What is the Peristaltic Muscle?
The peristalsis muscle measures a full 30 feet (9 m) from the mouth to the anus. Wow! That’s the width of a tennis court!
The first one-third of the esophagus consists of voluntary muscle (controlled by the conscious mind). The next two-thirds plus the remaining peristalsis muscle, all the way to the anus, is an involuntary muscle.
The peristalsis muscle churns food forward with muscular contractions of its walls and responds to “specificity”.
Analogy: “Specificity Effect”
In athletics, “specificity” is the training of a muscle or muscle group to perform for a specific use or sport. For example, a swimmer trains in a pool, a weight lifter trains with weights, and a bicyclist trains on a bicycle so that specific muscle groups will perform at their peak during that specific event.
When it comes to colon cleansing, why not take your peristalsis muscle to the “colon gym”? Regular exercise of the intestines, specifically the colon, via bowel movements is like putting this involuntary muscle on a treadmill. Train it for specificity just like you would train a professional runner on a track or a treadmill rather than on a bike. Train the peristalsis muscle to push when it feels pressure. In other words, when stool is present and cued up for release, the appropriate response is to push—not hold!
When you regularly use an open, gravity-feed colonic system or colema board, the colon and rectal area are trained for “pressure push” when stool begins to build up. If you hold water in the bowels such as with enemas or closed pressure feed systems, the peristalsis are trained for “pressure hold.”
REMEMBER: The lower peristalsis muscle is not “intelligent” (i.e., it is involuntary) and does not know the difference between water and stool.
So does all of this mean that you should not do an enema? No, there is a time and place for almost everything. Just be aware of the Specificity Effect and adjust your personal choices accordingly.
In addition to the open and closed systems or enemas described above, there are other colonic options, including colema boards. Determining which system and practitioner, if applicable, are best for you is a very personal choice. It may make sense to try the different systems in order to make the most informed decision as to your personal preference.
Keep in mind that no matter how many colonics or what type you receive, the long-term results you may expect to see are also dependent on your dietary and lifestyle choices, as well as the frequency and types of cleansing and intestinal support that you do.
In conclusion, for the best bowel movements, maintain good peristalsis throughout your digestive tract.
