4 Yoga Poses To Relieve Constipation

The important thing to remember with yoga is that you don’t have to be able to do a headstand or even touch your toes in order to practice. The main thing is to go at your own pace as it’s not a competition, and you can practice in the privacy of your own home without the need for loads of expensive equipment.

Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning “union” and is about getting the mind and the body to work together to find balance, harmony and ultimately better health.

# Extended Child Pose

- Start by kneeling on your knees, with your knees touching.

- Sit down so your bottom is touching your feet and your hands are on your knees.

- Place your hands on the floor in front of you and slowly start to move them forward, lowering your body down until your stomach is on your knees and your arms are stretched out in front of you. Your hands stay touching the floor.

- Now relax, taking slow deep breaths in and out of your nose.

- Hold for about 30 seconds and let the weight of your body go so that you are relaxed in this pose, and your knees push into the abdomen to provide relief.

- Then slowly work your way back up.

# Wind-relieving pose

- Lie down on the floor, ideally on a mat or towel to protect your back, with your legs stretched out in front of you and your arms relaxed by your side.

- Tilt your pelvis or pubic bone upwards so that your spine and tailbone are touching the floor.

- Bend your right knee and bring it up to your chest.

- Place both of your hands just below your knee and on top of one another (not on your knee in case of injury).

- Now pull your shin towards your stomach so that it pushes against your abdomen and helps relieve any unwanted gas, as well as giving it a massage as you breathe.

- Hold for about 30 seconds before slowly lowering the leg and repeating on the other side.

# Garland Pose

- Squat down with your feet as close together as possible, and slightly pigeon-toed or pointing outwards.

- Your heels should be on the floor – you can always place a folded towel underneath them if this isn’t possible at first.

- Separate your thighs so that they are slightly wider than your body, and then lean forward between your thighs.

- As you do so, place your elbows on the inside of your knees with your palms together in a prayer position and gently push against your knees, which helps to lengthen the abdomen.

- Hold for 30 seconds, breathing gently through the nose before releasing.

# Chair pose

- Stand up straight with your feet together and your arms by your side.

- Raise your arms up and over your head so that your palms then touch in prayer pose above your head.

- Keep stretching your arms and hands upwards and then slowly bend your knees as much as you can without causing pain or injury. As you bend your knees you body and arms will naturally start to lean forward. Your knees and thighs should still be touching or as close together as possible, don’t worry if you can’t keep your palms together, just try and get your arms along side your ears.

- Now tilt your pelvis or pubic bone, which will feel like you are rounding your spine and creating a bit of a hollow in your abdomen.