The Stomach meridian

The meridian of feeling happy about digesting and accepting ones life fully. Feeling trust in the divine, feeling abundant,content, pleased with life and others, happy, tranquil and fulfilled. This is where our expectations have been met and life is plentiful and enough for us.

Negative emotions – hunger and greed , feeling empty , envy ,feeling unhappy, unfulfilled and undernourished. Lacking trust in life and the divine. Unhappy with what life has fed you. Not feeling content or satisfied, perfect or not feeling enough for someone whether physically or psychologically. Disgust and disappointment. This is where we have turned away from life , some person or situation – in actual fact it is our stomach that has turned because we cannot accept, digest , stomach, or bear a situation or a person.

The stomach is where we digest our food. Visualize a crying infant eagerly waiting for the milk. In fact , a baby cries not only for the milk but also for love and warmth. This is one of the first emotions that we ever feel – hunger. So a hunger for food is also a hunger for love and contentment. If however the milk is late or cold the baby becomes disappointed and discontented or if the milk is not enough – the baby is undernourished and the stomach does not feel abundant. The baby loses trust that the next meal may not be on time or it will be unfulfilling. Early feeding experiences form a very important part of our mindset. If the milk is not enough the baby is felt lacking. this feeling of lack leads to never feeling abundant in life- whether its love, food or money. The emotions of greed and envy set in. That is why we constantly crave for more – because we are never satisfied or content. If we do overeat its because we are not satisfied or content with what we have, or that it does not last long, we feel bloated and unhappy because we are unable to retain and digest it or simply that someone else has had more than us.

Having everything in life but not feeling happy or pleased is an imbalance of the stomach meridian.
Having expectations in life can also cause imbalances in the stomach meridian. This is because the crying infant expected food but was disappointed with it. The baby needs to trust that the next meal will come and that it will be satisfying . Similarly , as adults we need to trust in the divine. The stomach meridian holds expectations or belief systems about life. e.g. “this is what my life should have been or I expected this to happen and it did not or I expect this to fail! or I have had enough of life or that person” . We have a pre-ordained picture in our mind for things to go smoothly and are disappointed when our expectations about people or experiences are not met. The stomach has a very close relationship with the mind, and is affected by the minds behavior! It’s where we stomach everything because we are always hungry!!

Remember each and every thought is almost like an expectation! We don’t need to digest them all. The negative and dis-empowering thoughts will create negative and dis-empowering experiences. When we expect a negative outcome about a person or situation, our fear will, WILL it into action because we have unconsciously decided beforehand what the outcome will be. If we can only stop for a moment and choose GRACE – KIRPA (unmerited favour) instead of expecting, believing, or speculating about situations then we will witness the difference that Grace makes in our lives.

The stomach meridian is also affected by lack of trust in the provider – be it the parent or the divine. It’s is where we do not feel safe enough to go forward in life maybe because we do not have the help , support , assurance or the guiding hand to direct us. We fear that the next project or experience in life will be empty, disappointing and that we will not be nourished by it. We feel that a person or experience is not enough for us or that we are not enough for the other person or experience hence we have turned our face the other way.
What we eat is very important as the stomach is very sensitive to food. Too many carbohydrates, foods laden with chemicals, fizzy drinks, excess sugar, acidic foods etc can imbalance the stomach meridian and cause fatigue and “brain fog” as the stomach has a very close relationship with the mind. The stomach is very sensitive and can become easily disturbed.

The stomach is often called the second brain and the meridian has its endpoint in the head and frontal headaches are often caused by an imbalance in the stomach meridian due to consuming the incorrect foods or even negative belief systems

With a balanced stomach meridian ,the mind is  able to absorb information and Divine guidance. The mind also needs to be fluid and agile, soft like the earth ( as the stomach is an earth element)  – to be able to receive divine guidance or intuition and  to  hold onto it and contain it in the storehouse of memory.  The mind also needs to  assimilate, digest and integrate  divine guidance  and to retrieve it as needed.  The proper dispatching of nourishment to every corner of the mind gives a sense of mental peace and safety, with the security of having access to our harvest of experience.

