Digestive issues can be a serious problem for some people.  Thankfully, there are a number of benefits that Yoga poses provide for digestion aid and overall wellness.  Here are a few Yoga poses that can help you care for the health of your colon and prevent future issues from arising.

CAT-COW

Come to All-4s with your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips.  Inhale as you dip your belly towards the floor and lift your heart and hips up towards the sky in Cow pose.  Draw your shoulders back and spread across your sitting bones.  Exhale as you round your upper back towards the sky, drawing your gaze towards your navel and pressing your hands and shinbones into the earth in Cat pose.  Continue for a few rounds.  Breathing deeply in these poses will massage your organs as you alternately compress and lengthen the intestines, bringing fresh blood to the epithelial cells, which are responsible for healthy gut function.

CAMEL POSE

You take this pose from a kneeling position.  Bring your hands to the back of your waist, push your hips forwards and lift your heart upwards to come into a backbend.  This shape stretches the stomach, abdomen and intestines.  This helps to improve digestion and relieve constipation.

LEFT-SIDE LYING SAVASANA

Did you know that taking Savasana lying on your left side can ease digestive woes?   This shape is said to open the pingala nadi (digestive/solar channel) as opposed to a regular Savasana which balances the pingala and ida nadis evenly (ida is the lunar channel).   Essentially, lying on your left side opens up the right side, the digestive-oriented side. Taking ten minutes after a big meal to lie on your left side and relax stimulates the nerves connected to the process of digestion to take effect. If you’re not able to lie down, just close your left nostril and breathe through your right for ten to twenty breaths.  This will create a similar effect of stimulating the pingala nadi to boost digestion.  

SHOULDER STAND

Inverted postures are also said to help digestion.  Shoulderstand gently compresses your abdominal organs while also shifting the gravitational pull on them.  Iyengar recommends inversions as a way to stimulate bowel movements prior to practising other postures.  Shoulderstand can certainly help to loosen any blocking feeling in your gut.