Poor digestion is significantly rising among people with the onset of unhealthy diets and preservative-filled food. Often, gaining long-term relief from digestive issues takes immense time and effort, making it a genuine inconvenience for those constantly on the go.
However, it has been found that for those looking for a natural remedy that can promote better digestion in the long run and quick relief, Yoga is an excellent option.
It is believed that Yoga aids in digestion by increasing blood circulation, reducing stress levels, and improving the motility of the GI tract.
Hence, practicing Yoga can relieve you from bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhoea, and even Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
If you face similar problems, read further to learn about some great Yoga poses for digestion.
Best Yoga Poses for Digestion
Along with strengthening the muscles, yoga can help detoxify the body. It is believed that proper digestion of food is important for a healthy body and yoga can help you achieve that goal. Here, we have mentioned some yoga poses for digestion along with their benefits that will improve your digestion and gut health. A lot of sources recommend yoga for good digestion.
1. Paschimottanasana Yoga
To perform paschimottanasana, you need to sit down and your legs should be extended in front of you. Keep your spine straight, inhale, and lift your hands over your head aiming towards the ceiling. Breathe out slowly and bend forward keeping your spine straight and your chin aiming towards the toes. Try to hold your toes and place your hand on your legs and chin on your thighs. Stay in this position for a minute and then return to the original position.
The Paschimottanasana or the ‘Seated Forward Bend’ is a forward bending position or Asana in Yoga.
It is commonly said that this pose “stimulates gastric fire,” promoting healthy digestion.
While you practice this pose by bending forward, gentle pressure is applied to the intestine and abdomen. This relieves blockages, gas, and bloating.
This pose is also said to promote an increase in appetite.
2. Pavanamuktasana
First, you need to lay down on the floor on your back and keep your legs straight. Place the hands at your side and slowly inhale and raise both the legs. Afterward, bend your legs and bring your knees closer to the chest. Wrap your arm around the knees and slowly raise your head to touch the knees with your nose. Stay in this position for around 30 seconds and then slowly return to the original position.
Pavanamuktasana is a Yoga Asana commonly referred to as the ‘Wind Relieving Pose.’
While you practice this pose, pressure is applied to your abdominal region. Not only does this pose help strengthen the abdominal muscles, but it also helps you expel gas.
This pose also promotes healthy bowel movements and relieves constipation.
3. Trikonasana
Trikonasana is also known as the triangular pose and it is helpful to improve digestion and get rid of constipation. To do Trikonasana, first, you must stand straight and keep around 3 to 4 feet distance between both the legs. Extend your arms to the sides and in line with the shoulders. After that move your right foot to your right and bend your body towards the right side. Keep your right hand close to your ankle and try to touch the floor with the fingers and keep the left hand extended towards the ceiling. Make sure the knees remain straight throughout the exercise. Slowly return to the original position and repeat the same process for the other side.
This pose involves bending over to one side, thereby exerting gentle pressure on your intestines.
This pose helps relieve constipation and improves the motility of the GI tract. In turn, this also leads to an improved appetite.
4. Ardha Matsyendrasana
To perform Ardha Matsyendrasana first you need to sit down, keep your spine straight and extend the legs forward. Now, bring the left foot closer to the pelvic region by bending your knee and then put the right foot over your left knee. Twist your body and bring the left hand over the right knee and keep it close to the right foot. Keep the spine erect and the right hand behind your back.
The Ardha Matsyendrasana is a Yoga Asana known to restore the digestive system.
While practicing this pose, your body twists to one side, massaging the intestines and other abdominal organs.
This promotes healthy bowel movements, thereby combating constipation and relieving blockages.
5. Supine Twist
For doing Supine Twist, first you need to lie down on your back with knees bent and feet touching the floor. Inhale and spread your arms to the sides and in line with the shoulders. Bring your knees closer to your chest and then slowly allow both the knees to fall on the left side. Make sure your shoulders are on the ground and your belly is pointing in the right direction. Turn your head to the right and take deep breaths. Slowly, return to the center and do the same for the other side. Supine twist has a lot of advantages like massages intestines, helps in getting rid of constipation, improves spinal mobility, stretches the chest, etc.
6. Sun Salutation
Sun salutation also known as Surya Namaskar is a series of 12 linked poses. Every pose is mentioned below,
- Stand on the mat and keep both your feet together. Keep spine erect and hands at your side.
- Inhale and raise your hands over your hand with both palms facing each other.
- Exhale, bend forward, and bring your hand towards the ground.
