Tending to the Garden Within: The Gut-Brain Connection & The Weeding Process That Is Needed for Inner Transformation

There’s a beautiful metaphor I always lean into, in fact it is at the core of everything that we do at Bloomin Within — your mind and body are a garden.

When life gets busy, when stress piles up, when we ignore our intuition or stop listening to the whispers of our body — that garden becomes overgrown. Weeds sprout up, pathways get blocked, and suddenly, it feels hard to even know where to start.

This is often where we look for a “big intervention” — the gut cleanse, the hypnotherapy session, the digital detox, the retreat. These moments are powerful. Like a clearing storm, they create space again. But they’re just the beginning.

What comes next — and what truly matters — is how we tend to the garden daily. And in my opinion, that starts with understanding one of the most potent relationships in the body: the gut-brain axis.

The Gut-Brain Axis: Your Inner Communication Network

Modern science and ancient wisdom both agree — the gut and the brain are in constant communication. There’s even a highway for it: the vagus nerve, one of the longest nerves in the body, connecting your brainstem to your digestive tract.

Your gut houses 90–95% of your serotonin receptors, is home to trillions of microbes that affect your mood, and influences everything from your immune system to your energy and mental clarity.

And the messages go both ways. When you feel anxious, your stomach may tighten. When you’re in a chronic stress response, your digestion can slow. When you begin a gut-healing protocol, old memories and thought patterns may unexpectedly surface.

This is the mirror effect of healing:

Heal the gut, and the mind responds.

Heal the mind, and the gut follows.

Weeding the Garden: On Clearing Limiting Beliefs & Gut Imbalances

Before you plant new seeds — new beliefs, new habits, new wellness rituals — you need to weed.

In the mind, this might look like noticing and releasing limiting beliefs like:

“I always feel tired.”

“Healing takes too long.”

“I’m not someone who sticks to protocols.”

These thoughts are like overgrown vines — they wrap around your nervous system and block the light.

In the gut, this could be an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, sluggish digestion, or inflammation that’s causing brain fog, emotional volatility, or fatigue.

And what’s fascinating is how these two “gardens” reflect one another. Because ultimately within us is one, big, beautiful eco-system.

When someone begins a gut protocol, they might experience unexpected emotional releases, strange dreams, or resurfacing of old memories.

When someone starts subconscious work or trauma release, their body might suddenly crave different foods, experience bloating, or need extra rest.

This isn’t a setback — it’s a sign that your system is talking to you.

Science Meets Soul: Why Both Matter

Western medicine tells us about the microbiome, serotonin, neurotransmitters, and how gut inflammation leads to anxiety and even depression.

Eastern medicine, ancient traditions, and esoteric teachings remind us that the belly is a center of intuition, creativity, and self-trust.

The gut is often referred to as the “second brain” — but maybe it’s more accurate to say it’s your co-pilot.

It doesn’t just digest your food — it digests your emotions, your life experiences, your stress.

This is why tending to the garden of your mind and gut in unison creates such powerful shifts.

Start Tending Today: Rituals & Reflections

You don’t need to overhaul your entire life today. Start by listening. Get quiet. Feel into what your garden needs and notice the weeds that are sprouting. 

Here are a few journal prompts to begin weeding and reconnecting:

• What “weeds” (thought patterns, beliefs, habits) have I outgrown — mentally or physically?

• What symptoms or emotions have I been ignoring, and what might they be trying to tell me?

• What is my relationship with my gut? Do I trust my gut feelings? How do I treat my digestive system?

• If my body could speak, what would it ask me to release?

• What daily rituals could I introduce to gently tend to my inner garden?

Simple Daily Practices to Support the Gut-Brain Axis

• Take a mindful pause before meals — this engages the parasympathetic nervous system to support digestion.

• Journal after your pre-post and probiotics or supplements — (like my new fav Gennue Lab) use this as a mini check-in ritual.

• Try somatic practices or hypnotherapy that support emotional digestion and nervous system regulation.

• Nourish with whole foods and whole thoughts — not just what you eat, but what you believe feeds your gut.

The truth is: healing isn’t linear. It’s seasonal. Sometimes you’ll be planting, sometimes weeding, sometimes harvesting the fruits of your inner work.

But when you understand the interconnectedness of the mind and body,

when you learn to listen to the subtle signs,

and when you begin to tend to both with care,

your garden blooms in ways you never imagined - your mental and physical health can finally flourish.