Remember when you were a kid and your parents and every other adult around asked you where your nose was, and your toes, and just about every other body part? If you do remember then props to you, I think I must have blocked it out along with every adult asking me to sing and dance! In retrospect though it got me thinking that maybe they were on to something. Every day we get up, go to work, eat food, workout, socialize, sit down, sleep, and do it all over again. Have you ever stopped to wonder what makes it all happen? Yah we all learned where our nose and toes are but do you know where your spleen and gall bladder are, and more importantly how often do you stop to give these back office helpers some love?! After a hard work out we are told to stretch and foam roll the muscles or maybe get a massage every few weeks but what about after a big meal or last night’s hot dog challenge or raging party? How about a belly rub to activate the intestines and digestive system or a little kidney massage to get the toxins moving and let’s not forget a deep breath to add some fresh oxygen to the mix. I know what you are thinking… what is she smoking?! But hear me out… age old eastern medicine has been practicing this theory for thousands of years. The Chinese had the meridian philosophy and the Indians had the Ayurveda perspective but both said the same thing, every part of your body is connected and intertwined and just like our minds need a little push and motivation to get through the next mile on a long run, the intestines and kidneys and liver, etc. can increase THEIR performance with a simple acknowledgement. Next time you finish a big meal consider rubbing your belly and thanking it for its hard work! As always don’t take my word for it… try it out!
Just for fun, find a partner and ask them to point to the following, then you do it. Did you get it right? If not, take a moment to study the image below.
| Body Part | Function |
| Liver | major filtering system and produces bile (important in digesting fats and neutralizing acid) |
| Spleen | breaks down old blood cells and stores blood and assists in new blood production |
| Gall bladder | the livers helper by storing the bile |
| Stomach | acidic environment which breaks down food to be processed by intestines |
| intestines (aka gut) | extract usable nutrients from food (very important for these to be healthy) |
| Lungs | oxygenate the air and filter out environmental contaminants |
| Kidney | filtering system and maintains electrolyte balance |
| pancreas | helps the body run smooth by producing hormones and enzymes |
Nutritionize!
Ritu Riyat
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Meditation is such a powerful practice. It can lead to spiritual, physical and mental benefits. It is amazing how many of us simply don’t meditate because we think it is weird. We should all open our minds and realize this can be one of the most beneficial things we can do for ourselves and it is completely free to do at any time!
Great post!
If you are interested I have some articles regarding meditation in my blogging community I have developed.
http://www.zazenlife.com
Check it out if you are interested!
Cheers!