Blog Thumbnail
September 24, 2022

5 Yoga Poses That Help With Digestion

List of 5 Yoga Poses for Better Digestion: Since millennia, Indian saints & holy men have been practicing & propagating yoga. Yoga brings a wide range of benefits, to both body & soul. It helps to relieve stress, achieve mental peace, and also cure or control various physical ailments. Plus, it also helps people to stay fit even if they advance in years.

Yoga has been practiced in countless Indian households since time immemorial. From India, it spread to other countries. And now, it is practiced globally by millions. We also celebrate World Yoga Day on June 21 every year.

Yoga helps to treat some very commonly occurring but critical ailments. And one of them is the problem of indigestion.

Indigestion – an Omnipresent Problem

These are times when stress is above everything else. No matter which country you stay in or what profession you are in, stress is the most overwhelming factor. Stress takes a toll on your eating and sleeping habits. And that’s what the stepping stone to indigestion is. The direct fallouts are symptoms like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Where Does Yoga Come Into the Picture Here?

Yoga has a direct – and positive – impact on the Autonomic Nervous System of the body. Doing some yogic exercises (like taking deep breaths & releasing it slowly) helps the nerves to rest. This is the part of the “rest & digest” dictum.

So many of us feel anxious about that upcoming family picnic, night out with colleagues, or the birthday party of a family member. And the reasons for our anxiety? That change in diet, or the altered dinner/lunch time. And that would surely send our digestive systems for a toss and ensure a most uncomfortable time.

Relax!

There are some simple – and extremely effective – yoga activities that can take care of your indigestion. It will put your mind at rest. And that has a salutary effect on the digestion activities.

Are the Yoga Activities Difficult to Perform?

Well, yes and no. while some of the yoga postures indeed require some amount of dexterity, there are ones that are fairly easy to do. You won’t need much of a professional guidance to do them. But at the same time, they will be highly effective.

Below, let’s look at 5 yoga poses that would help you with your digestion problems.

1. Seated Twist

A twisting motion – while being seated or at the dance floor – massages your digestive organs and ensures a higher blood flow to these areas. It aids in relieving constipation, bloating, and gas formation.

Steps:

  • Sit on the floor and stretch out your legs
  • Cross your legs – any one leg over the other – and place your foot by the opposite knee
  • Place the other elbow around your knee. Now, gently perform a twisting function.
  • Inhale, and allow your spine to lengthen.
  • Exhale, and twist a bit more to go deeper into the pose
  • Repeat for 10 to 15 times

 

2. Cat/Cow Position

At times, being down on all fours can be quite beneficial! And this is one of those times.

Steps:

  • Ensure your hands are under your shoulders when you are down on all fours
  • Inhale and let your belly drop while you look upwards. Ensure to lift your tailbone (cow position).
  • Exhale, while you drop your head and neck.
  • Round your shoulders, pull your stomach up, and tuck your tailbone down. Your head should be hanging down now (cat position).
  • Repeat several times, from cow to cat and vice versa.

3. Bow Position

This pose helps in energy stimulation and also aids in releasing built-up gas.

Steps:

  • Go down on your tummy
  • Grab your ankles and pull them towards your spinal chord
  • Your chest would lift from the ground, and so would be your legs
  • Your tummy would be strained and this would aid in relieving gas

 

4. Supine Twist

Not much bodily activity here in terms of twists and turns!

Steps:

  • Lie flat on your back and pull one knee towards your chest
  • Cross that knee and place it on the other side of your body
  • Press your knee or thigh with your opposite hand to stretch yourself further
  • Let the other arm be extended towards the other side

 

5. Savasana

Time to relax! Let your mind calm down, let your nervous systems relax. A body at rest would restore energies and get recharged. And a mind at rest would have a highly positive impact on the body’s digestive systems.

Steps:

  • Lie down on your back with your legs spread slightly apart
  • Your arms should be placed by your side, with the palms facing upwards
  • Breathe deeply, and relax. Exhale gently. Let the calming effect overwhelm you.