Welcome to my blog post once again. In this blog post, we will discuss what poses of yoga help us with good digestion. If you don’t know, let me tell you now that yes, yoga poses help with good digestion and gut health. Let’s look at the digestion process and yoga’s role in gut health. A strong immune system and optimal bodily functioning are predicated on a healthy gut, which is why adequate digestion of food is critical to overall health.

In today’s fast-paced society, stress, poor eating habits, and sedentary lifestyles can unfortunately have disastrous effects on our digestive systems. Fortunately, yoga provides a comprehensive method for enhancing digestion and preserving intestinal health. To promote effective digestion, yoga poses may help lower stress, improve circulation, and stimulate the digestive organs.

How Might Yoga Aid With Digestion?

Generally speaking, “digestion” refers to the process of breaking down food so that your body can absorb nutrients and eliminate waste. But the phrase is also often used to describe any digestive symptoms, including gas, bloating, pain, and the kind and frequency of stools.

Through the gut-brain axis, which is a blood-borne network of nerves and biochemical impulses, the brain and digestive system are linked. Through this system, your gut may react to mental and physical stress right away, resulting in symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and changes in appetite and digestion.

Overall Intestinal Health

Many think that the benefits of yoga for digestive health include stress reduction, improved circulation, and increased GI tract motility.

Bringing Your Brain and Gut Together

Even while yoga instructors often say that yoga “wrings out” the digestive organs, there is evidence to support the idea that certain yoga positions tone the vagus nerve (VN), which is responsible for transmitting signals from the stomach to the brain. GI problems have been linked to low vagal tone.

“Stress has deleterious effects on the gastrointestinal tract and inhibits the VN,” according to a Frontiers in Neuroscience study. Researchers believe that activating the vagus nerve’s anti-inflammatory characteristics might aid in reestablishing equilibrium along the gut-brain axis. People who have been diagnosed with digestive disorders may benefit from this.

Try this sequence to ease a variety of digestive discomforts (think: gas, bloating, constipation). It incorporates stretches and twists that target the stomach organs. Incorporate the motions with diaphragmatic breathing, which helps to relieve GI discomfort by gently massaging the internal organs. (Of course, you should visit your doctor if your pain worsens or becomes persistent.)

Here are five powerful yoga poses that improve gut health and assist with digestion:

1. Thunderbolt Pose (Vajrasana)

Yoga’s Vajrasana is a basic yet powerful stance that helps ease indigestion, bloating, and acidity by stimulating the digestive system. How do I do Vajrasana?

• Put your knees together while you kneel on the ground on your heels and droop your buttocks.
• Place your hands on your thighs, maintain a straight spine, and relax your shoulders.
• Breathe deeply and slowly while maintaining the stance for a few minutes.
• By increasing blood flow to the digestive organs, vajrasana improves their functionality and reduces pain.
• For optimal benefits, do this pose just after eating.

2. Half Spinal Twist

The sitting twist known as Ardha Matsyendrasana improves digestion and aids in the body’s detoxification by massaging the abdominal organs. The act of twisting facilitates the removal of waste and encourages the release of digestive fluids. In order to do Ardha Matsyendrasana:

• Take a seat on the floor with your legs out in front of you.
• Bend your right knee while keeping your left knee bent and your right foot flat on the ground.
• Lay your left foot flat on the ground, crossing it over your right knee.
• With your left elbow on your right knee and your right hand on the floor behind you, turn your body to the right.
• Breathe deeply while maintaining the stance, then switch to the opposite side.

3. Pawanmuktasana

As the name implies, pawanmuktasana relieves bloating and pain by aiding in the evacuation of trapped gas from the digestive tract. Those who have digestion problems caused by gas would particularly benefit from this stance. To perform Pawanmuktasana, follow these steps:

• With your arms at your sides and your legs outstretched, lie on your back.
• Take a big breath in, then lift your right knee to your chest as you exhale.
• Your hands should be holding your right shin close to your body.
• Raise your shoulders and head slightly off the ground while pointing your nose in the direction of your knee.
• After a few breaths, hold the position, then release it and switch to the left leg.

4. The Supple Spinal Twist

Lying on your back, practice this gentle twist to help relieve tension in your abdomen and spine. It improves circulation and helps the digestive tract become more detoxified. This is how you do it:

• With your arms out to the sides at shoulder height, lie flat on your back.
• Place your right foot on the ground close to your left knee and bend your right knee.
• Breathe out, rotate your torso to the right, and lower your right knee to the left side of your body.
• Both shoulders should remain on the ground while you look toward your right hand.
• Take a few breaths in this posture, then flip sides.

5. Cobra Pose

• Bhujangasana strengthens the abdominal muscles and aids in stimulating the liver and kidneys, two digestion organs. It enhances digestion by promoting normal blood flow to the digestive system. To strike this position:
• Place your hands next to your shoulders while lying on your stomach with your feet flat on the floor and your toes pointed away from you.
• Using the power of your back muscles, take a deep breath and gently raise your head, chest, and abdomen off the ground.
• Gaze up or slightly forward while maintaining a relaxed posture and keeping your shoulders away from your ears.
• After a few breaths of holding the position, let your body return to the floor by exhaling.

Take Care

Most people agree that yoga is safe. But it may not be appropriate for those who:

• Possess neck or back injuries
• Are Expecting
• Possess elevated blood pressure
• Prenatal yoga lessons are among the specialty sessions that some yoga teachers provide.

Furthermore, it is important to see a healthcare provider if you consistently have stomach problems. They may be able to pinpoint the main reason. Even if yoga could be helpful for you, you shouldn’t stop receiving other therapies that your doctor has prescribed. It’s advisable to speak with them before beginning a yoga or other fitness regimen.

Conclusion

Yoga is an age-old ritual that dates back thousands of years. It encourages people’s emotional, bodily, and spiritual well-being. Yoga is beneficial as an adjunctive therapy for gastrointestinal conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome. It might lessen some symptoms, such as pain, gas, bloating, and constipation. Happy life, happy digestion!