Feeling bloated? Try these 7 yoga poses to beat indigestion | XpertsReviews.com

Do you feel heavy or bloated after meals? A few minutes of yoga can do wonders for your digestion. Here are 7 simple yoga poses for digestion that can help your gut feel lighter and healthier.

We often associate good digestion with what’s on our plate, but it also depends on how our bodies move and relax. Long hours of sitting, rushed meals, and daily stress can slow down our digestive system, leaving us feeling heavy or bloated. This is where yoga can help you! Certain poses, especially those involving twists and bends, stimulate the internal organs and promote gut health, reducing the risk of bloating, gas and indigestion. In fact, yoga also reduces stress, another key factor in poor digestion.

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How does yoga promote better digestion?

Yoga improves digestion by improving blood flow to your abdominal organs and gently massaging your intestines. “The movements promote peristalsis, the wave-like motion that helps move food through your digestive tract. Combined with conscious breathing, it relaxes the nervous system, reducing stress-related digestive issues, like acidity or constipation,” says yoga expert Abhishek Otwal. According to a study carried out in 2020 in the World Journal of GastroenterologyConsistent yoga practice helped participants experience fewer indigestion symptoms and improved gut motility.

Yoga postures for digestion

Here are 7 yoga poses to improve digestion and relieve symptoms of bloating, cramps and abdominal pain:

1. Anti-wind pose (Pavanamuktasana)

This pose helps massage your abdomen, release trapped gas and relieve bloating. It also supports the saddle. Measures:

Lie on your back and bring your knees toward your chest.
Squeeze them gently and lift your head toward your knees.
Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, breathing deeply, then release.

2. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

This forward fold gently compresses your stomach, stimulating digestion and releasing gas. Measures:

Stand straight, inhale, and as you exhale, bend forward from your hips.
Let your head and hands hang freely.
Stay for 30 seconds to a minute.

3. Rotating chair (Parivrtta Utkatasana)

The yoga twist pose stimulates digestion by promoting the movement of food through your intestines. Measures:

Stand with your feet together, bend your knees, and sit as if you were sitting in a chair.
Bring your palms together at chest level and turn them to one side.
Wait a few breaths, then switch sides.

4. Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

This twist stimulates your abdominal organs and helps detoxify the system. It also reduces digestive problems. Measures:

Sit with your legs extended, then cross your right foot over your left thigh.
Place your left elbow on your right knee and gently turn it to the right.
Hold, then repeat on the other side.

5. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

A calming pose that relieves pressure and relaxes your digestive tract. Measures:

Kneel and sit back on your heels, then lean forward.
Stretch your arms forward and rest your forehead on the mat.
Stay here for a minute or two.

Perform this child’s pose every day to improve digestion. Image provided by Adobe Stock

6. Camel Pose (Ushtrasana)

This backbend stretches the abdominal muscles and promotes better metabolism. Measures:

Kneel down, place your hands on your heels and arch your back gently.
Lift your chest and look upward.
Hold for 30 seconds, then relax.

7. Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

This pose helps massage the internal organs and relieve constipation and gas. Measures:

Lie on your stomach, bend your knees and hold your ankles.
Inhale and lift your chest and legs off the floor.
Hold for a few breaths, then release.

Perform these yoga poses regularly to improve digestion!