Hi! My name is Stéphane, I'm a graphic designer, I'm trying to make a magazine, that will talk about varios topics, and in this moment I'm really into the meanings, the mechanisms, the functions of our guts. So I have some material: I've talked about the enteric brain, sometimes called "the brain of the guts", and it's relationship with the brain, I hope you'll find this interesting, it interested me a lot.
The enteric nervous system, is a quasi autonomous part of the nervous system, that includes a number of neural circuits that control motor functions, local blood flow, mucosal transport and secretions, and modulates immune and endocrine functions. It is a system of between 100 and 500 millions neurons, more or less, as much as contained in the equally complex nervous system of the spine.
This nervous system of the guts, is very different from the rest of the nervous system: it's neuronal cells, are not tied to the glial cells (cells trough wich the neurons can move and follow, these cells form pathways for neurons) so these neurons, are transported more trough contractions and movements of the guts rather than trough defined pathways. So a contraction of the gastrointestinal tract, is immediately a sensation, that's also why we feel butterfly in the stomach, these are neurons that are going direcetly from the guts and triggering a sensation, without being transported to other "translation" points.
Healty guts, are tied to a healty microbiome (the bacteria contained in our guts that sometimes tells us what to eat, they are also triggered and harvested by what we eat), healy guts are also tied to an healty emotion processing, and I also want to prove that they are tied to an healty breathing: beathing, could be the basis from wich to improve the health of the guts?
Breathing, with it's relationship with the sense of smell (and the smell, is so tied to tasting food, in fact, only 10 percent of the flavour of the food, is taste, it is mostly smell, with taste that can only distinguish if food is salty, sweet, bitter, sour or umami) so if breathing is so related to smell, than it is also so related with taste, and with our relationship with food maybe, I want your opinion on that.
Breathing is tied to anxiety, and when we breath, we are more able to let in, and to let go in a way, when we have an efficient breathing, we can more efficiently deal with complex empotions, and complex emotions, are many times contained in the guts, and it can be very difficult to confront them with the brain, a more physical approach sometimes is needed, and breathing can be one way to deal with these emotions.
May I have some advices from people who make of the relationship with the body, an important part of they're life, and can I have advises or material on this topic, specifically with the relationship between breathing, smelling, ffod, and the guts? What is in Yoga, in meditation, in oriental philosophies and religions, the relationship between breathing and taste, food, and emotions? Thank you a lot in advice for your answers 