Yoga asanas to aid digestion

All the food that we eat has to travel an average distance of almost 35 feet through the body. It passes through the mouth, gullet, small intestine, and large intestine. It interacts with saliva, secretions of the pancreas, gall bladder, and liver and is broken down by digestive enzymes and acids. During this process, nourishment is absorbed by the body. Regular practice of these recommended asanas effectively alleviates digestive disorders like indigestion, acidity, constipation, and diarrhea.

Yoga asanas for digestive issues:

• Trikonasana
• Utthita parsvakonasana
• Adhomukh svanasana
• Uttanasana
• Ardh matsyendrasana
• Paschimottanasana
• Mayurasana
• Sirsasana
• Sarvangasana
• Halasana
• Savasana

Trikonasana:

Stand straight, inhale deeply, and with a jump spread apart the legs sideways 3 to 3.5 feet. Raise the arms sideways, in line with the shoulders, palms facing down. Keep the arms parallel to the floor. Turn the right foot sideways 90 degrees to the right. Turn the left foot slightly to the right, keeping the left leg stretched from the inside and tightened at the knee. Exhale, bend the trunk sideways to the right, bringing the right palm near the right ankle. Stretch the left arm up bringing it in line with the right shoulder and extend the trunk. Gaze at left hand's palm. Hold it for a minute and then repeat for the other side.

Utthita parsvakonasana:

Stand straight and take a deep inhalation and with a jump spread the legs apart sideways to 4 to 4.5 feet. Raise the arms sideways, in line with the shoulders, palms facing down. While exhaling slowly, turn the right foot sideways 90 degrees to the right, and the left foot slightly to the right, keeping the left leg stretched out and tightened at the knee. Bend the right leg at the knee until the thigh and calf are perpendicular to each other and the right thigh is parallel to the floor. Place the right palm on the floor by the side of the right foot, the right armpit covering and touching the outer side of the right knee. Stretch the left arm out over the left ear. Keep the head up. Tighten the loins and stretch the hamstrings. Hold this asana for half a minute and then change the sides.

Adho Mukha svanasana:

Lie on the floor on your stomach keeping the feet slightly apart. Rest the palms by the side of the chest, the fingers straight and pointing in the direction of the head. Exhale and raise the trunk. Straighten the arms, move the head inwards towards the feet and place the crown of the head on the floor, keeping the elbows straight and extending the back. Do not bend the knees, the heels and soles of the feet should be on the ground parallel to each other. Hold the pose for about a minute.

Uttanasana:

Stand straight keeping the knees tight. Exhale, bend forward, and place the fingers on the floor. Then place the palms on the floor by the side of the feet, behind the heels. Do not bend the legs at the knee. Try to hold the head up and stretch the spine. Move the hips a little forward towards the head to bring the legs perpendicular to the floor. Remain in this position and take two deep breaths. Exhale, move the trunk closer to the legs, and rest the head on the knees. Do not slacken the grip at the knees, but pull the kneecaps well up. Hold this position for a minute with deep and even breathing. Inhale, raise the head from the knees, but without lifting the palms from the floor. After two breaths. lift the hands from the floor and come back to the original position.

Ardh matsyendrasana:

Sit with the legs straight in front of the body. Place the right foot on the floor outside the left knee. Bend the left leg to the right and place the left heel against the right buttock. Place the left arm outside the right leg, and with the left hand hold the right foot or ankle. The right knee should be as near as possible to the left armpit. Turn the body to the right, placing the right arm behind the back. Twist the back and then the neck as far as possible without strain. Hold for 15 seconds and return back. Repeat for another side. People with very stiff bodies can keep the folded leg straight.

