Yoga Poses to Relieve Constipation
Many of us suffer from the common gastrointestinal disorder, constipation. While some may dismiss it as a minor inconvenience, chronic constipation can lead to serious health issues such as piles, fistula, peptic ulcers, and even colon cancer.
Yoga, a natural science, suggests necessary lifestyle measures and yoga postures to alleviate constipation. Movement is crucial for stimulating bowel movements and expelling waste from the intestines. Yoga postures provide the necessary action and stretching to the digestive tract, helping treat various gastrointestinal disorders.
For treating irritable bowel syndrome, a mind-body connection is crucial, and yoga is the ideal practice to promote a balanced body, mind, and soul. Yoga effectively reduces stress, releases pent-up emotions, and fosters a strong mind-body equilibrium.
Here are six yoga postures that can help reduce constipation and other digestive issues, making your time more pleasant:
1. Standing Forward Fold Pose (Uttanasana)
- Instructions: Stand upright on a yoga mat with feet hip-distance apart. Inhale, extend your arms up, and exhale while hinging forward at the hips. Align your hips over the ankles, relax your neck, and keep your spine straight. Bring your arms towards the floor, placing your palms on the calves. Press the soles of your feet into the ground and hold the pose for 30 seconds.
- Benefit: This pose compresses the abdominal organs, aiding in better digestion and reducing stress, which helps stimulate the abdominal organs.
2. Plow Pose (Halasana)
- Instructions: Lie on your back on a yoga mat with legs extended and arms by your side. Inhale, lift your feet off the floor, bend your knees, and bring them closer to your chest. Raise your legs higher, supporting your lower back with your hands. Keep your legs perpendicular to the floor, then slowly lower your toes towards your head, placing them beyond your head. Extend your arms along the floor behind you and hold the pose for 20-30 seconds.
- Benefit: This posture works wonders for the digestive system and alleviates constipation.
3. Child Pose (Balasana)
- Instructions: Start on all fours. Widen your knees a few inches apart and rest your posterior on your heels. Lengthen your spine, exhale, and bend forward, bringing your chest and heart over your thighs. Wrap your torso between your thighs and place your forehead on the floor. Stretch your arms back, palms up, and close to your hips. Hold the pose for 60 seconds.
- Benefit: This resting pose balances the body and mind, treating irritable bowel syndrome.
4. Peacock Pose (Mayurasana)
- Instructions: Kneel on a yoga mat with knees slightly wider apart. Place your hands on the ground with fingers pointing towards your body. Ensure your elbows are bent and tucked into your abdomen. Stretch your legs one at a time behind you, aligning your body in a straight line from head to toe. Lift your legs, keeping your body parallel to the floor, and hold the pose for 30 seconds.
- Benefit: This effective posture addresses various intestinal problems and promotes a healthy digestive system.
5. Wind Relieving Pose (Pawanmuktasana)
- Instructions: Lie on your back. Bend your right knee and pull it closer to your chest, clasping your hands around it. Release the leg back to the floor, then fold the left knee, interlock your fingers around it, raise it towards your heart, and release it back. Repeat this movement for 10-20 breaths.
- Benefit: This pose stimulates the stomach, small intestines, and transverse colon, activating the bowel system and easing constipation.
6. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
- Instructions: Sit straight on the floor with legs extended in front. Bend your knees, bringing the heels towards the pelvis. Keep the soles of your feet together. Grab both feet with your hands and take deep breaths. You can flap your legs up and down like butterfly wings if desired. Hold the pose for 30-60 seconds.
- Benefit: This powerful asana promotes healthy intestines and bowel systems.
Conclusion
Incorporating these yoga poses for constipation into your daily routine can lead to improved bowel movements and overall digestive health. To dive deeper into these beneficial asanas, explore our Yoga Teacher Training in India at Rishikul Yogshala. Additionally, consider our various programs such as the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in Kerala, 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training in Kerala, and 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training in Kerala. For a holistic approach, check out our Ayurveda Retreat in India and Yoga Retreat in India.
