Overview
Which are the best yoga poses for digestion or yoga poses that help bowel movements?
With the help of this article, we will try to answer this question and include some basic yoga poses that are very good for digestion. We will also include some of the best yoga poses that will especially help with bowel movements so you can empty your bowel on a daily basis and get much better blood circulation in your stomach and bowel area.
Before that, we should know the importance of digestion and what happens after eating.
The Significance of Digestion
When you eat but the digestive system doesn’t work properly, you will never be able to enjoy food properly. People who feel bloated and have bad digestion after eating usually report that they either feel scared every time they eat to their heart’s content or they deliberately avoid eating too much.
Moreover, every time they think about eating, they keep questioning the food that will help them digest better. In short, it is a constant battle and they have to make sure every choice they make is healthy.
A change in the diet or a simple cheat day can turn into the worst nightmare. This is the reason you will see doctors focusing on your gut health.
Experts also claim that since your gut works as the engine of your body, it connects directly to everything. Especially it connects to your skin, vital organs, and your daily energy level.
What happens after Ingesting?
The way our food works is that when we eat food it gets digested in the stomach. But as it moves down, the water and other salt-based contents are absorbed by the small and large intestines. However, in some cases, the water is absorbed till the end. In turn, the stool becomes so hard that it cannot be passed.
On the contrary, if your gut stays healthy you will notice that even after digestion you will not feel bloated. Moreover, your regular bowel movement will continue. Most health experts link slow bowel movement with long sitting and low physical activity.
Especially people who have desk jobs and who eat processed food claim that they feel discomfort as well as pain. In some cases, you will also see that people report constipation. But, when the constipation issue becomes chronic, you might end up with piles, hemorrhoids, and colon cancer.
To make sure that you don’t face bowel-related issues, it is very important to focus on physical movement and diet so you can improve your digestion.
Why should you choose Yoga poses for digestion?
Yoga Poses offer multiple health benefits. Contrarily, if you take medicine, it will give unwanted side effects. If you choose Yoga, it has many other benefits.
5 Yoga Poses to Improve Bowel Movement and Digestion
Yoga Poses for Digestion: Supta Matsyendrasana
One of the most effective yoga poses that can target your digestive area is the Supine Twist or Supta Matsyendrasana. For this pose, you have to lay down straight with your back against the yoga mat now, use your lower body and stretch it one leg at a time. The goal is to keep one leg straight while folding the other leg and bringing it closer to the chest. Finally, you have to get both legs folded and closer to the chest region
Yoga Poses for Digestion: Parivrtta Anjaneyasana
Another pose that you can try is Crescent Twist or Parivrtta Anjaneyasana. This is a perfect lunge pose where you will stand straight and then stretch your legs. Make sure that you are stretching your legs to the right and left but in the forwarding and backward pose now hold this pose, get your hand in the prayer pose, and then move your upper torso to the left side. Now repeat the same twist on the right side. Then, move your back leg to the front and your front leg to the back. Also, repeat the upper body twist.
Child Pose
Another very simple yet very effective yoga pose is Balasana or child pose. You just have to sit on your yoga mat and tuck your feet and make them a cushion to place your buttock on them. Now, stretch your arms above your head and then hold it for two seconds, finally get down till you touch your nose on the floor. As you get your face on the floor you have to hold your breath and then let go. This is an ideal pose for improving blood circulation in the lower body, especially in the large and small intestine areas.
Bridge Pose
Another very simple and universally used pose for better digestion is Setu Bandha Sarvangasana or simply known as the bridge pose. You have to lie down flat while your back is against the yoga mat. Now, you have to hold your weight on all fours. To make this possible you will raise the core area of your body. This pose is also known as the reverse table pose so your face will be upward and you will only rely on your feet and elbows to hold the weight of your body.
Wind-Liberating Pose
So far the most effective pose for bloating is Pavanmuktasana. This pose will help you get rid of all the extra bloating by improving the blood circulation in your gut area. You will have to lay down flat and then fold your legs near the knee area. Now, bring the folded legs near the chest area and hold them in place.
Bottom Line
To sum it all up, it all comes down to the way you work out. Although most people focus on the lower body stretches which are really helpful but even if you focus on holding the poses that can facilitate digestion or improve the blood circulation in the lower body region, you will be able to see improvement in your bowel movement. However, in addition to movement, yoga stretches, and exercises, you also have to focus on your diet. Eating a good amount of fiber will facilitate your bowel movement and when you exercise this will improve blood circulation making it easier for your stomach and gut to absorb all the essential nutrients without absorbing too much water.