Yoga to Aid Digestion 9 Yummy Yoga Movements to Aid Digestion
Did you know that there are several movements (pardon the pun) that we incorporate in our yoga practice that are perfect for aiding digestion? Read on to discover a yoga practice to help you when you feel bloated, a little stuffed or just uncomfortable from lack of movement or if you have trapped wind. Here are 9 yoga practices to help aid digestion:
1. Sukhasana Circles
Begin your practice in a cross legged seat and take a few wholesome breathes. Hands to your knees and begin to move in a clockwise direction, leading with your nose. Ground down into your sit bones as you move from the waste. I suggest doing about 10 complete circles. Then for completeness do a set the other way around.
2. Moving Cat Cow – I like to call this “Drunk Cat Cow”!
Come into a tabletop position. Check your alignment first, knees under hips, shins and feet making two parallel lines, hands under shoulders and flat back with the neck a continuation of the spine. Do three-six regular Cat Cows to get yourself started and to help warm up the spine. Then get a little adventurous. As you drop the tummy move your bottom back towards your heels and continue the journey in a circular clockwise movement towards the left shoulder. Arch the back, lower the head into Cat when you are over that shoulder. Cross the front towards the right shoulder and begin to lengthen the tummy as you come back towards the heels into Cow, continuing the journey towards the left shoulder. The elbows bend and move with this version. Repeat at least four times and change direction.
3. Moving Cat Cow Variation
Set yourself up into a tabletop position and then bring your toes together and send the knees as wide as your mat. Send y our hips back towards your heels like in extended child’s pose, then work forward, leading with your nose towards your left shoulder, arch your back, head down into Cat, move across to the right shoulder and begin to roll through, lengthen the tummy for Cow. Journey towards the left shoulder, you can bend the elbows and get as expressive as you like in these Cat Cow variations. Remember to arch as you come forward and lengthen the front body as you go back. Repeat at least four times and change direction.
4. Gentle Side Reaches
In Sukhasana, bring your hands in Anjeli Mudra to your chest and lower your head towards your hands as you turn inwards for a moment and settle in. Bring your right hand down to the mat next to your hips and send the left hand across your body to the right as though reaching for something. Then bring the left hand back and lower to the mat, lift the right hand and send that across towards the left as though reaching for something. Soft, gentle twists from the waist. Take it slowly to begin and then if you feel you want to speed it up. Please don’t do a speedy version of these gentle twists unless you have warmed up the body first.
5. Sukhasana Side Reaches
If you feel that you want a little more from the Gentle Side Reaches, no problem, increase the movement this way: Bring the right hand down to the mat next to your hips and send the left hand up and out on an angle as though reaching for something up high above your right knee. Bring the left hand to the mat net to your left hip and send the right hand up and out on an angle as though reaching for something high above the left knee. Repeat these a minimum of three each side.
6. Sukhasana Side Twists
Follow on the side reaches with traditional Sukhasana Side Twists. Move the left hand behind your hips on the mat and bring the right hand to the outside of the left knee and twist. Remember to inhale to grow tall and as you exhale relax a little and grow the twist. Take three good rounds of breath here. Then repeat on the other side. Send the right hand down to the mat behind your hips and bring the left hand to the outside of the right knee. Inhale to grow tall and exhale to grow the twist.
7. Wind Relieving Pose
Onto your back, knees parallel up towards the ceiling. Take a moment to relax your shoulder and snuggle your shoulder blades under your back.
Hug your knees into the chest and breathe. Hold the shin just below your right knee, hug the right knee into your chest and send the left leg out long and down to the ground. Squeeze your right knee in breathing deeply. On an exhale slowly raise you nose towards your knee, take a full round of deep breathe here and with control lower the head back down. Release the right foot to the floor. Bend the left knee and hug it into your chest, send the right leg out long and down to the ground, breathe. On an exhale lift your nose slowly towards your knee and breathe deep, with control lower the head. Release the right foot to the floor and bring the left foot up to bent knees.
8. Back Roll Circles
This follows on really well from the Wind Relieving Pose. Take a moment with knees bend and feet on the floor, then bring your knees into your chest and hug them in. Gently rock from side to side allowing the lower back to flatten onto the floor if comfortable to do so.
Then come back to centre and begin to increase the movement into small hip circles. These are small movements. Do about three or four circles one way and then the other. When you’ve finished, gently lower your feet and bring them to the edges of your mat, allow the knees to fold into the centre and take a few breathes here to relax.
9. Supine Twist
Lie on your back, feet on the floor, knees bent. Gaze straight up, arms stretch out either side, send the knees to the left. Feel the ground support your back and breathe. A few breaths here. With control bring the knees back to centre and send them over to the right, a few breathes here. Repeat with control if it feels right to do so. You can turn your head to face the opposite way to your legs.
Finally
Do these exercises in the above order to gain maximum benefit or mix and match. Please take a few gentle stretches afterwards working with your breath to cool down. Maybe take Savasana and melt into the ground.
I hope you find this list helpful to help with digestion, wind, bloat and more. Of course, even if you don’t have a need for digestion help these are great movements to practice anyway.
Remember, yoga gives you the tools for so many aspects of your life. Regular practices builds bone strength, flexibility and strength. Regular yoga also helps cardiac care and improves mental health.
Yoga builds the mind, body, heart connection.