Here are simple yoga asanas to improve digestion and strengthen your gut health

Vajrasana is the only asana which can be done even after a meal. In fact, it is recommended for improving digestion or overcoming an infection, gastroenteritis and so on. Besides strengthening your digestive system, it is also beneficial for spine-related problems, says yoga expert Kamini Bobde

Without a healthy, fully functioning digestive system, there cannot be energy, vitality and dynamism, all of which are necessary to meet the demands of today’s frenetic world. (Source: Unsplash)

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The rain brings relief from heat but it comes with woes of bacteria, parasites and toxins which attack our gut and digestive systems. To make matters worse, humidity and rain slow down the digestive system. This is unfortunate because showers fuel the desire for hot and fried foods. No wonder doctors report a spurt in the number of gastroenteritis cases at this time of the year.

There was a distant cousin whose digestive system was weak and ever prone to diarrhoea, indigestion and so on. So much so that she stopped eating out for fear of contracting a stomach bug. She took up yoga and over time, her digestive system became robust. The strengthening of her anxiety-prone knotted stomach brought about a full change in her personality. From an introverted and worried person, she became an extrovert, carefree person. I myself had a sensitive digestive system and reacted to every change in season or eating out. Just 15 days of yoga set these problems right and was one of the reasons I embraced yoga for life and dived deeper into its benefits beyond the merely therapeutic.

Here are some simple practices for gut health, which anyone can do. The practices have been selected so that even those with heart conditions, blood pressure and even senior citizens can practise them. Only those with knee problems may not be able to sit in Vajrasana. They can adopt any sitting position they are comfortable with. Those with stiff joints initially may place small cushions under their ankle and under their hips.

Vajrasana: This is the only asana which can be done even after a meal. In fact, it is recommended for improving sluggish digestion or overcoming an infection, gastroenteritis and so on. Besides strengthening your digestive system, it is also beneficial for spine-related problems. It is one of the meditational poses.

Practice

• Sit on your yoga mat with your legs stretched out in front of you. See that your head and spine are aligned, straight and relaxed.

• Then fold your legs at the knee and get into a kneeling position with hands placed alongside the body.

• Your feet should be together with the toes touching each other and heels parted.

• Lower your hips on the parted heel.

• This is the final position.

• Keep your hands on your thighs.

• Close your eyes.

• Watch your own breath. Watch each and every inhalation and exhalation without break in awareness of your own breathing.

• After at least five rounds of breathing in and out, shift your awareness to your navel area.

• Watch the outward, inward movement of your stomach area as you breathe in and out.

• Keeping full awareness on the movement of the navel area synchronised with your breath, considering one inward-outward movement of the stomach area as one round, count from 28 backwards to one. Do not miss even a single count.

• Then slowly become aware of your own normal, natural breath.

• Release the Vajrasana.

Agnisar Kriya: This asana targets and activates the digestive system, making it strong and robust. As the name indicates, it stimulates the digestive fire. Your navel area is also the field of the Manipura chakra, which is responsible for running and maintenance of your digestive system.

Practice

• Sit in Vajrasana. (Those who cannot sit in Vajrasana may sit crossed-legged or in Padmasana)

• Part your knees about two feet apart.

• Place your palms on your knees.

• Inhale deep and then exhale to the maximum, emptying out your lungs. Then hold your breath.

• Lean forward a little, simultaneously straightening your arms.

• Press your chin downward, locking your throat area.

• Then move your abdomen in and out for five rounds or as long as you can hold your breath.

• When you want to inhale, then release the throat lock, relax your arms and breathe normally. This is one round. Do three to five rounds.

Swana Pranayama: The benefits are as in the above asana and is an alternate practice.

Practice

• Sit in Vajrasana keeping your hands on your thighs.

• Straighten the arms and lean forward a little, arching your back.

• Stick your tongue out as much as possible.

• Then breathe in and out from the stomach, like how a dog pants, while expanding the stomach as you inhale and contracting it as you exhale. This is important.

• Do this for as many rounds as is comfortably possible.

Pawanmuktasana: Those who cannot sit in Vajrasana may do this asana. Best is to do all three for a life-long and healthy digestive system. This asana is particularly helpful in releasing gas and bloating due to stomach upset.

Practice

• Lie down on your back with your head and spine aligned and the whole body relaxed.

• Keep your hands by the side of your body and see that you do not use your arms or shoulders in raising your legs. The entire work has to be done by the stomach muscles.

• Keep your legs together. Relax, take a deep breath and as you exhale, raise your right leg, keeping your knee straight. Slowly raise it until it is at a right angle to your body.

• Hold for some time. Then with inhalation, slowly lower the leg to the starting position.

• Repeat the same with the left leg.

• This makes one round. Do five rounds.

• After some days of practice and strengthening of your stomach muscles, you can do the same with both legs raised together.

Without a healthy, fully functioning digestive system, there cannot be energy, vitality and dynamism, all of which are necessary to meet the demands of today’s frenetic world.