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If you’ve over-indulged or eaten rich foods that you’re not used to eating this week (I know I have!), you may be experiencing indigestion and related issues such as bloating, stomach ache, acidity and constipation. For relief, look no further than the ancient practice of yoga.
“Yoga can have beneficial effects on a person’s digestive system,” Kelly Clifton-Turner, E-RYT 500 and Director of Education for YogaSix tells us. “Yoga is fantastic for digestion for a variety of reasons. All of the bending, folding, twisting, and stretching subtlety moves the torso. That movement massages the stomach and digestive tract through gentle compression and release of the organs.”
Yoga aids in digestive health by reducing stress, increasing circulation and promoting physical movement of the gastrointestinal tract, she explains. “Add to that, yoga helps the body move out of the ‘fight or flight’ stress state controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, and into the ‘rest and digest’ state of the parasympathetic nervous system.” Here are Kelly’s top three recommended yoga moves to relieve your bloating and indigestion right now:
Puppy Pose
"Puppy Pose is a great posture to relieve gas and bloating, thanks to the same principles that allow champagne bubbles to rise to the top of the glass! Gas rises." Kelly explains. "It's a blend of Downward Facing Dog and Child's Pose that primes the hips as the highest point in the body, which gives any trapped gas bubbles the perfect path to freedom." Ah, sweet relief. Pro tip: this stretch is best done in a private room if you're hoping to release some backed-up gas, she caveats.
How to do it: Come onto your hands and knees. Walk your hands forward as far as they'll go, keeping your hips high over your knees. You can rest your forehead or chin to the earth, and stay for 8-10 breaths.
Seated Twist
"Twists in yoga are known to be great for aiding digestion," Kelly explains. "The theory is, twist to the right first to stimulate the ascending colon which processes digestion, then move on to the left side to stimulate the descending colon, which is responsible for elimination."
How to do it: Sit comfortably with your legs extended forward. Cross your right foot over your left thigh, keeping your knee pointed to the sky. If available, you can hook your left heel under and around towards your right hip. Tent your right fingertips behind your right hip. Inhale and extend your left hand to the sky to lengthen your waist. Exhale, twist towards the right, either hugging your knee into your chest with your left arm or hooking your left elbow outside of your right knee. Each inhale, focus on lengthening your spine. Each exhale, explore deepening the twist. After a few rounds of breath, inhale to release, and switch sides.
Wind Relieving Pose
"Wind Relieving Pose is also fantastic for compressing the large and small intestine, which can help move things along," Kelly explains.
How to do it: Start by laying on your back. Draw your right knee in towards your chest, interlacing your hands around your shin or behind your thigh. Draw in a deep breath in. Exhale, and peel your right knee wide of the ribs towards your right armpit. Stay for a few rounds of breath, applying gentle compression to the right side of your belly. This puts pressure on your ascending colon, which aids in digestion. Exhale to release your right leg back to the floor. Repeat on the left side. By compressing the left side of your body, you put pressure on the descending colon, which aids in elimination.
