Perform These Yoga Poses Withing The Comfort of Your Home To Improve Digestion

Do you feel bloated, irritable and sluggish all day long? It may be time to incorporate some yoga in your regular exercise routine to get things moving at an optimal pace.
There are certain yoga poses which can help improve your gut flora and boost your digestion. It is best to practise these poses on an empty stomach. To reap the most benefits, it’s best to drink a lot of water either before or afterwards but not during your practice. The best part is that you can perform these yoga poses within the comfort of your home and without any special equipment.

* Standing forward bend

Make sure feet are hip-width apart and inhale to raise arms up. Lowering down, exhale and bend at the hips to come forward. Tuck chin in towards chest and lengthen head towards the floor. Bend your knees if it’s more comfortable. Hold for 5 to 7 breaths. Performing this pose calms nervous system and pacifies adrenals in the kidneys to compress abdominal area to aid in digestion.

* Downward facing dog

Begin on all fours. Inhale and tuck toes under your heels. Lift your hips upwards coming to an inverted V shape. Spread fingers and allow your heels to lower as closely to the ground as possible. Let your head rest between your arms and hold for 5 to 7 breaths (or as comfortable).This pose allows for the traction of the spine and creates space in the torso for digestion to occur.

* Triangle pose

Bend knees and step (or jump) feet leg-length apart, placing right foot at 90 degrees and left foot is slightly turned in (heel to arch alignment). Inhale to extend arms out to the side reaching right hand over right leg. Bring your right hand down to the floor. Stack left shoulder on top of right. Lift left arm straight up and look up. Hold for 5 to 7 breaths. Switch and do the opposite side.Side bending opens up the oblique, and the twisting motion tones and energizes abdominal organs, especially the intestinal tract and liver.

* Boat pose

Begin seated with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Come forward on your sitting bones and lean back until elbows are straight. Lift feet two inches from the floor and bring arms forward, palms facing the floor. Straighten your knees and tighten your core. Lift legs to create a V shape forming a 45- to 60-degree angle. Hold for 5 to 7 breaths. This pose is especially helpful as it liftsdiaphragm to take pressure off stomach and liver creating space for air to flow through the belly. Because the pose requires you to engage your core and lower back to maintain support, pressure is being placed on the abdomen to aid in digestion.

* Seated twist

Begin by sitting firmly on your buttocks. Place your left leg straight on floor and toes face up. Right knee bent with the right foot outside of the left thigh. Both sitting bones are on the floor. Place right hand behind the body. Inhale to raise left arm up and exhale bend the left elbow and place left elbow on outside of right thigh or hug right knee into chest to sit tall. Inhale to extend spine upward and exhale to deepen into twist. Hold for 5-7 breaths. Each exhale is an opportunity to deepen more into the twist. This pose allows blood to flow through the digestive tract and by the motion of the twist new blood will enter the digestive system.