Chances are that if you’re somebody who suffers from digestive issues, you’ll try pretty much anything to feel relief. If you’ve been doing your research, then you’ve probably found that one of the best forms of physical activity that you can partake in for better digestion is yoga.
Yoga is renowned for having a number of different health benefits, including improving your flexibility, strengthening your muscles, and improving your mental health.
But, as well as all of this, yoga is adept at aiding a whole host of further functions within the human body, including digestion.
A healthy digestive system is incredibly important to our sense of well being, and is responsible for nutrient absorption, encouraging the elimination of waste, and maintaining an overall healthy gut.
Digestion is the process by which our bodies break down larger chunks of food, so that they’re smaller and more soluble for our bodies to handle. They then transform these pieces of food into nutrients, such as fat, protein, and carbohydrates, in order to be processed by our bodies.
When our digestive system is disrupted, and the process of breaking down food becomes interrupted, we can experience a whole host of unpleasant symptoms such as gas, bloating, nausea, and constipation.
If you’ve been suffering from any of these symptoms, then you don’t have to any longer. Try out some of our beginner friendly yoga poses below in order to aid your gut. To find out more, simply keep reading below.
How Can Yoga Aid My Digestive System?
Now, before we jump straight in and start taking a closer look at some of the different yoga poses associated with a healthy digestive system, let’s first take a look at how yoga can help your gut.
Yoga is amazing when it comes to soothing all of the unpleasant symptoms associated with poor digestion, including bloating and gas.
By moving around, and contorting your body in different positions, you’re able to more easily stimulate your body into performing necessary bowel movements.
As well as stimulating your digestive system, yoga is also excellent for calming the nervous system, which is a known factor when it comes to unpleasant digestive symptoms.
As human beings, we have been genetically trained to respond to various situations with a fight or flight response, but because we’re not really under any threat like our cave dwelling ancestors, and are just experiencing some general anxiety, this can have a negative impact on our systems.
This fight or flight response actually causes a trigger in our digestive systems, which prevents it from being able to adequately digest food, as all of these functions are blocked to give us the opportunity to combat whatever threat we may be facing.
The only problem is, there’s no real threat!
The nervous system is also a reason why many people experience irritable bowel syndrome, so by practicing yoga, you can help to reduce the aforementioned symptoms.
Some research has even been conducted into yoga for crohn’s disease, with some measurable success.
Combined with a healthy diet, yoga can really do wonders for your digestive system, and have you feeling back to normal in no time.
The Best Yoga Positions For Digestive Health
1. Supine Spinal Twist
If you want to promote healthy digestion within your body, but you don’t want to get started out with any crazy or uncomfortable poses, then we’d recommend that you try this one.
The supine spinal twist is fantastic if you want to stretch out your lower back region, as well as increase the mobility of your spine.
Some research has been conducted into the supine spinal twist, and it’s been known to relieve constipation for many people.
- In order to get started with this pose, the first thing you’re going to need to do is to lie down so that you’re flat on your back.
- After you’re lying comfortably, you can then bend both of your knees, so that the pads of your feet are flat down against the surface of the floor.
- You’re then going to want to gently and slowly lift your hips off of the floor, and shift them slightly to your right. After you’ve moved accordingly, you can bring your hips back down to the ground.
- After you’ve done this, you’re then going to want to go ahead and straighten your left leg entirely. Following on from this, you’re going to need to use your hands to grab your right knee, and bring it up as far as you can toward your chest region.
- Keep that left leg positioned straight, and bring the right leg slowly over it. You don’t need to have your right leg touching the ground over your left leg, but just place it on top so that you can feel a slight stretch.
- Bring your right arm, and place it on the floor in front of you.
- You can then go ahead and hold this position for approximately 5 breaths, then you can rotate and do it on the other side.
2. Cobra Pose
The next pose that we’re going to be taking a look at is cobra pose. You’ve probably heard of this one before, as it has numerous different benefits. It’s great for stretching out all of the muscles in your stomach and can aid your digestive system.
As well as this, it’s also great for strengthening your back.
- In order to get started with cobra pose, then the first thing you’re going to need to do is to lie down on your stomach, with your legs lying naturally in front of you. You’re then going to need to place your palms on either side of your hips, so that they’re flat against the ground.
- After you’ve assumed this position, you can then go ahead and bring your head to face upwards. Slowly bring your chest up along with your head.
- Following on from this, press down on your hands as you try to straighten your arms as much as you can.
- Enjoy the sensation of rolling your shoulders back in this position. Look up to the sky, straightening, bending your upper back.
- Hold this position for approximately 5 breaths, then go ahead and repeat it again if need be.
3. Belly Twist
For our next yoga pose, we’re going to be performing a belly twist. This pose, as you may have already guessed, is great for improving the function of your digestive system, and can help to stimulate the gut region.
- In order to get started with the belly twist, the first thing you’re going to need to do is lie comfortably on your back, with your knees bent in front of you. Make sure that your feet are positioned so that the pads are flat against the surface of the ground. Keep your arms shifted outward.
- After you’ve assumed the position, you can then go ahead and lift your feet off of the surface of the ground, but still make sure that your feet and knees are packed closely together.
- After you’ve done this, you’re going to need to use your hips in order to rotate yourself, and shift your knees to your left hand side. Make sure that throughout all of this, you’re still keeping the upper region of your back flat against the surface of the ground.
- Hold this position with your knees bent to the left for approximately 5 breaths.
- After you’ve done this, you can go ahead and repeat the whole process on the right hand side too.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, yoga has immeasurable benefits when it comes to improving your digestive health. Each of the poses outlined above are incredibly easy to perform, as well as being highly effective when it comes to improving your gut health.
We’d recommend that you get started with these easier positions first, before moving on to some more intermediate and advanced practices.
Yoga is excellent for digestive health, because it helps to balance the manipura chakra. When this chakra located in our solar plexus becomes blocked, we experience a number of different unpleasant symptoms which include constipation, gas, bloating, and nausea.
By engaging in poses which activate the manipura chakra, you can help to ease the relevant symptoms.
I created this website to help newcomers to yoga and enthusiasts alike, and to share our common passions for yoga.
- Ultimate Guide to Yoga Strap Stretching: 12 Poses for Flexibility - September 15, 2023
- Phalakasana or Kumbhakasana – Plank Pose - September 13, 2023
- All About Iyengar Poses: Beginner to Advanced Guide - September 11, 2023
