5 Yoga Poses for Relieving Digestion Troubles

How Practising Yoga Can Help Your Digestive System?

Your gut (your stomach and intestines) can be affected by stress, both from your mind and body.

It's like a communication system between your gut and your brain. When stressed, your gut can react to problems like tummy aches, diarrhoea, irritable bowels, etc.

Now, here is where Yoga comes in:

Stimulating Digestive System

Practising Yoga poses and stretches is like giving a little nudge to your stomach and intestines. The gentle movement can help food and waste move through your digestive system more efficiently. It's like your body needs some exercise to stay fit, as do your insides!

Enhancing Blood Circulation

Yoga also gets your blood flowing better. Think of it like this: your blood carries all the essential stuff your body needs, including nutrients for digestion. So, improving blood circulation through Yoga is like ensuring your digestive organs get all the necessary supplies to work correctly. It helps inadequate absorption of nutrients and water, thus keeping loose stools away.

Promoting Relaxation

Yoga is like a relaxation superhero. It helps calm your mind and body and tells your digestive system to chill out. When you are relaxed, your digestion tends to work smoother, reducing the increased peristalsis or movement of the intestines that can give you loose stools.

So, Yoga isn't just about pose and stretching; it's a way to gently exercise your insides, improve blood flow, and tell your tummy to stay calm.

All of these together lead to a healthier digestive system.

But here's a catch: While some studies suggest Yoga helps with these digestive problems, it needs to be clarified which pose works the best. Most of what we know comes from personal and patient experience. 

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Let's see what those poses do to improve your gut health and relieve loose stool issues.

5 Yoga Poses for Loose Stools: Grab Your Mat

Please find listed below a series of yoga poses that will help relieve loose stools:

Pavanamukthasana (Wind Relieving Pose)

Pavanamuktasana is a fantastic yoga pose for improving digestion and relieving bloating.

How Does it Help?

• This pose is like a hug for your belly. It helps release any trapped gas in your digestive system and relieves uncomfortable bloating, possibly contributing to loose stools. 
• The gentle pressure applied to your abdomen in this pose can stimulate the organs responsible for digestion. Meanwhile, preventing indigestion and ensuring sound absorption of nutrients help relieve loose stools.

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Lie Down - Start by lying flat on your back on a comfortable surface like a yoga mat or a soft carpet.
• Legs Straight - Extend your legs straight, and place your arms alongside your body, with your palms facing down. Inhale gently.
• Bend your Right Knee - Bring your right knee toward your chest as you exhale.
• Hug Your Knee - Interlock your fingers and clasp your hands around your tight knee. You can also hold your shin if that's more comfortable.
• Forehead to Knee - Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the ground, bringing your forehead towards your right knee. Keep your left leg extended on the ground.
• Hold and Breathe - Take a few deep breaths in this position, feeling the gentle compression on your abdomen.
• Release and Repeat - Release your right leg, lower your head and shoulders back to the ground, and extend your right leg straight. Then, switch to your left leg and repeat the process.

You can simultaneously bring both knees towards your chest, hugging them with your arms and forehead for an extra twist.

After completing the pose with both legs, extend both legs straight again and relax on your back for a moment, taking a few breaths.

Marjaryasana-Bitilasana (Cat-Cow Pose)

The Cat-Cow Pose is a dynamic yoga posture that promotes spinal flexibility and provides gentle massage to your digestive organs, aiding digestion. 

How Does it Help?

• Stimulating Digestive Organs - The rhythmic arching and rounding of your back create the cat-cow sequence, creating a gentle rocking motion in your abdomen, stimulating the organs. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Start on All Fours - Begin on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your fingers spread wide.
• Neutral Spine - Start in a neutral spine position, with your back flat and your head aligned with your spine.
• Cow Pose (Inhalation) - Now, inhale, drop your belly towards the floor, arching your back. Lift your tailbone gently towards the ceiling, creating an inner curve in your spine. You're in the "Cow" position.
• Cat Pose (Exhalation) - As you exhale, round your back like an angry cat. Tuck your chin towards your chest, draw your navel in, and arch your back upwards. You can term it as the "cat" position.
• Repeat with continuous flow between the cow and cat poses with your breath, moving slowly and coordinatingly. Inhale for the cow and exhale for the cat. Feel the stretch and movement in your spine.
• Duration - Repeat this dynamic sequence for several rounds, allowing your breath to guide your movements.

Benefits of Alternating Movements

The alternating movements between arching (cow) and rounding (cat) the spine provide a complete stretch and release for the spinal muscles, allowing a good space for proper intestinal movements.

Adhomukha Savasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)

Adho mukha savasana is a widely recognised yoga pose that can significantly aid digestion by encouraging blood flow to the abdominal area.

How Does it Help?

• In this yoga pose, your body forms an inverted "V" shape, with your hips lifted towards the ceiling and your head and chest moving towards the floor. Thus, it improves the blood flow towards your upper body, especially the digestive system.

Step-by-Step Instruction

• Start in Tabletop Position - Begin on your hands and knees, with your wrists positioned under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart, and you should spread your fingers should be spread wide for stability.
• On an exhale, tuck your toes under, lift your hips, and straighten your legs. Your body should now form an inverted "V" shape. 
• Draw your navel gently towards your spine to engage your core muscles. Doing so provides support to your lower back.
• Take slow, deep breaths while holding the pose. Feel the stretch along your spine, the backs of your legs, and the opening in your chest.
• Aim to hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute, gradually extending the duration as you become more comfortable.

You can use modifications like props such as yoga blocks under your hands to reduce the distance between your hands and the floor.

