Digestive distress is a common ailment. During my Holistic Nutritionist training, I learned many ways to support digestive health through nutrition such as; proper hydration, consuming enough quality fibre and taking supplements like probiotics and digestive enzymes. In this article, I’d like to provide four things from a Yoga Teacher’s perspective that you can try to help support a healthy digestive system.

BELLY BREATHING 

As a yogi, I’m of course a fan of breathwork and understand the power it can have on our bodies. Here is one personal story of how breathwork helped support my digestive system.

I’ve struggled with constipation for as long as I can remember. For years I tried a variety of things, along with the support of many wonderful healthcare practitioners. I would get results for a little while but eventually, it would stop working and my constipation would return. Talk about frustrating!

A few years back I started doing belly breathing for pelvic health, suggested by my Pelvic Physiotherapist. We were working on another ailment but what I noticed was on the mornings I did my belly breathing, I would have a good bowel movement. Subsequently, on the mornings I missed doing the belly breathing, I wouldn’t have a bowel movement. Wait, WHAT??? I started to test it out and sure enough, this pattern continued and still does to this day. For my digestive system, it is the number one thing that works. Since I am very much a DOer, I am often on the ‘Go-Go-Go’ throughout the whole day. The reason this breathing exercise works for my body is that it helps to calm my sympathetic nervous system so my body can get into a state of rest and digest (the parasympathetic nervous system). Below I share the breathing technique with you that I do every morning.

10 breaths a day keeps constipation at bay

Get comfortable in your favourite meditation pose. Clear your mind and allow yourself to just focus on your next 10 deliberate breaths. Place your hands on your belly and slow down your breathing by lengthening the inhales and exhales. Breath deep into your abdomen and feel your belly rise and on your exhale feel your belly lower as you expel all the air from your abdomen. Continue this rhythm for 10 slow, deep inhales and exhales. Think of it as giving your digestive organs a massage. If you have more time, continue for as long as you like, I suggest doing a minimum of 10 breaths every morning.

If you’d like to do it with me, here is a video where I guide you through it.

MINDFUL EATING

In today’s busy world we are often rushing through many of our daily tasks, including eating our meals. Have you ever noticed that you’ve finished a meal without remembering what it tasted like? Or maybe you have even said to yourself “did I eat lunch today?”

Our body is amazing! It takes in the food we provide, our organs automatically go to work and miraculously transforms it into the fuel needed to properly function. All of this without us thinking about it. Eating is truly the process of taking in life-sustaining energy.

Mindful eating is a way to help build a better relationship between your body and the food you are eating. It is not a diet and has little to do with calories, carbohydrates, fat or protein. The intention is to help you savour the moment, reconnect with food and help make the best decisions for your unique body. Mindful eating will help you slow down at mealtime so you can better support your digestive organs.

Read my article for 7 ways to practice mindful eating.

SELF MASSAGE

Another simple thing you can do to help stimulate digestion is to give yourself a stomach massage. You can do it over your clothes or warm up some castor oil in your hands and apply it directly to your stomach.

DIRECTIONS: It’s important to move in the clockwise direction described here. Start on the lower right side of your stomach, close to the pelvic bone. Using your fingertips, rub in a small circular motion upwards to your rib bones. Continue your small circles straight across to the left side of your rib bones. Then work your way down to the lower left side of your stomach, close to the pelvic bone, and make your way back to where you started. Repeat this massage for 2-3 minutes.

Note: This image is mirrored for you to follow along easier.

YOGA POSES

Here are a few of my favourite poses to support digestion. Focus on taking long, deep belly breaths as you hold these poses.

Yogi Squat

Did you know that two-thirds of the world’s population goes to the bathroom this way every day? It’s the same reason that the Squatty Potty has become so popular. It helps to position your body in a natural way to promote excretion.

To get into the pose, start by standing with the feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and your toes pointed outward. Squat straight down with your hands in front of you as a guide. Once down, place your hands in prayer and your elbows on the inside of your knees. Gently push your elbows against the knees or shins to help open your hips a little more. Hold for 30-60 seconds.

Option: you can also sit on a yoga block or a stool if getting all the way down is too hard on your knees.

Wind Release

Have you ever done this to a baby to help them with constipation? Well, it works for us adults too. The wind release pose gently massages the abdominal organs, helps to release tension in the belly area and the low back.

Lay on your back and bring your knees up to your chest. Grab behind your knees or hug yourself on top of your knees if you can reach them. You can rock side to side to give your low back a massage. Hold for 30-60 seconds.

Supine Spinal Twist

Twists help to compress the stomach and massage the internal organs. Doing a gentle twist on your back is also a great way to help calm the nervous system and release tension in the spine.

Lay on your back with your legs stretched out and your arms out to the side in a T shape. Pull your right knee toward your chest. Place your left hand on your right knee and use your hand to help guide your knee towards the left side, dropping your right knee toward the floor (or onto a block or pillow). Try to keep both shoulders on the floor. Hold for 30-60 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Let me know if you have any questions about these poses. I can help to make adjustments that are right for you if it’s not feeling good in your body. Be sure to always listen to your body and don’t push into any move where you are feeling pain or pinching.