6 Yoga Poses to Help Digestion

Oh yes! The holidays, vacations, parties, special occasions…You know, those days when we eat too much, move too little, and digestion can’t quite keep up. We’ve all been there.

Slow digestion and elimination happens frequently, either chronically because of certain health conditions and overall lifestyle, or during special occasions like the holiday season.

Whatever the reason, yoga can help move things around. Here are my favorite five yoga poses to promote healthy digestion. 

Layout a yoga mat or practice on a carpeted floor or blanket. Hold each pose for about 3-5 deep breaths.

1. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Benefits:

Stretches the hamstrings, calves, and low back. It strengthens the arms and wrists and opens the chest. It is a mild inversion so it has a calming effect, soothes headaches, and stimulates the cardiovascular system.

How-to:

Start in tabletop position, with hips over knees and shoulders over wrists.

Walk the hands forward (about eight inches past the shoulders).

Tuck the toes under. Lift the knees, then hips up and back, creating an inverted V-shape.

Keep the feet hip distance, flex the feet, and reach the heels down towards the ground.

Engage your core, pulling the front ribs in (as if you had a very tight corset and you couldn’t stick your ribs out).

Spread the fingers without overstretching them and root down through the inner hands (index finger and thumb).

Relax the head and neck.

2. Twisted Downward Facing Dog (Parivrtta Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Benefits:

This one’s a triple whammy! It’s a forward fold, an inversion, and a twist. It’s my all-time favorite pose for digestion. Like downdog, revolved downward facing dog helps to stretch out the hamstrings as well as the sides of the legs (IT bands). The twisting action and head-below-the-heart aspects of the pose provide an energizing effect while promoting detoxification and digestion.

How-to:

From downdog, walk your feet forward about 2-3 inches (enough to bring your heels closer to the ground).

Wrap your right hand around your left outer ankle.

Keep pressing the ground away with your left hand.

Slowing start to turn your chest towards your left, so that your left ear is right by your left upper arm.

3. Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

Benefits:

Standing forward fold stretches the hamstrings, calves, and glutes. This is another head-below-the-heart pose which is great for headaches, migraines, and anxiety relief. It stimulates digestive organs which helps to promote healthy digestion and elimination.

How-to:

From Downdog, walk your feet forward towards your hands, or your hands back towards your feet. Either way works.

Bend your knees enough so that you can rest your torso on your thighs.

Let the upper body hang down .

Relax the hand and neck.

Either let your arms dangle like rag doll or grab opposite elbows.

4. Wide Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Benefits:

Similar to the standing forward fold, Prasarita Padottanasana stretches the hamstrings, calves and glutes. It also stretches the inner legs and low back. It offers a calming effect and promotes healthy digestion by stimulating digestive organs.

How-to:

From Tadasana (mountain pose or standing position), step your left foot back about about three feet distance so that your feet are parallel and wide apart.

Turn your toes slightly in, heels slightly out.

Place your hands on your hips and point the elbows towards the wall behind you.

Inhale, then on the exhale, fold at the hips, lowering the torso and crown of the head towards the floor.

As in the standing forward fold, either let your arms dangle down heavy or grab opposite elbows.

Shift the weight slightly towards the toes.

Engage your quads and abdominals.

5. Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

Benefits:

Bow pose stretches the shoulders, chest, abdominals, quads, and hip flexors. It strengthens the hamstrings, glutes, and upper back muscles. Bow pose helps to stimulate abdominal organs and stimulates digestion and detoxification.

How-to:

Lie down on your stomach.

Bend your knees.

Reach your arms back and grab your inner or outer ankles.

Keep your knees as close together as possible.

Engage your abdominals and start to kick your feet and shins towards the wall behind you.

Lift the chest and squeeze shoulder blades towards each other.

6. Reclined Twist (Jathara Parivartaranasana)

Benefits:

The restorative aspects of this pose offer a lovely calming effect while passively stretching the outer legs (IT band and outer hips), glutes, low back muscles, shoulders and chest. The twisting action helps to massage internal organs facilitating digestion and elimination.

How-to:

Lie down on your back with your knees bent and soles of the feet on the floor.

Lift your hips off the ground and move them a few inches to the left, then turn your knees to the right.

Move your knees up so that they’re in line with the hips, or your belly button.

Open the arms into a t-shape, turning your chest towards the ceiling.

Gaze over the left shoulder, or towards the ceiling.