5. As someone who has struggled with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) for the past decade, I've been eager to experiment with this exercise. I experience an array of unpleasant sensations in my gut most days. I've completed the exercise four times now. When I do it before bed, I fall asleep within the first five minutes, and wake back up towards the end of the exercise. I'm not sure if this is a freeze state, or if my digestive system is simply needing the rest? When I do it in the morning, I'm able to stay awake, but haven't noticed an increase in sensations or movement in the gut. If anything, I feel less connected to my gut during the exercise, as if there is a void of sensation. I wonder if there is a way that I can refine this exercise, so that my gut experiences more ease and flow?

When the system has been irritated for so long, it will take quite a lot of repetition to change things, so I would say just keep it up! If you only fall asleep at night when you’re tired, but not when you try it during the day, I don’t think that’s a freeze response rising up. More likely, it is the system sinking into a bit of much needed rest, though it does sound from your description of the “void” that there is some freeze going on in this area too, and it may need quite a lot of repetition to get the memo that it’s safe to start waking up and feeling more.