Yoga for Digestion: 9 Yoga Poses to Improve Gut Health

The way you eat has an effect on the way your digestive system operates. Many people are always looking for ways to promote a healthy digestive system for better gut health, but most do not know what foods distress the body and what foods make it feel great.

But did you know that the practice of yoga not only can relieve stress and anxiety and also can ease digestive symptoms such as gas, bloating, and cramping? (1) Performing specific poses can create a detoxifying effect on the body. Many of the asanas that twist and/or cause a tourniquet effect aid in moving colonic waste from the large intestine and colon.

Yoga Poses for Digestive Health

Here are a few of the recommended poses that improve digestion, why you should do them, and how they are done.

1. Boat pose

The boat pose focuses on the abdominal muscles, strengthening the intestines and aiding in digestion. It also increases the release of digestive enzymes. When this pose is done in its full expression it elevates the diaphragm, which relieves stomach and liver pressure.

2. Seated forward bend pose

The seated forward bend pose stimulates the liver and kidneys while helping in digestion. When the body moves forward in this pose, pressure is put on the digestive and pelvic organs. Because of this pressure, you are healing and toning the organs from the inside.

Preferably perform this pose before bedtime to help your body relax and get a good night’s sleep.

Caution: This pose is not recommended if you have asthma or diarrhea, unless you are doing it under the guidance of an instructor.

3. Camel pose

The camel pose is a very intense pose. Upon coming out of the pose, you will feel the benefits.

The camel pose increases blood circulation throughout your entire body including the digestive system. It stimulates the digestive system by elongating the torso, which wakes up the digestive process. This also aids in relieving heartburn symptoms.

4. Wind-relieving pose

As the name suggests, the wind-relieving pose removes gas and relieves stomach ailments. This pose relaxes your body, bowels, and intestines, helping you to pass gas.

5. Sitting half spinal twist

By creating a tourniquet effect, the sitting half spinal twist efficiently releases the toxins in the digestive system so it continuously stimulates detoxification of the gut. Twists are a massage for your internal organs by increasing blood flow to the area. They relieve gas, bloating, and constipation.

6. Triangle pose

The triangle pose improves digestion, stimulates appetite, and relieves constipation. By massaging the abdominal region while simultaneously stimulating blood flow, the kidneys and other abdominal organs are prompted to work more effectively.

Caution: Do not do this pose if you have recently hurt your hip, back, or shoulder as it can aggravate your condition. The same is true for chronic injuries. The triangle pose is also not recommended if you are suffering from diarrhea, hypotension, light-headedness, and headaches. If you have a heart problem, only try this pose against a wall to avoid undue exertion.

7. Cat and cow pose

The cat and cow pose opens your stomach to relieve gas, bloating, and stress in the gut while aiding in the movement of food through the digestive system. It also helps stretch your spine in both directions to relieve muscle tension and the resultant back pain.

8. Child’s pose

The child’s pose is considered the most restorative because it relieves stress through its calming effect. This pose compresses the digestive organs, which helps stimulate digestion. By easing stress, this pose can decrease the severity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and stomach ulcers.

9. Upward-facing dog

The upward-facing dog helps bring space to the abdomen. By opening your core, you are stimulating the organs of the digestive system. This pose stimulates the intestines, which aid in the elimination process and relief of the bowels.

How to do the pose:

1. Lie flat on your belly.
2. Bend your elbows and place your hands beside your chest.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
4. Push the inner edges of your hands into the ground and slightly backward like you are trying to lift your lower spine out of your pelvis.
5. Slowly raise your upper body off the floor while keeping your legs straight and strong.
6. Breathe in and elevate your torso further while also lifting your hips and thighs off the ground.
7. Drop your head back slightly without compressing the back of your neck.
8. Don’t bend your arms, keep your legs strong, and press through the tops of your feet.
9. Hold this position for 1–3 deep breaths.
10. Breathe out and slowly bring your back down to the ground.

Yoga is truly an overall body wellness practice. All of the poses can aid in stimulating the digestive system and promoting a healthy gut. A few more poses to be mindful of when wanting to promote a better digestive system are the bow, superhero, plow, crow, bridge, downward-facing dog, legs-up-the-wall, and savasana poses.

As you are seeking spiritual enlightenment through yoga, you should also start practicing enlightening the body. Gut health is truly the baseline for overall health. It has been proven that your physical health and mental health are direct results of your diet. Yogis believe food has a life force called prana. Prana is an energy that comes from the sun and earth.

It is estimated that 500–1000 species of bacteria live in the human gut. (4) The vast majority of these bacteria live in the large intestine. Many of these bacteria are used to break down nutrients in the digestive tract that humans could not digest.

These bacteria are part of the gut flora that lives in the digestive tract. They perform a number of beneficial functions for their hosts. The relationship between gut flora and humans is symbiotic. (5) Though people can survive with no gut flora, these microorganisms perform a host of functions. They ferment unused energy substrates, train the immune system, prevent the growth of harmful species, and regulate the gut.

It is important to know your body, recognizing which foods are beneficial or detrimental to your overall health. By trying an elimination diet, this knowledge can be acquired, helping you to live a healthy lifestyle. There is no one-size-fits-all method when it comes to diet and/or lifestyle.

Many experts agree that yoga should be performed on an empty stomach, generally 1–2 hours after normal eating and at least 4 hours after a heavy meal. Having a large meal can cause you to have nausea, bloating, and/or gas, while being fully fasted can cause dizziness.