Balasana (Child's Pose)

Balasana is a beautiful resting yoga pose that provides relaxation and gentle compression to the abdomen, offering relief from tension and discomfort. Reduction of stress helps you relieve those sudden loose stools you get in anxious or stressful situations.

How Does it Work?

• Relaxation and comfort -A child's pose is often called a resting pose during yoga practice, and for a good reason. It allows you to relax and release tension in your body completely. 
• Gentle Compression on the Abdomen - As you fold your body forward in a child's pose, your abdomen gently presses against your thighs. This subtle compression has several benefits for your digestive system.
• Relief from Tension - The gentle pressure on your abdomen can help release tension that might have built up in your stomach and intestines.
• Alleviating Discomfort - If you are experiencing gas, bloating, or mild digestive discomfort, a child's pose can offer relief by gently massaging your digestive organs.
• Emotional Release - This pose is also known for its emotionally soothing effects. Stress and emotions can sometimes affect your digestion, and a child's pose can help you let go of emotional tension, further aiding in relaxation and digestive discomfort. This Yoga is for regular bowel movements.

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Start in a Kneeling Position - Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position, with your wrists aligned under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Lower Your Hips - On an exhale, sit back onto your heels. Keep your big toes touching and knees spread apart, about hip-width or broader.
• Extend Your Arms - Reach them forward on the mat, stretching them as far as comfortable. You can also relax your arms alongside your body if that feels more comfortable.
• Forehead to the Mat - Slowly lower your torso toward the floor. Your forehead should touch the mat or come close to it. Use a cushion or folded towel under your forehead for support.
• Breathe Deeply - Take slow, deep breaths in this position, allowing your body to relax and release tension.
• Hold and Relax - Stay in the child's pose for as long as you like, breathing deeply and focusing on relaxation.

Balasana is also a yoga pose for stomach pain and loose stools. 

Ardha Matsendrasana (Seated Twist)

The seated twist is a yoga pose that stimulates the digestive organs, promoting detoxification and improved digestion. Another added benefit of this pose is that the yoga pose also helps prevent the sudden need to visit the loo.

How Does it Work?

• Stimulates Digestive Organs - When you twist your torso in this pose, you gently compress your abdominal organs. This compression can stimulate your digestive organs, including the liver, spleen, and intestines, encouraging them to work more efficiently.
   
• Detoxification - Twisting poses are known for their detoxifying effects. They help to wring out toxins and waste products from the digestive system, promoting a cleaner and more efficient process of digestion and elimination.
   
• Improved Blood Flow - Twists can enhance blood circulation to the abdominal region, providing fresh oxygen and nutrients to digestive organs. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Starting Position

• Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs extended straight before you.
• Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, keeping them hip-width apart.
• Shift your weight slightly to the right and place your right foot outside your left thigh, bringing the sole of your right foot flat on the floor.
• Keep your spine tall and engage your core muscles for stability.

Performing the Twist (Right Side)

• Inhale and lengthen your spine.
• As you exhale, twist your upper body to the right, bringing your left elbow to the outside of your right knee. Use your core muscles to initiate the twist.
• Place your right hand on the floor behind you, fingertips pointing away from your body to support your spine.
• Gently turn your head and look over your right shoulder to see if this is comfortable for your neck.
• Maintain the twist for 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply and gently, allowing your body to deepen into the pose.
• To release, inhale and slowly unwind, returning to the starting position.

Performing the Twist (Left Side)

• Extend both legs straight in front of you.
• Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, just as in the starting position.
• Shift your weight slightly to the left and place your left foot outside your right thigh, bringing the sole of your left foot flat on the floor.
• Repeat the twisting sequence on the left side.

Please include it in your regular yoga practice for digestive health and well-being.

Pranayama for Loose Stools

Ayurvedic yoga experts consider cooling or calming pranayama techniques to help calm your gut movement, which may give you repeated loose stools.

The two best cooling pranayama practices you can add are -

1. Sheetali Pranayama - It features inhaling through the mouth, rolling the tongue into a tube and exhaling through the nose. It cools the body and calms the mind, thus reducing stress-related digestive issues.
    
2. Sheetkari Pranayama - It features inhaling through the mouth when you keep your teeth together and exhaling through the nose. This pranayama also helps calm and relax the body.

Regular practice of these pranayama helps balance the body temperature and keeps you cool and hydrated when you adopt it alongside other hydrating lifestyle measures. Doing so helps balance the body temperature and circulation imbalance caused by long-term loose stools. 

A Yoga Routine for Loose Stools and Digestive Health

• Pranayama - 2 minutes
• Wind Relieving Pose (Pavanamuktasana) - 2 minutes:
• Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) - 1-2 minutes
• Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana) - 2 minutes:
• Seated Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) - 1 minute on each side
• Child's Pose (Balasana) - 2 minutes

In just 15 minutes daily, you can pocket the benefits of Yoga for your loose stools.

How Often Should You Practise?

Aim to practise this routine at least 3-4 times a week for optimal results. 

Consistency is critical to reaping the benefits of improved digestion, loose stool relief and overall well-being through Yoga. You can integrate this routine into your daily yoga practice or perform it as needed, particularly when you feel digestive discomfort or want to promote better digestion. Adjust the routine's frequency based on your personal preferences and needs.

Note to Remember!

It would be best if you practised yoga poses calmly and relaxedly. No vigorous movements will help if you have an acute attack of loose stools. Yoga has an indirect benefit on your gut health and loose stools. You must consult a professional if you have multiple episodes of uncontrolled loose stools.

The Key Takeaway

You can practise Yoga not only to increase your body flexibility but also to increase your digestive flexibility.

The ability of Yoga to positively affect brain health is the root cause of maintaining our digestive health. Moreover, the asanas give an external massage to the digestive tract. You can integrate Yoga into your daily practice, not just when you have digestive health issues.