Hi,
I'm Jan Mahler,
And welcome to this exercise.
You might have heard about the theory of the tripod brain.
That your brain consists of the reptile brain,
The emotional brain and the thinking brain.
The following exercise is based on a complementary theory.
It talks about the visceral or gut brain,
The heart brain and the cognitive brain.
Researchers have found brain-like tissues in and around our intestines,
As well as around our heart.
That means that not only our brain,
But also our heart and our digestive system can be considered centers of intelligence and creativity.
In this exercise,
I will show you how to connect with the three centers of creative intelligence you are born with.
So start the exercise by finding a comfortable position,
Sitting or laying down.
Just become aware of the position of your body and that breathing is happening.
Focus for a moment on your in-breath and out-breath,
Just observing how the breathing is happening without any effort on your part.
Now move your attention from your breathing downward toward the area of your abdomen that is situated about three fingers below your navel.
This is where the center of your visceral intelligence and creativity is located,
That is,
Your gut brain.
If you want,
You can place a hand over this area.
As you take a few deep breaths,
Try to direct the air towards the area where your hand is located,
Breathing into that lower part of your abdomen.
Notice the sensations in this area.
Maybe you can identify how this part of your body feels.
Maybe numb,
Or shaky,
Or tense,
Or hard,
Or soft,
Or maybe relaxed.
Or maybe you can't quite define any feeling or sensation there,
And that is ok too.
The visceral or gut brain is the source of your courage and your ability to move boldly through life and to take action based on your ideas and intuition.
Continue breathing,
Now more softly,
Into that area and let the breath activate your courage,
Vitality and creativity.
In this way,
And with practice,
You will gradually develop a strong connection with your intuition,
Courage and strength,
And you will learn to trust your gut feeling more often.
Now slowly move your attention upward and into the center of your chest.
This is where your cardiac nervous system or heart brain is located.
Breathe into the center of your chest and feel how the air is massaging the heart.
Perhaps you can feel some tension in your chest.
Many times we have a protective shell in this area.
In this case,
You can try to soften it with the air that is entering and leaving.
Your heart brain gives you the intelligence and capacity to feel empathy and compassion with other people.
Empathy is a strong,
Innovative feeling because it allows you to understand others and be creative in responding and acting on their needs.
Breathing into your chest,
You are activating your compassion and empathy so that you become increasingly creative when you contribute to the well-being of others and the world.
Now as you maintain the connection with your heart brain,
At the same time,
Feel your visceral brain in the lower abdomen and imagine creating a connection between your heart brain and your gut brain by breathing through your heart and downward toward your lower abdomen.
Through your breathing,
You are now connecting your compassion with your courage.
Continue to feel your heart brain and gut brain connected as you slowly move your attention to the upper part of your chest,
Your neck and throat and entering the head,
Where your cognitive system is located.
Breathe into your head,
Imagining the air massaging the brain,
Allowing your forehead and jaws to relax and your mind to rest,
Your mind becoming open and clear.
Your cognitive brain gives you the ability to be open to new ideas and innovative discoveries.
When your mind is open and spacious,
Your curiosity expands and so does your creativity.
Keep on breathing now and imagine the air moving from your head down through the center of your chest down to your lower abdomen.
In this way,
All of your centers of creative intelligence are connected and you can move your attention between the three.
Breathe into your gut brain and connect with the source of your courage and instinctive intuition.
Then breathe into your heart brain and expand your compassion and emotional creativity.
And breathe into your cognitive brain,
Relaxing it,
Opening it to the new and the different,
Expanding your visionary creativity,
Feeling curious about the mystery of life.
You can now end the exercise by becoming aware of your body sitting or laying down.
Breathing calmly,
You observe the in-breath and the out-breath.
You might be able to feel your whole body now and how your head and heart and gut are connected,
Three parts of an intelligent and creative being.
Now moving your feet and your hands a little bit,
Waking up the body,
Taking a deep breath and as you exhale,
Slowly open your eyes.
The regular practice of this exercise will enable you to expand and integrate your creative powers in many areas of your life and it will enhance your capacity to create well-being for yourself and others.
