I've had many discussions with my clients over the years about my use of a stethoscope placed on their abdomen during a massage session.  Actually, it's an anesthescope used by anesthesiologists.  It's flatter, more sensitive to sound and more comfortable under the body than a stethoscope.  I employ it not as a medically diagnostic tool: I learned many years ago during my training in Biodynamics that if I placed a listening device on the abdomen, the activity (or non-activity) of the digestive tract would provide me with information about the relative state of tension within the tissues and the general energy flow.  I could then add this information to what I could feel with my hands and see with my eyes.

I'll explain. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for the automatic functions of our bodies that we don't have to think about -- the keenness of our senses (of smell, sight, hearing, taste, touch) our breathing, the functioning of our internal organs and glands (stomach, intestines, pancreas, spleen, liver, kidneys, uterus, ovaries, prostate, etc.) 

This autonomic nervous system is divided into two branches:  the sympathetic and the parasympathetic.  Each branch is responsible for opposing functional responses to internal and external triggers.  We have the stress response and the relaxation response. 

In the stress response, we manifest what many call the "fight or flight syndrome" in which the body is prepared for you to either stand your ground and physically fight -- or run away from danger.  This is a primitive response built in to us as human beings -- whether the danger is perceived or real, physical or emotional, the response is the same. 

The "fight or flight syndrome" looks like this:  the body's resources of blood flow and energy are shunted away from the internal core to the skeletal muscles of the hips, legs, low back, shoulders, arms and neck.  If you think about it, these are the muscles needed to either plant yourself in a firmly balanced manner to punch and kick forcefully, or to pump up your arms and legs to run like the dickens.  Of course, your hormones are also part of the team and we've all heard stories of people demonstrating phenomenal strength in times of danger, due to surges of adrenalin.  During this time, all of the vital, internal organs are working in low gear so as to not take energy away from the critical survival of the immediate danger or threat.  So, if that is true of the stress response, then the opposite is true of the relaxation response. 

The relaxation response is the purview of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system.  If you've stayed with me through this discourse, you'll understand then that this branch draws the body's resources to the core -- to allow the vital organs to function at their highest capacity.  It is in this state that digestion occurs, the purifying liver and kidneys do their job best, calmness permeates the body and mind, the skeletal muscles can relax, sleep and healing can happen. 

In a balanced, healthy person, these two branches alternate like a seesaw, or the pistons of an engine.  They can never both be up at the same time.  When they alternate regularly, we are at our best -- internal systems are working well and we are ready to deal with stresses and crises as they happen in an easy manner, resolving each problem and allowing our bodies to release the tension caused by the incident, leaving us fully prepared to deal with the next one. 

Sadly, our society is now such that most of us are bombarded with dangers, threats, stresses and strains at a pace more rapid than we can resolve and integrate.  We find ourselves in a constantly coiled state , compounding the tension and experiencing more and more internal pressure.  This is why assistance like therapeutic massage and bodywork are more helpful today than ever before in releasing the residual effects of these crises from our bodies. 

As I work with the muscles and connective tissue to release restrictions, I am aiming to elicit or enhance the relaxation response.  So, when I use the anesthescope, I'm getting information that helps me in the choosing of my techniques and methods to give you the best treatment that will assist your body's healthy functioning.  

The sounds of the digestive tract are an interesting language and now that you know a little more about the why, you will be able to relate to it during our sessions together and use this tool as well as the touch and movement of your tissues to increase your own awareness of how you are living in the truly marvelous vessel which is always doing its best to serve you.