The brain is paramount among writers. We love our smarts, right?

Recent research shows that our brains do not live 100% in our heads. The heart and the stomach host offsite brains. This scientific finding was presaged by language such as “follow your heart” and take a “gut check.” It is important to be aware of these secondary brain sites, bec when one of them is out of sync, you may experience conflict and delays, without knowing exactly why.

The heart has a reasoning of its own.

Hallmark cards, romance novels and romantic comedies revolve around telling us to pay attention to the heart’s “intelligence.” They’re not wrong. The “heart brain” is equipped with about 40,000 neurons that link to the mainframe brain in your skull.

How your heart responds in a situation sends signals to the autonomic brain, (unconscious) and can amp up to directly influence the Neo-cortex or executive part of the brain, when needed. Your heart can influence perception, decision making, and the story your brain tells about what is being seen and felt.

The Gut-Check

Your stomach’s main job is to digest your foods, but it also has an offsite brain of about 100 million neurons. The vagus nerve connects the brain stem to the body and is the communications path for gut and mind.

It turns out that “butterflies” and that “sinking feeling” in the stomach have a sound neurological premise. Neurons line the stomach and communicate mood to the brain. Serotonin – the happy chemical – is found not just in the brain, but also the stomach and bowels.

Aligning the Heart, Gut and Head Brains

You might not “know” why you’re procrastinating, or why you can’t commit to a project. But you likely know on some level. When you’re getting conflicting information from your heart or stomach and your brain wants to forge ahead, the lower/lesser brains will work to be heard.

What to do? No matter what you’re undertaking, stop and check in with your heart and your gut. Ask them questions and see if you get an answer. Ask your heart, how does it feel about the current expectation you’ve set for yourself.

  • Your heart might feel heavy, uncertain, perhaps even well up as if to cry.
  • Your heart might feel light, excited, nervous but happy
  • If you close your eyes and focus on your heart, what do you notice about it?

Ask your stomach how it feels, and then listen See what it might “answer.”

  • Your stomach could feel clenched, uneasy, tight.
  • Your stomach might exhibit butterflies – excitement.
  • If you close your eyes and focus on your stomach, what do you notice about it?

What’s important is that they line up with your pushy, logical goal-oriented brain, and support your rational choices. Can you force that alignment? Absolutely not. Can you find alignment?

  • Ask your heart, gut and brain one at a time, what it might need to feel safe
  • See if you can change your next step to create alignment and commitment.

We’ll be talking about this in the FB group this week. Come on over and tell us what’s on your mind(s).