Yoga and Physiology: 6 Yoga Poses to Improve Digestion and Gut Health
Yoga proves to be the best form of movement for awakening sluggish digestion and aiding in the elimination of toxins.
My last few blogs have been all about gut and digestive health. Although every system in our body has its own importance, I would rank or the assimilation and elimination process of the digestive system amongst the highest.
An interruption in this system as we have learned before, can cause a host of problems throughout our whole body.
That is why it is so imperative that we understand our digestive systems and all the ways we can support it to increase health and longevity.
Overview of Key Digestive Processes and Importance:
Our digestive system has an important relationship with our immune system. The immune structure sits outside of the lining of our intestines, ready to combat any dangerous substance we have consumed. Our intestines are our internal systems’ communication with the outside world.
This immune function allows us to have a proper microbiome and proper bacteria living in our gut that is in a symbiotic or helpful relationship.
We have trillions of cells, and then we have two or three times as many bacteria that are coating or digestive system and our skin.
When we keep or digestive system healthy, we are also keeping our microbiome healthy. The bacteria in our microbiome help us produce vitamins, break down foods that we might not be able to, and help us absorb or create different types of nutrients.
The Digestive System
How Can Yoga Help Digestion:
When we are moving, specifically, when we are moving in ways that our body is not as accustomed to in or daily lives, we acquire a multitude of benefits to our body systems.
In yoga, you put yourself in twists, forward and backward bends, and upside down which you might not actually do in your regular life all the time. It is really crucial to move the body across all the lateral planes to increase movement of our blood in the circulatory system and movement of toxins out of our digestive system.
The large intestine contains smooth muscle that when contracted, which is aided by skeletal muscle contraction when we move our bodies, enables the digestion of food to increase in that particular area.
This increases the good stuff being absorbed into or bloodstream and increases the bad stuff being eliminated through our rectums. This particular effect is increased through twisting and forward bending postures in yoga.
Both postures will aid in skeletal muscle contractions which can stimulate both peristalsis and secondary organ function. The arching and extending movements gently lengthen and compress the intestines, which also promotes healthy circulation.
So, a stagnant or very sitting sedentary lifestyle where we're in a chair or a desk all day can actually be harmful for our large intestine.
Other digestive related pathologies that have been proves to directly benefit from yoga and mindfulness include eating disorders, acid reflux, ulcers, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, and diabetes.
Yoga Poses for Digestion:
You can perform these postures directly in the morning in a sequence and hold each pose for about 1-2 minutes. Or, you can perform them in a 15-minute easy morning flow available for free on my YouTube Channel.
1.Cat/ Cow Pose:
This pose is a great way to start any practice. It warms up the spine, massages the digestive organs, and gently stretches the surrounding muscles. The arching and extending movements gently lengthen and compress the intestines.
2. Seated Spinal Twist:
This pose is said to be calming for the digestive system as well as promotes good circulation as you gently compress the digestive organs.
3. Uttanasana/ Forward Fold:
When we bend forward, we increase blood flow to the brain and stimulate the digestive system to start moving which is especially important in the mornings.
4. Seated Forward Fold/ Janu Shirshasana:
Similar to Uttanasana, but just in a seated position which allows more stretch in the hamstrings but a continuous massage of the digestive organs.
5. Supine Spinal Twist:
It is always important to do multiple variations of twists in a flow to continue to encourage healthy blood flow and digestion.
6. Child’s Pose:
Another forward fold, this posture emphasizes calmness which is an important feeling to invoke at any time of your day. This posture applies a gentle pressure on the internal organs, and can help to decrease stress through activating the parasympathetic nervous system
