Yoga for Better Digestion
Improve your digestive health with these five yoga poses.
The holiday season is upon us and that means lots of family, friends, fun and FOOD! With all of the parties and feasts this time of year, it’s easy to overindulge and get your digestive system out of whack. It’s important to have healthy digestion because it is the foundation for absorbing key nutrients into the body. Yoga can actually help you to improve your overall digestive health and get you back to feeling your best! Try the yoga sequence below to calm your stomach and increase your metabolism in no time.
Stand with your feet hip distance apart, exhale + bend forward from the hip joints, reach down to grab onto your big toes with your peace fingers. Let your elbows fall out to the sides and bend your knees slightly if you have tight hamstrings. Take 5 deep breaths here.
Start by laying on your mat with your arms down beside you ,palms facing up, your forehead on the mat, and your big toes pointing slightly toward each other to engage your thighs. Exhale, lift up your head and torso. then lift up your left leg and right arm, keep the back of your neck long. Release, and slowly bring your right ear down onto the mat, and your right arm back beside you, palm facing up. Rest here for a moment, then exhale and repeat on the opposite side with left arm and right leg lifted. Bring your left ear onto the mat.
Lie on your back with your feet together and arms beside your body. Bring your right knee up into your chest and grab onto it with both hands; pressing it into your stomach. Actively press your left leg down into the mat and keep a long neck on your mat. Make sure to start with the right leg to move in the direction of your intestine (we are trying to move things up and out) Slowly release and then move onto your left leg.
After wind relieving pose bring both knees into your chest and give them a nice hug. you can rock from side to side to massage the back or bring your nose up to touch your knees for a deeper stretch.
Sit on your mat with your legs straightened out in front of you and you feet flexed to protect your knees. with a nice long spine hinge from the hip joints (not your lower back) and reach toward your shins or feet. continue to deeply inhale and exhale while letting gravity pull you deeper into this amazing pose. don’t push or pull yourself, just inhale, and exhale.
All images courtesy of Alyssa Coleman.
