Benefits of Yoga for Digestion: 5 Yoga Poses for Good Digestion

Digestive problems, including diarrhea, are also quite prevalent today due to unhealthy meal plans, work stress, and lack of physical activity. While practicing yoga you might not pay much attention to the overall benefits it holds for your digestive system but it is worth giving attention. The benefits of yoga for digestion are profound, which makes it a successful method of handling everyday complications such as bloating, constipation and indigestion. As promised in the previous blog posts, in this one, we will discuss the general advantages of yoga for digestion and provide an outline of five ruling poses that can improve your digestive system.

Benefits of Yoga for Digestion

Yoga is a comprehensive discipline that embraces every aspect of a person including the physical, psychological, and metaphysical. Of the shat kriyas, one has to do with physical postures (asanas), another with the breathing techniques (pranayama) and the third dealing with meditation in general, which, in conjunction with the other practices, help in the process of digestion. undefined

1. Improves Blood Circulation: Some of the postures which are also beneficial to digestion help to increase he circulation of blood to the organs to enable them get the necessary supply of oxygen and food components that will enable them perform their functions properly.
2. Reduces Stress: Stress is known to play a significant role when it comes to causing digestive problems. Due to this, their ability to manage stress by practicing deep breathing and relaxation is profound, thus ensuring proper digestion.
3. Stimulates Digestive Organs: Some of the poses make a circular motion in the abdominal region and this touches the internal organs in this region such that they stimulate the muscles that facilitate the movement of food and wastes in the intestines.
4. Enhances Gut Health: Yoga also ensures the balancing of the stoma, commonly known as the gut and its micro flora that are responsible for digestion.
5. Encourages Healthy Eating Habits: The part of yoga that focuses on the state of mind helps people pay attention to the body signs and thus improve food intake as well as digestion.

It is now about five yoga poses that is helpful for your digestion.

1. Wind-Relieving Pose (Pawanmuktasana)

How to Perform:

1. Initially be in a supine position slightly widening your legs while keeping your arms slightly away from your body.
2. Breathe in and pull in the right knee to the chest, holding the right knee with both; hands.
3. Take a deep breath and with the help of your arms, roll onto your back and push down with your arms and legs to bring your head and chest to the floor besides your knee.
4. Perch for several breaths before bringing the legs down and returning to the beginning spot.
5. Repeat with the left leg and both legs at the same time.

Benefits:

• Assists in the passing of gas in the intestines hence easing bloating.
• Activates ascending, descending and transverse colon.

2. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

How to Perform:

1. Sit with your legs placed flat on the ground; your legs must be parallel to the direction of the walking-path illustration.
2. Breathe in now and at the same time try to push the chest forward and lengthen the spine.
3. Breathe out as you bend at your waist, bending your knees slightly, to touch your fingers to your toes or shins.
4. Stay in the position for a few breaths counting, and taking precise regular breaths.

Benefits:

• Spreads the whole back part of the body and gives a self-massage to the abdominal organs.
• Improves circulation of blood to the digestive organs helping the bodies digestive system.

3. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

How to Perform:

1. Kneel with your knees directly under your hips and your wrists directly below your shoulders.
2. Inhale and at the same time, relax the abdomen and draw towards the mat while at the same time pulling your head and tailbone up (Cow Pose).
3. Breathe out and curve your back towards the ceiling, bring your chin towards your chest (similar to Cat position).
4. Stay in this position as you shift from one to the other in tandem with your inhaling and exhaling.

Benefits:

• Automatically massages and activates the abdominal organs.
• Aids in the elimination of food through the intestine thus treating constipation.

4. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

How to Perform:

1. Stand with your feet on the floor, about shoulder width apart, with your back straight and bend forward resting your buttocks on your ankles.
2. Tuck the knees, and pull the forehead as close as possible to the floor while balancing the body weight on hands straight in front of arms.
3. Lay in this position for a few minutes taking slow full breaths.

Benefits:

• Reduction of stress and relaxation of the mind, easing the digestive processes, though not directly.
• Slightly massages the contents of the abdomen adding to digestion.

5. Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

How to Perform:

1. Lie on the back while the legs remain flat on the surface and the arms should point out in all directions.
2. Slightly bend your knees and float them up towards your chest.
3. Gradually follow the similar motion and press the knees to the right touching the floor quietly at the same level as the shoulders.
4. Turn your head to the left and keep it in this position for a few breaths while feeling the stretch.
5. Repeat on the other side Continue on the other side.

Benefits:

• Stimulates the internal organs especially the digestive organs and aids the process of digestion.
• Unloads pressure from the spine ruling to reduction in stress.

How to Include Yoga into Your Lifestyle

To get the full benefits of yoga for digestion, one needs to engage in yoga exercises in the right manner, faithfully. The incorporation of these postures in your daily practice will go a long way in improving your digestion function in the long run. Here are some instruction to help you get started

1. Consistency is Key: It is recommended that one should try to begin doing yoga three to four times a week. Especially if it is done on a daily basis, even for 20-30 minutes only, it can prove to be very effective.
2. Mindful Eating: There is an option to connect your asana practice with conscious consumption of foods. Take your time when eating and ensure that you chew all foodstuff well and do not eat to the point of discomfort.
3. Stay Hydrated: Take lots of water in the course of the day to enhance digestion and general well being.
4. Manage Stress: Thus, the need to ensure that deep breathing, meditation and other relaxation techniques are practiced as part of your day to day activities.

Conclusion

The possible effects of having yoga on digestion are numerous, and they are well equipped to change your digestion and nearly every aspect of your life for the better. Practical sessions of yoga such as Wind-Relieving pose, Seated Forward Bend, Cat Cow pose, Child pose, and Supine twist can be of great help for people suffering from digestive problems thereby improving their quality of life. Just always be regular, only then maintain awareness at the time of doing yoga or at the time of eating foods. If only you would accept the wholeness inherent in the practice, you’re going to realize the therapeutic nature of yoga for digestion and more.