The Science: Your Gut Really Is Your Second Brain
The enteric nervous system—the nervous system of your gut—contains over 500 million neurons. That's more than your spinal cord. It produces 95% of your body's serotonin and communicates constantly with your brain via the vagus nerve. This isn't metaphor: your gut literally thinks, reacts, and remembers. When you feel "butterflies" before a presentation or nausea during grief, that's direct gut-brain communication in action.
This bidirectional highway explains why stress causes digestive symptoms. When your brain detects threat, it sends signals down the vagus nerve that slow digestion (your body diverts energy from "rest and digest" to "fight or flight"). Blood flow to the gut decreases. Motility changes—either speeding up (diarrhea) or slowing down (constipation). The gut lining becomes more permeable. Inflammation increases. These aren't imaginary symptoms—they're measurable physiological changes triggered by your nervous system state.
For people with IBS, research shows the gut-brain axis is hypersensitive. The brain sends stronger alarm signals to the gut; the gut sends stronger distress signals to the brain. This creates a feedback loop where stress causes symptoms and symptoms cause stress. Tapping interrupts this cycle by calming the brain's threat response, which sends calmer signals down the vagus nerve, which allows the gut to return to normal function. Studies on IBS and Tapping show significant symptom reduction—not by treating the gut directly, but by treating the brain that's dysregulating it.
IBS and anxiety: Research shows high comorbidity between IBS and anxiety disorders. This isn't coincidence—they share physiological pathways. Treating the anxiety often helps the gut, which is why Tapping can be surprisingly effective for digestive issues.
Real Results
Kelly
"My story started with my physical rehab, it has been a very long journey trying to get out of chronic pain and during a section of it we were breaking up all the scar tissue in my gut cavity. I learned the hard way that I was storing trapped emotions in there because with every session I was having a lot of memories come out."
Kelly had accumulated years of physical trauma as a high-level goalkeeper in soccer, where her gut got pounded basically every day until she was 35. She had scar tissue everywhere.
"I was learning biohacking, food, ascension, you name it, all of it became very overwhelming. Tapping had somehow made its way across my path and I found your video 'From Overwhelm to Calm' and I sat down one morning to do it. It made me cry and I DO NOT CRY."
Kelly went from seeing a health coach to becoming one, and now Tapping is something she tells her clients to do as part of their mindfulness toolbox.
Sandra
"I was on the Amtrak home to NYC and my sciatica started acting up and I was in my usual 'gut' pain. I've been dealing with chronic Lyme for some time with parasitic infections as well so all this pain is pretty common place for me. I tried to take a nap but the pain was too intense."
Sandra had tried many approaches for her gut issues related to chronic Lyme disease. The pain was constant, a daily presence she had learned to live with but never accepted.
"I tapped through...something shifted. I started to tap again, this time thinking what was going on when this episode began. A bigger shift happened. The emotional piece that was behind years of chronic illness as a way to be valued. Pain that has been constant every day since July had in a few minutes gone from an 8 to about a 2 if that."
Beth
"Sometimes, your body demands the right kind of attention. Right after Thanksgiving, 2024, I noticed my neck was a bit tight and uncomfortable. Several days later I did some very deep emotional work and within a day or two, my neck got significantly worse."
Beth tried everything—chiropractor, acupuncturist, somatic healer, urgent care, the ER, an orthopedic walk-in clinic. Nothing provided lasting relief until she remembered Tapping.
"About an hour and a half into my tutoring session, I realized that I wasn't in pain and that my neck was moving freely! I have had no issues with my neck since then."
Beth's breakthrough came when she discovered the emotional piece: "Not only did I not know at age 65 who I was, but that as a child, I had been prevented from discovering my true self."
Supporting Your Gut
Before meals: A brief calming tap before eating can help your digestive system be ready to receive food.
During symptoms: Tap on the specific sensation—cramping, bloating, nausea. Even if it doesn't eliminate the symptom, it often reduces it.
Daily stress management: Consistent Tapping may help prevent stress-related digestive episodes better than just treating them when they occur.
Calm Your Gut
The IBS Support collection addresses the gut-brain connection.
Releasing Self-Judgment with IBS Release Anxiety About Upcoming Event Relief from Pain and Discomfort Coping During a Flare-Up Releasing Shame and Embarrassment