“When you learn to tap into the cues of your body, you will begin to hear what it really needs. You’ll begin to immediately feel the effects of what you put into your body, how your thoughts affect your physical self, and how your physical condition is manifested into what you previously understood as ‘truth’. By learning to pay attention to the breath, you step beyond the mind, down into the body. When you can hear and accept these messages, your behaviors begin to change. You’ll have skills for self healing, and digestive disorders will become more manageable and less disruptive.”
– Return Yoga
Your digestive health is affected by many different factors. What you ingest in your day to day, how much you exercise and your emotional body all contribute to the health of your GI tract.
I have always been a very active person and I find that yoga and exercise are major medicines for both my physical and emotional wellbeing. After coming back from a yoga hiatus due to injury, I have just recently reconnected with my daily yoga practice. It's amazing because while my body feels more lean and strong and my face is clearer, magically my mind feels this way as well. When you start to witness the interconnectedness of the body and mind it makes you think twice about what you feed it- be it food, exercise and/or love!
Here are some great yoga poses for digestion. Whether you already have a yoga practice or you are just getting started, you can incorporate these into your daily practice/routine. A very important aspect of yoga is your breath... so remember to breathe and enjoy the moves!
“Practice and all is becoming”
–Pattabhi Jois
0. Warm Up
To warm up the entire system start with three full Sun Salutation A’s.
Check out this link on instructions of how to do a Sun Salutation!
1. Cat cow: Marjaryasana – Bitilasana
Find your way onto hands and knees, shoulders stacked over wrists. Inhale drawing your chest and tailbone upwards towards the sky while belly drops down to the earth (cat). Exhale drawing your navel inwards while arching the spine, dropping your tailbone towards the earth (cow).
Connect the movement with your breath and continue this way for 5 full breaths.
*This pose is a great internal massage to organs! Happy intestines means healthy gut functioning!
2. Lying knee to chest pose: Apanasana
Start the pose by lying on your back with legs stretched long. Then bend one knee while interlacing your fingers and grab ahold of the knee to pull knee towards chest. Maintain a long spine by extending out through the heel of your straight leg and out through the crown of your head.
Breathe here for 4-5 full breaths and remember to alternate sides!
* This pose compresses ascending and descending colon to stimulate the digestive nerves
3. Lying twist: Supta masyendrasana
Bend one knee towards the chest and then drop it across the body creating a twisting action. Allow bent knee to rest at a 45 degree angle or on the floor. Arms can stretch out to the sides while both your shoulders remain connected to the earth. Turn your eye gaze in the opposite direction of your twist.
* This FEEL GOOD twisting pose helps to stimulate, massage, and ease the digestive tract. It stimulates detoxification on a cellular as well as an organic level.
4. Corpse pose! Savasana
Finish your practice by lying on your back. Tuck in your shoulders, open your chest, and allow your knees and feet to fall open outwards. Now give yourself the opportunity to fully relax and assimilate the awesomeness you have just given your body/digestive tract!
* Gravity helps in this posture to compress the internal organs, especially when you focus on relaxing your belly!
Please join me Wednesday April 13th at 7:00-8:00 pm for a FREE YOGA CLASS! This will be a relaxing, all levels class! Bring your mat and a mug for tea~
