Aid Digestion:-

The breakdown of food into smaller molecules that the body may use for energy, cell development, and repair is known as digestion. It begins in the mouth and concludes with the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. It is a combination of mechanical and chemical processes. In order for the body to take them into the bloodstream, complex food components like proteins and carbohydrates must be broken down into simpler ones like sugars and amino acids during digestion this is called Aid Digestion.

What is digestion?

Digestion-defined as both the mechanical and chemical breaking down of food into smaller components to a form which can readily be absorbed by the body’s bloodstream. Digestion System – is a complex series of organs and glands w/c are needed to process the food that was taken.

You might want quick relief while you’re experiencing intestinal problems.

Yoga and gentle exercise are becoming more and more popular as natural remedies for digestive problems. You might be thinking if you should try yoga because so many people talk about how it helps with digestion.

This article explores the potential benefits of yoga for digestion and provides a list of poses you can attempt.

Three Yoga Poses to Encourage Digestion

Yoga: What is it?

For thousands of years, people have utilized yoga as a traditional way to promote health by fostering a connection between the mind and body. It also has a spiritual component for many people (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

The technique incorporates the following to enhance mind-body awareness:

• mild motion (asanas)
• strategies for breathing (pranayama)
• Dyana, or meditation

It activates the rest-and-digest system, which is a parasympathetic nerve system (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

Yoga’s potential benefits for digestion

Generally speaking, “digestion” refers to the process by which food is broken down to release waste and supply your body with nutrients.

Nonetheless, the phrase is also frequently used to describe any digestive symptoms, including gas, bloating, discomfort, and the kind and frequency of stools (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

The digestive system and the brain are connected by the gut-brain axis, a network of nerves and biochemical impulses that pass via the blood (7Trusted Source).

This system allows your gut to directly respond to physical and mental stress by producing symptoms including nausea, constipation, diarrhea, stomachaches, and changes in appetite and digestion (7Trusted Source).

overall health of the gut

Yoga is thought to improve digestive health by lowering stress, boosting circulation, and encouraging the gastrointestinal (GI) tract’s motility, or physical movement.

Bowel irritability syndrome

Yoga may be very helpful for those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Researchers believe that IBS is caused by an overactive sympathetic nervous system, which is your body’s stress mechanism.

Gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation are just a few of the symptoms of the illness (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).

For 12 weeks, 208 IBS participants in a 2018 study either practiced yoga or followed a low-FODMAP diet. Both groups’ IBS symptoms improved at the end, indicating that yoga might be used in addition to other treatments for IBS (10Trusted Source).

Following 16 biweekly yoga sessions, participants in a 2016 pilot study reported improvements in their IBS symptoms (11Trusted Source).

But the study also discovered that walking had comparable advantages for participants. This implies that the primary elements in symptom treatment may be increasing frequent activity and lowering stress (11Trusted Source).

Yoga has also been demonstrated to help with IBS in other studies (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).

Inflammatory bowel conditions

Yoga may also help manage the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disorders including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It should not, however, be used in place of prescription drugs or other therapies (14Verified Source, 15Verified Source, 16Verified Source, 17Verified Source).

There isn’t much research specifically examining which yoga positions are most useful for relieving gastrointestinal problems. Anecdotal reports form the basis of the majority of current assertions. Thus, more investigation on this subject is required by scientists.

Nine digestive yoga positions

These nine yoga positions may help with specific digestive problems or with digestion in general.

1. Parsva Sukhasana, or seated side bend

For beginners who want to stretch their shoulders, lower and upper back, belly muscles, and obliques, this is a terrific routine.

The mild stretch may promote overall digestion and reduce gas and bloating.

How to accomplish it:

• With your hands at your sides touching the floor, take a cross-legged seat on the floor.
• Lean carefully to your right side after raising your left arm straight into the air.
• Hold your right forearm outstretched on the floor.
• Inhale and exhale slowly four to five times. Repeat after switching sides.

2. Ardha Matsyendrasana, or Seated Twist

This move’s twisting motion is believed to help the small and large intestines with peristalsis, which in turn promotes bowel regularity. Food and trash are propelled through the GI tract by this action.

Bloating may also be lessened with this yoga pose.

How to accomplish it:

• Sit with both legs straight on the floor. With your left foot on the ground, bend your left knee and cross it over your right knee or thigh. Stay planted with your left foot the entire time.
• Next, bend your right knee so that the sole of your right foot faces inward toward your left buttock while you gently lean on your right hip. You can maintain your right leg straight if this is too tough.
• As you slowly twist your trunk to the left, position your right elbow on the outside of your left knee. To the left of your buttocks, place your left palm on the ground.
• Make sure your neck is angled slightly over your left shoulder.
• Hold this posture while taking four to five deep breaths. Feel your spine lengthen with each inhalation. Repeat after switching sides.

3. Supta Matsyendrasana, or supine spinal twist

For improving spinal mobility and stretching the lower back, try the supine spinal twist pose.

People think it helps with overall digestion and relieves bloating and constipation.

How to accomplish it:

• The supine position is another name for lying down on your back.
• With your feet flat on the ground, bend both knees. Raise your hips one to two inches (2.5 to 5 cm) off the floor and move them one inch (2.5 cm) to the right. This will enable you to perform this motion with your hips stacked. Return your hips to the ground.
• Grab your right knee and bring it closer to your chest while straightening your left leg.
• Gently turn to the left and raise your right knee over your left while maintaining a straight left leg. Let your knee fall gently over your left leg rather than pushing it to the floor.
• Reposition your right arm such that it is straight on the ground and perpendicular to your torso. For a longer stretch, lightly press your right knee with your left hand. As an alternative, keep your left arm straight.
• Hold this posture for four to five deep breaths. Repeat on the opposite side after that.