Top 6 Yoga Poses For Better Digestion

A healthy gut amounts to a healthy body; a fact that almost all medical practitioners will agree. Especially Ayurvedic doctors, who use cleansing of the digestive tract as an essential step in treating most forms of physical ailments. Even purification of the gut on a regular basis with the help of ayurvedic medicines is encouraged by most doctors to keep oneself physically fit.

But you need not resort to medicines alone for this; Yoga has a broad range of options to offer in this regard. We already discussed about the health benefits of practicing yoga. Following are the top 6 Yoga poses for better digestion and constipation in the comforts of your home.  

1. Yoga Mudra (The Yogic Seal)

Sit in a comfortable, cross-legged position on the floor. Move your hands behind your back and take your right wrist in your left hand. Now bend slowly forward, as if to press your chest against the floor. If you can touch the floor with your forehead ,and then with your chin. But don’t force; just bend as far as you comfortably are able. And take care to breathe normally throughout the exercise. Try to time your breathing so that you exhale as you bend forward, and then inhale as you slowly come back up.

Repeat 3-7 times, holding the forward position for ten seconds during each repetition. as you progress, try to reduce the number of repetitions while increasing the duration of the forward bend , maximum of two minutes.

This yoga pose is quite easy and is excellent for toning the digestive organs and relieving constipation.

2. Uddhiyana Bandha(Stomach Lift)

This is one of the important pose in the yoga training. With your feet slightly more than shoulder width apart, bend forward and place your hands on your knees. Now contract your stomach muscles, drawing them into form a hollow as you exhale, completely emptying your lungs. Do not inhale while maintaining the contraction of your stomach muscles, but be careful not to go beyond the point of discomfort. Then relax your muscles and inhale slowly.

Repeat the exercise 3-7 times. Your stomach muscles should remain contracted for 5-30 sec with each repetition.

This exercise benefits constipation and indigestion. If properly executed it requires little effort and can be used by anyone.

3. Vajrasana(Pelvic Pose)

One of the top yoga poses for better digestion. Kneel with your knees together. your legs, from the knees to toes, should be in contact with the flow as you lean slightly forward. Now slowly sit back on your legs, until your weight is directly above your ankles. Place your palms on your knees and breathe normally. Hold this pose for 30 seconds, then relax, lean forward, and repeat the exercise.

This exercise helps relieve flatulence and other symptoms of IBS, and it strengthens the leg muscles. If performed soon after eating, it will aid digestion.

4. Pavana Muktasanam(Gas Relieving Pose)

While lying flat on your back, raise your right leg and bend the knee. Inhale deeply through your nose. Hold your breathe as you pull your knee against your abdomen, as if trying to kiss the knee. Do not strain or possibly tighten the abdominal muscles. Hold the pose for as long as comfortable, then repeat with left leg.

In addition to relieving gas, this exercise tones the abdominal muscles.

5. Bhujangasana(Cobra Pose)

Lie face down with your fore head touching the floor. All your muscles should be completely relaxed. Now place your palms flat on the floor beneath your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your body, as if to do a push up. Slowly raise your chest and shoulders, while keeping your legs and the lower part of your body in contact with the flow. Look up and to each side of you, and then slowly come back down. Breathing should be only through your nose. Hold the pose for 10 seconds. Repeat 3-6 times.

This exercise relieves constipation and intestinal gas. There are also benefits for the back muscles and the spinal column.

6. Mayurasana (Peacock pose)

It is said that mayurasana is one of the best yoga poses for better digestion. If you practice is daily, you will be able to consume anything you want as it gives you a perfect digestion. The main aim of this asana is pressurizing the digestive organs by balancing the torso on arms. This will terminate supply of blood to digestive organs for a while.

Soon after you release the pose, fresh and oxygen rich blood flows to digestive organs. This pose also helps to move any stucked food as it causes compression.

Also check Top 10 Yoga Poses for Beginners

Apart from practicing these asanas, doing meditation can have a positive influence on the functioning of human digestive system. This is because poor digestion is not just a sign of physical ailment, but a strong indicator of the emotional state of an individual as well. Therefore it is advisable to keep your negative emotions in check with meditation.

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