Did you know that your digestive system directly impacts your overall health? Problems such as skin allergies, food intolerance, constipation, fatigue, bad breath, mood swings, and sleep disruption are all deeply rooted in your digestive system. Digestion is the process of breaking down food into smaller components that can be absorbed through your intestinal lining.
Once the digestion and absorption process gets completed, the undigested food, bacteria, cholesterol, metabolic wastes, and hormones should be removed from the human body to prevent autointoxication. Therefore, regular bowel movement is very important. If you don’t have daily bowel movements, you may experience bloating and low energy.
How Yoga Improves Your Digestive System?
Yoga Poses improves digestion at night in many ways. These include:
- Stretches the body and massages the abdominal muscles. Due to this, the foods move smoothly and efficiently through the digestive tract
- Eases bowel movements as well as relieves constipation
- Circulates blood to the digestive organs to aid digestion
- Discourages fatty deposits
- Helps in detoxifying body
However, it is always recommended to talk to a doctor before starting any kind of yoga practices. You can also consult a doctor online.
Yoga Poses for Digestion
Practising yoga after dinner eases digestion and helps you sleep better. Overeating at late night disrupts your sleep at night and looking for ways to avoid overeating at night will solve this issue. Apart from these, there are many natural home remedies for sleep better. This includes aromatherapy, drinking chamomile tea, etc.
Given below are 8 yoga poses that helps to improve digestion after dinner.
1. Bow Pose
Bow pose or Dhanurasana helps in relieving constipation and improves digestion. To perform this tricky posture, lie down on your belly, fold your knees and hold your ankle. Inhale and lift your chest off the ground and pull up your legs and stretch it out. Feel the stretch on your hands and thighs.
Hold on to this position for 15 – 20 seconds. After that, bring down your chest and legs to the initial position. Relax.
2. Triangle Pose
Triangle pose is a good yoga pose for digestion as it stretches your oblique muscles that stimulate the digestive organs. Stand straight on the yoga mat and keep your legs apart according to your comfort. After that lift your left hand and bend it to your right side. Now touch the floor using your right hand. Stay in this position for 20-30 seconds and repeat the same on the opposite side.
3. Cow Face Pose
Gomukhasana or cow pose stretches both the abdominal muscles and spine, thereby easing digestion at night. To begin, sit down, keeping your legs stretched outward. Now, bend your left leg and place your left ankle near the right hips. Place your right leg over your left leg in such a way that both the knees touch each other.
Then, bend both the hands behind your back and interlock them. Focus on taking a deep breath and make sure to keep your back straight. Hold on to this position for 20-30 seconds. Release and go back to your initial position. Relax.
4. Downward Dog Pose
Downward Dog pose or Adho Mukha Svanasana is a forward bending asana that helps in better bowel movement. To perform this simple yoga pose for digestion, stand on four limbs to form a table-like structure. Now, exhale and then gently lift your hips. Make sure to keep your hips high. Stay in this position for 10 – 15 seconds and then bend your knees and go back to the table position. Relax
5. Diamond Pose
Vajraasana or diamond pose is one of the best yoga poses after dinner. To perform this asana, sit down on your yoga mat and fold your legs. Place your legs on the hips and place your palm on the knees. Sit straight and take deep breaths. Stay in the same position for about 5 to 10 minutes. Relax.
6. Childs Pose
To perform Balasana or childs pose, sit on your heels. Bend forward and keep your arms alongside the body. Now, tuck your chest into the thighs and lower your forehead. Gently press your chest onto your thighs. Hold on to this position for 15 seconds. Come back to your initial position and relax.
7. Half Moon Pose
Ardha Chandrasana or half-moon pose is another beneficial yoga pose to try after dinner, and it improves digestion. To do this yoga pose, stand upright on your yoga mat. Now, lift your right hand and bend towards the left side.
While doing this, try to touch the ground using your left hand. Stay in this position for a few minutes and come back to the initial position. Repeat this on the opposite side. Relax.
8. Corpse Pose
Shavasana or corpse pose revitalizes your body functions and helps to recover all your energy. Start this pose by lying down on your back. Keep your arms rested beside you. Your palms should be facing towards the sky. Now close your eyes and relax your whole body. Stay in this position for at least 15 seconds.
It is usually advised to practice yoga with an empty stomach, but these asanas mentioned above are exceptional and proves beneficial when practised after having dinner as they promote digestion.
Read: Breakfast foods for healthy digestive system