Paschimottanasana:

Sit on the floor with the legs straight in front of the body, and the lower arms on the thighs. Relax the whole body, especially the back muscles. Slowly bend the body forward. Try to grasp the big toes with the fingers and the thumbs. If this is impossible then hold the heels, the ankles, or the legs near to the feet as possible. Again consciously relax the back and leg muscles. Keeping legs straight, pull the trunk forward slowly without strain. If possible touch the knee with the forehead. Exhale slowly while bending forward, breathe normally while in the pose, and inhale while coming back. It massages the abdominal organs keeping them soft and rejuvenated. People with slipped disc sciatica, chronic arthritis, and sacral infection should not do this. After practicing this asana for a few minutes with deep breathing, a special feeling of calmness and clarity can be observed.

Mayurasana:

Kneel on the floor. Place the feet together and separate the knees. Lean forward and place both palms between the knees on the floor, with the fingers pointing towards the feet. Bring the elbows and forearms together. Lean further forward and rest the abdomen on the elbows and the chest on the upper arms. Stretch the legs back so they are straight and together. Tense the muscles and slowly elevate the trunk and the legs. The whole body should be balanced on the palms only. Maintain for short time, come back to the original position, and rest. Repeat up to three times. Ideally, you should end your practice with this pose. No inverted poses should be done after this pose. It should not be done by people with high blood pressure, hernia, and stomach ulcers.

Sirsasana:

Sit near a four-folded blanket in a thunderbolt pose or vajrasana. Bend forward and place the forearms on the ground with fingers intertwined and the elbows in front of the knees. Place the crown of the head between the intertwined hands. Be sure it is tightly wedged in so that it can not roll backward when pressure is applied. Lift the knees off the ground and raise the buttocks until the legs are straight. Slowly walk the legs toward the trunk and allow the knees to bend so that the back is upright and the thighs press against the abdomen and lower chest. Slowly transfer the bodyweight from the toes to the head and the arms, and raise one foot a few inches off the ground. Raise the other foot and balance on the head and the arms. When balanced, raise and straighten the hips so that the thighs move up and away from the torso. Straighten the legs. The body should be perfectly straight from head to toe. Hold this asana for some time and then fold your legs and come down. For general health benefits, 3 to 5 minutes is sufficient. Do not rush into the pose, do it step by step and perfect every step before moving on to the next one. People with high blood pressure, vertigo, heart palpitations, thrombosis, impure blood, severe nearsightedness, and chronic constipation should not do it without a teacher near.

Sarvangasana:

Lie flat on the back with the feet together, the arms by the sides, and palms flat on the ground. Using the arms as levers raise the legs and back to a vertical position. Bend the elbows and use the arms as props to steady the back by pressing it with the palms. The trunk and legs should extend straight up, forming a right angle with the neck, and chest pressing against the chin. Retain the breath inside while assuming and returning from this pose. Breathe normal while in the pose. Hold for three to five minutes. It should not be attempted by people with high blood pressure, heart ailments, enlarged thyroid, liver, and spleen.

Halasana:

Lie flat on the back with the arms straight, and slowly raise your legs to the vertical position above the body. Now bend the trunk upwards, hips first. Slowly lower the legs over the head and touch the floor with the toes of the feet. Relax the body. If you are not able to touch your toes due to a tight hamstring at the start you can put your legs on a chair. With time they will elongate. Not for old people, sufferers of sciatica, and back ailments.

Savasana:

Lie flat on the back full length like a corpse. Keep the hands a little away from the thighs, with the palms up. Close your eyes. Keep the heels together and the toes apart. To start with, breathe deeply. Later the breathing should be fine and slow, with no jerky movements to disturb the spine or body. Concentrate on deep and fine exhalations, in which the nostrils do not feel the warmth of the breath. The lower jaw should hang loose and should not be clenched. The tongue and pupil of the eyes should be passive. Relax and breathe out slowly. Stay in the asana for 15 to 20 minutes.

Along with these asanas, a good diet is also required. Avoid dairy products, nonveg, and junk foods for a couple of months. You will become very clean internally by regular practice of these asanas.

Thank you and stay healthy!

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