Yoga for Digestive Health

No matter what age we are, we need to take care of our digestive health, and that includes practicing yoga everyday to keep our abdomens soft and encourage deep breathing into our core body.  Digestive problems usually plague women as they get older, and we really can’t ignore them. Face it, poor digestion can lead to other illnesses and diseases, such as chronic indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, or irritable bowel syndrome, for example. None of these conditions are pleasant, but we can avoid them if we recognize the symptoms and do something about them before they get worse.

Take me, for example. Over the last couple of years I started experiencing heartburn and was recently diagnosed with Acid Reflux Disease and Esophagitis. My condition affects my digestive health, as I also experience bloating and, um, gas bubbles from time to time. I can’t eat the same foods I used to eat, and I really have to take care not to overindulge or else I’ll suffer the consequences. But there are yoga poses that I do to settle my digestive system and relieve my symptoms.

Photo Credit: Yoga Journal

One pose I really like to do when I’m feeling a little full is Reclining Hero. As I lie back on the floor or supported by a bolster, reclining hero pose not only stimulates my thyroid and parathyroid productivity, normalizes my blood pressure, and calms my nervous system, for example, but it softens my abdomen and eases my digestive upset. This is one of the few poses you can do after you’ve eaten a heavy meal.

So what else can you do to help with digestive disorders?

• Stop being anxious! Those who experience frequent anxiety also experience frequent diarrhea, which is a sign of a viral infection and that your body needs to get rid of toxins. Don’t use over-the-counter remedies as they won’t help you to eliminate toxins. Instead, drink water, and herbal tea laced with chamomile, nettle or alfalfa.
• Don’t hold in your belly! Lots of women think they have to have a flat belly to be happy or beautiful. Hiding your rolls under tight panty hose or jeans will only keep the blood from flowing to your digestive tract and reproductive organs and will cause all kinds of unpleasant digestive disorders.  I never wear tight clothes, mostly because they’re so darn uncomfortable!  Do yourself and your digestive health a favor, and wear loose clothing and enjoy the freedom!
• Exercise regularly, as it will feed energy to an otherwise lethargic digestive system. If you don’t exercise, you’ll compromise your body’s natural ability to cleanse itself, and your body will hold all kinds of bad toxins day in and day out which can lead to disease. Practicing yoga, for example, will stimulate your gastrointestinal system, balance your thyroid gland, make you feel calm, and inspire healing breath, all contributors to a healthy digestive system.

So what else can yoga do for your digestive health?

• Certain poses such as revolved triangle or plough pose, squeeze blood out of your organs and then soak them with new, oxygenated blood, sort of like a “squeeze-and-soak” effect. This helps to freshen and revitalize cells and tissues and enhances your overall physiological makeup.
• If you suffer from digestive problems related to perimenopause or menopause, certain poses can help revitalize your adrenals, thyroid, and liver, soften your abdomen and ease intestinal disorders. Indigestion, acid reflux, or heartburn, common conditions as you get older, can be eased by practicing supported backbends, a kind of cooling pose which will lift your diaphragm and take pressure off your stomach.

Suggested poses for improving digestion:

• Reclining Hero Pose
• Reclining Bound Angle Pose
• Downward-Facing Dog Pose
• Head-on-Knee Pose
• Seated Forward Bend
• Headstand
• Child’s Pose
• Shoulderstand
• Bridge Pose
• Corpse Pose