All of us do experience bloating, constipation, cramping, and indigestion at some time or the other. This feeling is certainly not a good one. Yoga asana helps in reducing back pain and it also helps in releasing stress. Yoga for digestion can be immensely helpful.

It improves the intake of oxygen and helps you to get exceptionally good mental health. But very few people are aware of the fact that Yoga asana also helps in improving the digestive functions of human beings.

Yoga for Digestion

There are various postures for the yoga asanas. These help in stimulating, cleansing, and also in improving the digestive system. But you need to ensure that you do not practice these asanas after meals. In case you have bloating or indigestion a few hours after your meal, then practicing a few asanas can be helpful.

How Yoga Asanas Help in Improving Digestion?

If you want to know how yoga asanas help in improving digestion, you can go through the points mentioned below:

1. These asanas help in stimulating the Agni or the digestive fire. This, in turn, helps to balance metabolism and also helps in increasing the appetite. 

2. When you perform these asanas, it stretches the body. It also massages the abdominal muscles. This helps the food to move through the digestive tract quite easily.

3. These asanas also relieve you from constipation by regulating the bowel movements.

4. It helps in improving the blood circulation in the digestive system, thus helping in the process of digestion.

5. The yoga asanas ensure that your mind is both happy and active at the same time. You tend to eat a balanced diet. This makes digestion easier for you.

6. If you practice yoga regularly, it will also discourage the deposits of fat inside your body.

7. The body is free of all toxins. These toxins get accumulated when you consume the wrong diet and follow an unhealthy lifestyle.

Understanding the Digestive Process

Let us compare the digestive system to that of a juicer and body toxins as the fruit waste, Agni as the blades of the juicer and the energy as the juice. If the juicer blades themselves are weak, quite obviously the digestive system will produce much lesser energy. If you want a strong digestive system, you will require a stronger Agni. Yoga will help in making your Agni stronger. It will thus improve your overall digestive system.

The Yoga asanas that will improve your digestive system are given below. 

1. Marjaryasana-Bidalasana

This is referred to as the cat and cow pose. You have to use both your hands and legs to begin this asana. All that you need to do is to rotate your spine up and down. You will have to round your back ( the cat) and arch it ( the cow). You need to do this as you breathe. This position will massage the internal organs of the body including the intestines as well as the stomach.

It will help in easing the pain and bloating after you have a heavy meal. This will also provide you relief on the other issues related to your intestines. Make sure that you repeat each of the asanas at least 10 times. Continue this till the time you feel comfortable.

2. Trikonasana (and Parivrtta Trikonasana)

This is a triangle pose and this is great for individuals who are suffering from IBS ( irritable bowel syndrome). When you perform this asana, it pressurizes your colon. It thus stimulates the movement. To begin, you will have to put the right foot in front of your body. You will now have to rotate the other foot outwards at about 45 degrees.

You will have to stretch both your arms. Put the right arm on the ground beside your foot. Raise the left-hand overhead. Now, try to twist the torso towards the left and then breathe. After that, you need to twist your torso towards the right and change the arm positions.

3. Uttana Shishona

This asana is a cross between the pose of the child and a dog facing downwards. All the yogis love the extended pose of puppies. This is an excellent way to remove stomach cramps. First, you need to kneel on your mat. After that, you need to fold the body forward. While doing this, your arms should be overstretched. 

This is similar to the child pose. But here, you will have to extend the rear till the sky instead of resting the thighs and rear on the calves and feet. Rest the head and the chest on the floor. Now breathe into the stretch.

4. Seated Forward Fold or Panchimottasana

This is most amazing for lengthening the back and also stretching. If you simply add a prop to this asana, it becomes an excellent digestive aid pose. You will have to place a pillow on the thighs. Then allow your belly to rest on it. When you fold it forward, you will create enough space for a digestive massage to take place. Whenever you breathe in, the pillow will start resisting against your belly. This will cause compression.

When you breathe out, you tend to release the compression. This creates a new flow to the area. You will have to repeat the breathing into the pillow till the time you start feeling comfortable.

5. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

This is the ultimate pose for all kinds of healing. When you are resting you need to tap the parasympathetic nervous system. This is also referred to as the “Rest and Digest” response. You will simply have to lie still. This allows you to melt away all the stresses. It thereby creates a healing environment.

The blood starts flowing away from your extremities and towards the digestive organs. Moreover, your heart rate will also slow down. Your breathing will start deepening. This increases the oxygenation to the digestive organs. It also helps in creating the most ideal environment for digestion, cleansing, and healing.

Summary

If you face these digestive issues next time, you can surely try out these yoga poses. These are sure to benefit you immensely. These poses are the best and the safest measures that will help you to keep your digestive system on track.