Affirmation

I am content (within my soul)
I am nourished (within my soul)
I am happy (within my soul)
I am fulfilled (within my soul)
I am peaceful, I am satisfied. I am no longer disturbed.
I accept and digest my life experiences fully. Life is perfect. I am perfect.

I am abundant .

I trust the divine will provide for me.

I am enough. I don’t need to stomach everything.

I have enough.

Others are enough as they are…for me.

I let go of the belief system that………
I let go of the expectation that………..

I am displeased with life because…..

I am displeased with others because…

I tend to please other people because eg I need acceptance , approval, need to be loved, I fear abandonment, I fear separation etc

I please my soul, my soul is pleased with me.

I choose grace, contentment and satisfaction .

Reciting Sukhmani Sahib for peace is very beneficial for calming, relaxing and
balancing the stomach meridian.

The affirmations balance the Stomach meridian and should be expressed with humbleness. If there is a difficulty or resistance in expressing them then it is a good idea to look into the reasons why or you may try writing the reasons in a journal or diary.
Start your sentences e.g. by writing

I feel hungry and empty because……..
I feel discontent because …….
Whenever I am peaceful…..(describe the experiences . positive or negative)
When I feel fulfilled …..(describe the experience , positive or negative)
I am unable to accept and digest this particular life experience because….
I am dissatisfied because I expected…..(describe the situation and its outcome and let go of the expectation).
I have had enough of life or that person because…….

By expressing and releasing your feeling and mindset in this way you may find it is easier to say the affirmation afterwards. The affirmations help you to get in touch with your feelings and help clear your body and mind of psychological clutter hence improve your health. There may eventually come a time when you do not need to say the full affirmation because the qualities you need will be integrated inside you . you may then simply say “I am” or “Waheguru” without any word attached to it because you simply are – a state of being and the full and complete essence of the divine.
Guru Granth Sahib

Baaran Baar Baar Prabh Japeeai Pee
Anmrith Eihu Man Than Dhhrapeeai
Naam Rathan Jin Guramukh Paaeiaa
This Kishh Avar Naahee Dhrisattaaeiaa
Naam Dhhan Naamo Roop Rang
Naamo Sukh Har Naam Kaa Sang
Naam Ras Jo Jan Thripathaanae
Man Than Naamehi Naam Samaanae
Oothath Baithath Sovath Naam

Time after time, again and again, meditate on God
Drinking in this Nectar, this mind and body are satisfied
The jewel of the Naam is obtained by the Gurmukhs
They see no other than God
Unto them, the Naam is wealth, the Naam is beauty and delight
The Naam is peace, the Lord’s Name is their companion
Those who are satisfied by the essence of the Naam
Their minds and bodies are drenched with the Naam
While standing up, sitting down and sleeping, the Naam (ggs p286)

_____________________

Eaeko Laevai Eaeko Dhaevai Avar N Dhoojaa Mai Suniaa
Jhajhai Jhoor Marahu Kiaa Praanee Jo Kishh Dhaenaa S Dhae Rehiaa
Dhae Dhae Vaekhai Hukam Chalaaeae Jio Jeeaa Kaa Rijak Paeiaa
Njannjai Nadhar Karae Jaa Dhaekhaa Dhoojaa Koee Naahee
Eaeko Rav Rehiaa Sabh Thhaaee Eaek Vasiaa Man Maahee

The One Lord takes away, and the One Lord gives; I have not heard of any other.
Jhajha: O mortal being, why are you dying of anxiety? Whatever the Lord is to give, He shall keep on giving.
He gives, and gives, and watches over us; according to the Orders which He issues, His beings receive nourishment.
Nyanya: When the Lord bestows His Glance of Grace, then I do not behold any other.
The One Lord is totally pervading everywhere; the One Lord abides within the mind.

(ang 433)