- Inhale and push the right leg back as far as possible and place both the hands alongside the feet.
- Exhale and take the left leg back. Keep your body straight and your arms extended.
- Bring your knee, chest, and chin to the floor. So, both the knees, hand, feet, chest and chin should touch the floor.
- Inhale, slide forward, and raise the chest up like a cobra. Make sure that your hips are touching the ground.
- Exhale and lift the hips and bring the body to an inverted ‘V’ pose.
- Inhale and bring the right foot forward into the lunge pose.
- Exhale and bring left foot forward and keep the palm on the floor maintaining a standing forward bend pose.
- Inhale and raise arms over your head into the upward salute pose again.
- Exhale, stand straight, and bring the arms down.
Sun salutation has numerous advantages like it improves cardiovascular health & nervous system, improves cognitive function & health, strengthens the body, etc.
Yoga Poses For Digestion After Eating
1. Vajrasana
It is said to be very beneficial to practice this pose after eating.
The Vajrasana pose facilitates increased blood circulation to the abdominal organs by blocking blood flow to the legs momentarily.
This relieves constipation and gas, but the increased blood flow also facilitates the increased absorption of nutrients from food during digestion.
2. Sukhasana
The Sukhasana is a cross-legged Yoga Asana that facilitates better digestion after eating. It is also one of the common Yoga Asanas for bloating.
This pose gently massages the abdominal organs and increases blood flow and oxygen delivery to the area.
This facilitates improved absorption of nutrients during digestion and improves your metabolism.
Hence, Yoga practitioners often say that one must eat food in this position.
3. Samasthithi
The Samasthithi is a good Yoga Asana referred to as the Mountain Pose.
This pose is the beginning of the Sun Salutation Pose and promotes calmness and reduction of stress.
Hence, by reducing stress levels, digestion is improved naturally.
Practicing this position right after eating allows your body to digest your food better, improving absorption and metabolism.
4. Bow pose
The Bow Pose is a Yoga Asana that is practiced to improve digestion.
While practicing this position, gentle pressure is applied to the abdominal organs from the floor. Bending your knees to your abdomen further applies pressure to your organs.
This stimulates improved GI tract motility and blood flow. This relieves constipation and gas.
5. Garland Pose
The Garland Pose is one of the most popular Yoga Asanas for digestion…
While practicing this position, gentle pressure is applied to your lower abdomen. This massages the abdominal organs.
This leads to the increased secretion of digestive enzymes in the GI tract. This facilitates increased absorption of nutrients and thereby improves digestion.
6. Leg-Binding Pose
The Leg-Binding Pose or Marichyasana is a Yoga Asana that promotes digestion.
This position involves many gentle twists, which pressure the abdominal organs.
This facilitates increased secretion of digestive enzymes, motility of the GI tract, and absorption of nutrients.
Do & Don’t To Improve Digestion System
Do this
Drink plenty of water; regular intake of plenty of water (8-10 glass), fiber, herbs, rice, fruits and vegetables, can reduce most of the digestive problems. In comparison to the fruits, fruit juice will be the better choice. But excess intake may cause negative results too.
Don’t do this
Processed foods and fast foods will give ill effects to the digestive system. Be careful of using dairy products and try to keep away from the citrus, avoid spicy foods, intake of alcohol and caffeine must be limited.
Yoga is the best exercise that can cleanses you internally and externally. With the regular practice of yoga, you will be cured from the lots of digestive problems. The rhythmic breathing of yoga removes the toxic materials that are generated by the unhealthy diet and lifestyle. It also helps us to reduce the stress and creates body balance. Regular Yoga practice can rejuvenates the whole body system. All I can say, Yoga have many health benefits like reduction of your excess fat, makes your body active, increase your physical strength, stress relief and many more. Yoga can not only improves your complete lifestyle but also take you to the right diet path.
Though Yoga has immense benefits but if the timings will be wrong then all efforts will go in vain even it will cause dangerous effects on your health also. Don’t ever do Yoga just after a big meal, wait an hour for doing Yoga. Here we are presenting a list of 13 poses to make better digestion system. This list is distributed in 3 heads i.e. Easy, Medium, and Hard.
Summing Up
The next time you feel bloated, constipated, or just gassy, remember that an easy, natural solution is right under your nose! Yoga has proven to be highly beneficial for digestion, as it uses your body’s natural motion to massage and stimulate your digestive system. To prevent digestive issues at the root, practice the Yoga poses for digestion after eating, and enjoy your food to the fullest!
