or cr?me you like and apply a little to your upper abdomen. Begin by making large circular movements starting just below the ribs working your way down the left side across the lower abdomen and then up the right side; repeat 5 or 6 times. You may hear some movement. Now begin making smaller circles just above the navel in a clockwise direction, left, down, right, up. Do this 5 or 6 times.This will activate the central pivot we talked about earlier.

Place your hands over your belly and say out loud the following:

“Thank you so much for taking such good care of me all these years.”

“You are so beautiful, and I love you.”

This helps raise the vibration in the abdomen, allowing for better flow of Qi. Try this for a couple of weeks and see if your abdominal discomfort is better and your stress has dissipated..

Breathing Exercise to Move Qi in the Abdomen:

• Place both your hands over your lower abdomen, approximately 2 inches below the navel

• Now Breathe deeply

• Watch and feel your hands move up and down with each inhalation and exhalation.

Notice if you feel any more relaxed or if any thoughts come to mind

• Do this at least 10 times to move and circulate your Qi

• As this gets easier put a light book on your belly, 2 inches below the navel

The benefits of this exercise are:

• Increased lung capacity.

• Better digestion

• The ability to relax quickly during a stressful situation

*Excerpts by Dr. Rosita Arvigo are taken from her website; www.Arvigomassage.com

The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage TM are founded on the ancient Mayan technique of abdominal massage which is an external non invasive manipulation that repositions internal organs that have shifted, thereby restricting the flow of blood, lymph, nerve and chi. Based on over thirty years of training and experience in massage, naprapathy, herbology, and spiritual healing, Dr. Rosita Arvigo developed these techniques which now bear her name. This modality incorporates a holistic approach to health care which includes massage, anatomy and physiology, herbology, nutrition, and emotional and spiritual healing. Dr. Arvigo believes that with any natural healing technique, these areas must be simultaneously addressed to promote optimal health.

Dr. Arvigo learned these techniques from her mentor, Don Elijio Panti, the great Maya Shaman of Belize, Central America with whom she apprenticed for ten years. Don Elijio believed that a woman's center is her uterus. "If a woman's uterus is out of balance, so is she," he would say. Midwives and healers of Central America agree that most female troubles are caused by the wandering womb. Don Elijio passed away in 1996 at the age of 103. Rosita also studied with Hortence Robinson, a 73 year old herbal midwife of Belize who has been delivering babies since she was 13.

The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage TM address position and health of the pelvic and abdominal organs. The work is best known for the correction of the prolapsed, fallen, or tilted uterus and for the prevention and treatment of benign prostate enlargement in men, and for relief of many common digestive disorders.

Article source: Expert Articles