5 Yoga Poses Which Can Improve Digestion

By Vivek Roy

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

The word yoga means that it is a combined form of mind and body practice. Yoga is of different types and discipline must be followed while one is doing yoga. The word digestion scientifically denotes a process where the substances or the food that we have consumed are degraded into small pieces with the help of enzymes of our body. It also denotes the capability of the person to digest.

Young or old, digestion problems can happen to anyone – but did you know that yoga can help to improve digestion? It can also help to relieve constipation.

Although is’t not good to do yoga straight after a heavy meal, you can do yoga if you’re feeling uncomfortable after heavy eating or feeling that indigestion is on the way. Ideally, yoga should be done four to five hours after a heavy meal. The most beneficial time to do yoga is first thing in the morning.

There are many yoga postures or asanas that can improve our process of digestion and these asanas can prevent us from causing any digestion related problems or decisions. Here are five of the best yoga postures for digestive health.

1. Mayurasana:

This asana is also known as ‘Peacock Pose’. The yoga trainers or the yogis say to their students or yoga practitioners that this asana can help us to improve the ability to eat any kind of food. And if we do this asana then the digestion process is also improved.

When this asana is done a pressure is felt on the organs of digestive system. This asana balances the weight of the body on the torso. The torso is also balanced tightly with the arms. This posture helps us to cut off supply of blood to the organs of digestive system for just a moment.

After releasing the pose, a large amount of fresh oxygen will flow into the digestive organs which helps us to improve digestion. The blood is rich in oxygen. The pressure that is given by doing this posture will help to move anything which is stuck in the digestive organs.

2. Pavanamuktasana:

This posture or asana is also known as ‘Wind Relieving Posture’. This asana is very beneficial if one has struggled with sluggish digestion. This pose is taken very calmly.

This must be done in combination with our breath. This means that when a person draws his or her knee into the chest, then one should exhale. And when we relax then we inhale. It is beneficial to practice this posture or yoga before one goes to bed. Digestion takes place when we sleep. This posture will enhance the process of digestion.

This asana also cures diarrhoea, indigestion, and acidity. The uniqueness of this pose is that this asana or posture can be performed by both beginners and advanced students. This asana is best performed early in the morning which help in functioning of the digestive system smoothly.

3. Ardha Matsyendrasana:

This is also known as ‘Half Lord of the Fishes’. This posture is beneficial for our ribcage which is present in front of the body and also the back of the body i.e. the spinal cord.

The twists of this posture are very helpful for the digestion process. It has the ability to clean the digestive system. While twisting the body, blood flow is reduced to the organs of digestive system. But when the body is relaxed, new blood flows into the digestive organs.

First we should sit with legs crossed and then the right leg is brought outside from the left thigh. Following that breath in with both arms raised and then exhale when twisting to the right. The spinal cord should be kept stretched and both the arms are hold behind the head. One must release the body after 5 to 10 breathes and must try to do the other side.

4. Paschimottasana:

This is also known as ‘Seated Forward Fold’. This yoga is excellent for lengthening and stretching the back. It is advantageous and it is a posture for great process of digestion.

This posture is done by placing a pillow on the thighs. Then the belly is allowed to rest on the pillow when bent forward. This will help us in creating space in the digestive organs. When one inhales once at a time, the pillow will stop the belly coming forward. This will help us in causing compression in the digestive system.

After you release air which means when one breathe out, it helps us in releasing compression of the organs of the digestive system. It will create a flow in the area which is new. The breathing procedure is beneficial if we keep on repeating the process. This is a comfortable posture which relaxes the body as well as the digestive system.

5. Savasana:

Corpse Pose is another name of Savasana. This posture is used for curing the whole body. When you are not moving or at rest then the body is being tapped by the nervous system called parasympathetic nervous system.

When you are lying still, all stresses in the body are allowed to remove or are forced to remove from the body. It will create a healing environment for the body. The blood will flow towards the digestive organs if this posture is practiced once a day. This will increase oxygen in our digestive organs. This also helps in clearing the body as well as digestion.

Recommended articles by Vivek Roy:

• 10 Things to Know Before Yoga Teacher Training in India
• 5 of the Most Soothing Yoga Poses to Help You Sleep Better
• 6 Yoga Poses to Increase Happiness and Decrease Stress
• Yoga Poses for Office Workers
• Why Kids Need Yoga – The Benefits of Yoga for Children
• 7 Effective Yoga Asanas for Curbing Anxiety
• 9 Prenatal Yoga Poses for Pregnant Women

About the author:

Vivek Roy is an enthusiastic Yoga blogger and Traveller from India. He has done 200 hours yoga teacher training in India. He loves to travel and share the knowledge of yoga around the world. For more information about him visit his website.