Are you struggling with digestive issues on a daily basis? The truth is that it is not possible for you to take medication on a daily basis because it can further damage your digestive system. At the same time, you cannot suffer in silence. When you want perfect digestion, then it has to be a combo of diet and exercise. The best approach will be to try out Yoga poses for digestion.
Why is Digestion Important?
- When your body’s digestive system working properly, then it can absorb the nutrients without a problem
- When your body has excellent digestion, then it boosts the metabolism of your body. It becomes easy for you to lose the excessive weight
- The digestive system must work properly so that the body can get rid of all the toxins
How Yoga can Improve Digestion?
- What Yoga does is that it helps in improving your posture. What happens is that when you do not have a proper posture, then it tends to compress your abdominal muscles. As a result, there is a negative interference in your digestive process
- Well, Yoga can help to stimulate the Vagus nerve. The Vagus nerve plays a key role in regulating the process of digestion. It tends to control the gut motility. When you do deep breathe exercises, then it helps in activating the Vagus nerve
- When you start to perform Yoga on a daily basis, then you will experience mindfulness. Plus, you will get more inclined towards healthy eating habits. As a result, you gradually switch to a healthy lifestyle
Process of Digestion and Its Significance In Maintaining A Healthy Body:
Digestion is the process which tends to break down the food into small molecules. Well digestion impacts several processes in your body.
- The nutrients which your body gets through digestion get converted into energy through processes like glycolysis. The energy produced gets used in muscle contractions and nerve impulses
- Cell utilize the nutrients that get absorbed by your body for different physiological processes like DNA replication and synthesis of proteins.
- When you have a healthy gut, then it contributes to the healthy bacteria in your body. The benefit is that you tend to have a strengthened immune system
Different Digestive Issues that affect Your Body:
- Acid reflux is a condition when the stomach acid tends to flow into your esophagus. As a result, you may feel regurgitation and heart burn
- Irritable Bowel syndrome affects your gut. You may experience mixed symptoms like Diarrhea and Constipation.
- Indigestion is a condition that affects your upper abdomen. You may experience a feeling of fullness and bloating
How Stress Affects Your Digestive Health?
When you are stressed, then your nervous system gets activated. As a result, your body starts to release the stress hormones. Once the stress hormones get activated, then it affects the blood flow reaching your digestive organs. The result is that enzyme secretion gets reduced and your gut motility also tends to get altered.
Link between Yoga and Digestion:
When you practice Yoga, then it helps to improve gut motility. Plus, you will experience enhanced blood flow in your body. The good news is that you will also get rid of digestive discomfort when you practice Yoga.
Best Yoga Poses for Digestion:
1. Seated forward fold:
When you perform Seated Forward fold, then what this pose does is that it helps to compress the abdomen. The pose tends to massage the organs and helps in stimulating digestion.
Steps of Seated forward fold:
- For performing this pose, you need to sit on the floor and your legs must be extended right in front of you
- Start inhaling and lengthen the spine
- Now, exhale and start to fold forward from the hips. Make sure that you reach for your feet or the ankles
2. Seated Spinal Twist:
Well, when you perform the seated spinal twist, then helps your body in getting rid of the toxins. It also massages the organs which exist in your abdomen.
Steps of Seated Spinal Twist:
- Start by sitting on the floor and your legs must be extended in front of you
- Make sure that you bend your right knee and try crossing the right foot over the left leg
- Try placing your right hand on the floor and try hugging the right knee with the left arm
- Start twisting your torso to the right and make sure that you look over the right shoulder. You must exhale when you twist towards the right
3. Child pose:
When you perform the Child pose, then it helps you in getting rid of gas and bloating because it compresses the abdomen.
Steps of Child pose:
- What you need to do is sit back on your heels and start folding forward
- Make sure that your arms are extended in front of you or resting by your sides when you perform this pose
- Your torso must be resting comfortably on your thighs when you are folding forward
- During the exhale you must fold forward and bring the chest towards the thighs. The buttocks must be pressed towards the heels when you fold forward
- You must feel a gentle stretch in your back when you fold forward
4. Downward facing dog:
It is an inversion pose and helps to improve your process of digestion by improving the blood flow to the abdomen. It also helps you in getting rid of bloating and gas.
Steps of Downward facing dog
- You must start on the hands and the knees
- Try lifting your back and hips up so that your body forms an inverted V-shape
- You must press your sitting bones as you try to lift up towards the sky
- Try lengthening the spine by drawing the tailbone towards the ceiling and try reaching the chest between the thighs
- The head must be relaxed between the arms and your gaze must be directed towards the toes
- Make sure that you take deep breaths while you hold this pose. It is essential that you hold the pose for at least five to ten breaths.
Breathing Techniques for Digestion:
Sitali Pranayma:
- Start by sitting or lying comfortably
- You need to place one hand on your abdomen and one hand must be placed on the chest
- You must start the inhalation process with your nose. Your hand must rise with each inhale
- Now start exhaling through your nose and start feeling your hand lower with each of the exhales
- It is important that the chest must be still during the breathing process maintain the pose for several breaths
Kapalbhatti:
- Try sitting comfortably with your spine in a correct pose
- Curel your tongue in a way that it forms a tube-shape
- Now start inhaling through the curled tongue and exhale through the nose
- Make sure that you repeat the pose for several breaths
Ayurvedic Tips for Digestion:
- Focus on your food while eating and try to eat without any distractions bothering you
- Drink water at room temperature or warm water which improves your digestion
- Massage your abdomen with sesame oil in a clockwise direction because this helps to stimulate the process of digestion
Diet for Improved Digestion:
- Include herbal teas in your diet
- Try to minimize the use of processed foods
- You must include sources of healthy fats in your diet
- Have small frequent meals
Lifestyle Changes for Better Digestion:
- Eat at least 2 hours before you sleep so that you will not have to suffer from any gastric systems
- Eat a balanced diet and monitor your weight
- Incorporate Exercise or yoga in your daily routine. It is essential that you indulge in some kind of physical activity for at least 5 days a week
Conclusion:
There is a strong connection between your mind and your gut health. What the gut macrobiotic do is that they tend to communicate between the brain and the gut. As a result, your mood also gets influenced by your gut health. As a result, you must indulge in Yoga for digestion so that you can enjoy an improved health.