Shying away from talking about bowels will not solve the uneasiness you feel during constipation. It is a painful and uncomfortable situation which needs immediate care for quick healing. Sometimes you feel like taking laxative pills, but that could be troublesome during a regular working day. You cannot run to the loo every now-and-then and tell you colleagues that your fine, can you? That could be downright embarrassing and unappealing. Try out some yoga exercises which helps you get back your proper bowel movements. These have been followed for ages and they come with more benefits than just this!
Baddha konasana (Butterfly pose)
This forwards bend posture is an easy yoga to improve your digestive system. It reduces bloating and cramping, and relieves gas. It is also known to open hips and chest and lengthen the spinal cord. It stimulates our reproductive, respiratory and nervous systems.
Process
- Sit on the floor or yoga mat.
- Bring the bottoms of fete together. This will bent your knees.
- Inhale and press your hips down.
- Keep your head straight and drop shoulders down.
- Bring your chest to the front and start pressing the knees down to the floor.
- Your back should stay straight and chest opened.
- As your exhale slowly pull torso forward.
- Close eye and try to stare at your forehead.
- Hold the breath for 3-8 times.
Pavanmuktasana (Wind-relieving pose)
The name itself suggests that the yoga posture is to release gas from body. Not having proper bowel movements is a common problem that we can face at times, and this yoga would solve your problem with ease. It is also known to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles. It tones legs and massages the intestines.
Process
- Lie flat on your back.
- Get your feet together and place arms beside.
- Inhale
- While exhaling pull your right knee on your chest.
- Press the thigh against your abdomen with both hands clasped.
- Inhale again
- While you exhale, lift head and chest from the floor to touch your chin with the right knee.
- Hold as long as possible while you keep inhaling and exhaling.
- When you exhale, tighten your grip as you hold the knee.
- Exert pressure on the chest and slowly loosen grip.
- Retrieve back to the first position and relax.
- Repeat this yoga with your left leg, and alternate thrice.
- Repeat with both legs together.
Ardha-matsyendrasana (Sitting half spinal twist pose)
This yoga posture is followed for stimulating pancreas, kidneys, liver, stomach, spleen and ascending and descending colons – this alternatively states that it will improve your stools and relieve from constipation. This is also known to make your spinal comfortable and increase elasticity. It opens chest and supplies more oxygen to the body.
Process
- Sit on the floor or on the yoga mat.
- Stretch legs in front and keep feet together.
- Make your back straight and spine erect.
- Bend left leg to place the left heal beside the right hip (you can also keep the left leg straight)
- Now take right leg across left knee.
- Place left hand on right knee.
- Place right hand behind.
- Twist your neck, shoulders and waist to the right and look across the right shoulder.
- Make sure your back is still straight.
- Inhale and exhale slowly.
- While retrieving back, breathe out and release right hand which is behind you. Release waist and chest. Finally, release your neck.
- Repeat the yoga on the opposite side.
Mayurasana (Peacock pose)
This posture will be difficult for people who aren’t flexible enough. To those who can try this out, it will be very beneficial for improving digestion and breaking unwholesome food. Apart from toning the digestive system it also revitalizes internal organs, which includes liver, intestines, kidneys, stomach, pancreas and spleen. It is also known to be a detox pose as it flushes off the toxins of our body. It improves sexual health and builds muscular body.
Process
- Kneel on floor.
- Widen knees and sit on heels.
- Lean forward to press palms on floor. Turn your fingers backward.
- Palms should be placed between your thighs and elbow rested on abdomen.
- Slowly, move your legs back, one by one. This will straighten them and have the toes touch the floor.
- Raise your body by tensing abdominal muscles and exert pressure entirely on your palms.
- Let the body straighten parallel to the floor. You will balance the body with elbows and abdominal muscles. The entire weight falls on the forearm and palms.
- Try to hold on to the posture for 5 seconds.
- Increase the count gradually.
Halasana (Plough pose)
This posture comforts liver and intestine. It is also known to improve blood circulation in the pelvic zone. It boosts digestion and heals bowel problems. Practicing the posture regularly will strengthen your neck, abs, shoulder and back. It also soothes down you nerves and reduces fatigue.
Process
- Lie on your back.
- Keep arms beside and palms down.
- While inhaling, exert pressure on abdominal muscles for lifting feet off floor.
- Raise legs vertically at 90 degree.
- Continue breathing normally and add support to your hips with your hands.
- Gradually, lift them up and off the ground.
- Now let your legs cross 90 degrees and bent towards 180 degrees.
- Let it go as long as your flexibility provides.
- The complete exercise requires your toes to touch the floor.
This exercise has to be followed gently. Make sure that you don’t strain the neck, as that can lead to serious injury. Hold the pose for 10 counts in possible, and while retrieving to the initial position, bring your legs down slowly.
