The Head, Heart and Gut technique is a simple and powerful way to tap into the knowledge and wisdom of your 3 Brains. You can use this for critical decision making, small decisions, or to discover how you really think and feel about…anything. I use this technique on myself often and with clients in almost every session. I believe it could become one of your most valuable life skills.
First I’ll tell you a little bit about the science and then I will briefly explain the technique.
Did you know you have three brains? You likely already know you have about 100 Billion neurons (AKA nerve cells or brain cells) in your brain, but did you know you have neurons in your heart AND in your gut?
Your heart has about 40,000 neurons, and besides doing heart stuff like pumping blood, your heart can sense, feel, learn and remember.
Your gut has about 100 Million neurons, and is even referred to as the “gut-brain” by many scientists. You already know the gut has a direct influence on our mood and sense of well-being. It also is directly linked to brain health.
There are many many articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals if you want to learn more about the science of our 3 brains! It’s all very interesting.
But now to the technique. This is something you can make your own, but I’m going to briefly teach you exactly how I go about accessing the answers or knowledge from the 3 brains when I use this technique.
The Technique:
You have a decision to make or you want more information about something going on in your life. It can be the smallest things like,”Should we go to Benihanas or Capital Grill to celebrate my daughter’s birthday?” Iit can be the biggest things like, “Is now the right time for me to quit my job and run my business full-time?” You can also use this technique to discover your true feelings about something going on in your life like, “How do I really feel about this move?” or “How do I really think and feel about this relationship?”
So the FIRST thing you do is close your eyes and take some deep mindful breaths.
NEXT: Put all of your awareness into your head space. When you are fully there you can ask that space the question, “Is now the right time to quit my job and run my business full time?” You will get some thoughts. Write down what you get. After you write it down, you can ask the same question again, or you may want to ask the head space, “What else would you like me to know about this?” You’ll know whether or not to dig deeper. Of course, you will likely spend more time with bigger issues than you would on whether you should go to Benihana’s or Capital Grill :)
NOW you’ll do the exact same thing for the heart space. You put all of your awareness into your heart space. You can even put your hand on the heart space to assist you in keeping your awareness there. And you’ll ask the question in the heart space. Write down the answers.
THEN you’ll do the same thing in your gut area. Put all of your awareness into your gut space. Put your hand on your tummy if that helps you get and keep your awareness there. Ask your gut space the question. Write down the answers.
I highly recommend you write the answers down as you go, because you’re likely to be in a Alpha or Theta brainwave state as you do this, and I assure you most do not remember everything that comes to them in these states…which is why many musicians and other creatives always carry with them a way to record or write ideas that come to them. Ideas and answers have a way of floating away, like the memory a dream you just had, especially when they come to you in these receiving states.
Here is a brief summary of the technique:
-Think about your question
-Get comfy. Any comfortable position is fine.
-Close your eyes.
-Take a few deep breaths
-Bring all of your awareness to your head space, ask the question in this space, and write down what comes to you.
-Bring all of your awareness to your heart space, ask the question in this space, and write down what comes to you.
-Bring all of your awareness to your gut space, ask the question in this space, and write down what comes to you.
You will notice the information from each area is somewhat different. Sometimes one or two of the brains will be positive, but one may have some concerns. Sometimes all three are positive, but will have different wisdom for you that all work together. It’s always very interesting to get the three perspectives, though!
I hope this technique really helps you. It’s a very valuable tool in my Spiritual Toolbox, and I find it extremely useful in my Spiritual Life Coaching practice.
Feel free to message me if you have any questions about this technique: ami@amistidham.com
I’m sending you oceans of love and peace, and I’m wishing you success in all your life missions and purposes.
(Ami Stidham is a Spiritual Life Coach based in Cincinnati, Ohio. She helps women step into the life they were meant to live; happier, healthier and with greater purpose. HealingandGrowingProgram.com)