Did you know your body can contribute to keeping you stuck in your life? Perhaps you are trying to recover your health, create a new business, or change something big in your life. Parts of the body can resist your desire to move forward. Let's talk about some common sources of stuck-ness and what you can do to get things moving.

Our intestines rely on movement to properly function. If there is no movement, nutrient and water absorption doesn't happen the way it should. And your intestines are home to a vast community of microbes called the microbiome. This microbiome helps digest food, synthesizes nutrients, affects hormone production including your feel-good neurotransmitters (more of those please!), metabolism, and SO MUCH MORE! They are still discovering all the ways our microbiome influences our health.

It's super important to make those microbes happy and provide a supportive home for them. This requires healthy movement so food doesn't stagnate and start feeding 'bad bugs' in the gut. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in their whole form (with the fiber) and cut down on processed foods. If you still have symptoms of constipation, there are safe supplements such as magnesium, vitamin C and herbal constipation remedies that are great ways to boost movement. Getting the intestines moving will shift energy and allow stuck-ness in your life to melt away. Always talk with your doctor or healthcare practitioner about what is right for you.

Mind Connection: If you feel the need for control in areas of your life, rather than 'going with the flow' most of the time, your gut will tend to be more sluggish. Practice 'going with the flow' in one or two small situations per day to support movement. Or being more spontaneous in a way that feels right to you. For instance, rather than plan every step of a day, have a few ideas in mind and let the schedule unfold and 'go with the flow.' Afterwards, see how this feels to you and notice anything that comes to your awareness. These situations of ‘mixing it up’ will quickly build into a less rigid way of moving through life.

The lungs also help create healthy movement. Each time we breathe, we are moving the entire body! With a proper deep belly breath, we move the top of the chest all the way to the pelvic floor. The lymph, liver and other parts of the body rely on movement from breathing or voluntary movement since they don't generate movement on their own. Plus if we are not breathing deeply enough, we are likely not getting the oxygen our body needs to function at its best. Practice taking big, deep breaths a few times a day to boost movement.

The gallbladder and bladder energy systems also help create movement in our body in a big way. While gallbladder is a catalyst for fat digestion and the site of bile storage, it is also a place where anger is stored. If we are not able to let anger move in a healthy way, the gallbladder health suffers and becomes sluggish. The bladder holds urine and if we don’t allow movement, through either fear, anxiety or over-control, the bladder can get irritated and agitated. This can result in microbiome disturbances, urgency, and difficulty releasing control. Drink plenty of water to keep urinary bladder flushed and functioning optimally. And watch dietary fat that may drag down your gallbladder. Beets, greens, and digestive bitters are wonderful tonics for gallbladder health.

As you can see, there are many ways we can enhance movement with simple actions and focused intentions. Play an active role in your health and get your life moving!