-Written by Cherry Cheung(RCST UK) We often think of the brain as the body's command centre — the place where we think, make decisions, process emotions and respond to the world around us. Yet, there is another remarkable part of our body that plays an important role in how we feel and function every day: our gut. Often described as our “second brain”, the enteric nervous system (ENS) is an extensive network of nerve cells woven throughout our digestive tract. It can regulate many digestive...

-Written by Cherry Cheung Have you ever experienced that sinking feeling in your stomach when something doesn't feel right? Or butterflies in your belly when you feel excited or nervous? Our abdomen is remarkably sensitive to our emotional state. For many of us, it is one of the first places where we notice stress, unease or a sense of relief. Dr Stephen Porges, who developed Polyvagal Theory, introduced the concept of neuroception — the nervous system's unconscious process of detecting cues...

-Written by Cherry Cheung(RCST) Dr William Emerson, PhD, is a pioneer in pre- and perinatal psychology who has spent many years exploring the experiences of babies before and around birth. Through his clinical work with infants and families, he has drawn attention to the possibility that the loss of a twin may be more common than we realise. Some theories suggest that many pregnancies may begin with more than one baby, although not every pregnancy develops into the birth of twins. When one...