Yoga for Constipation

Yoga can help ease the pain and discomfort of digestive troubles. Yoga helps get rid of constipation in two ways.

First, it helps manage your stress response, which can greatly improve the functioning of your digestion system. As you probably know, you’re more likely to get “blocked up” when you’re stressed out. Simply meditating and breathing deeply can help move things along.

Secondly, the yoga asanas benefit your digestive system through various twisting poses, inversions, and forward folds. These poses massage and stimulate your digestive organs by increasing blood flow and oxygen delivery to digestive organs and also help in peristalsis. Practicing yoga regularly will help you in regular, healthy bowel movements.

Instead of taking any medications or Laxatives to cure Constipation, you can try out a natural ways like yoga to get rid of constipation which not only will promote healthy Bowel movement but help calm and loosen up the nerves thereby relieving stress and anxiety.

Yogasanas to Get Rid of Constipation

Pavanmuktasana or Wind Relieving Yoga Pose for Constipation

Pavanmuktasana is one of the best poses for digestion to get rid of bloating. The pressure of drawing your leg against your belly will gently massage your digestive organs and encourage trapped wind to move through your digestive tract and also help ease constipation. This poses compresses and massages your ascending and descending colon, and encourages blood flow to your digestive organs.

Technique: Lie on your back on the floor or on the yoga mat. Raise your legs and fold the knees in such a way that the knees come close to your chest. Fold your hands around your legs and raise the upper part of your body in such a way that your chin touches the knees of both the legs.

Baddha Konasana or Butterfly Yoga Pose for Constipation

Bending a little forward while practicing the Baddha Konasana helps get rid of Bloating, Excessive gas trapped in the body and cramps. Practicing this yogasana also contributes to the reduction of stress which in turn improves digestion and helps get rid of constipation.

Technique: Sit with your legs outstretched on the floor or on the yoga mat. Bend your knees in such a way that the knees rest on either side of the body and the soles of both the feet are touching each other in front of the body. Bend your body in front to get maximum benefits to get rid of constipation while practicing Baddha Konasana.

Halasana or The Plow Pose

Halasana or the plow pose is a very good pose to get rid of chronic constipation. It massages the intestines and helps in getting all the toxins out of the body thereby cleaning the whole body. Halasana also improves circulation in the pelvic area and thus gives promotes digestion.

Technique: Lie on your back on the floor or on the yoga mat with your arms resting beside the body and the palms facing towards the ground. Raise your legs with the help of abdominal muscles and bring them over the head to rest behind the head in such a way that your feet at an angle of 180 degrees and your back is perpendicular to the ground. Hold this pose for a minute while maintaining a constant breath and bring your body back in original position while exhaling without jerking the legs.

Ardha Matsyendrasana or Half Lord of the Fishes Yoga Pose for Constipation

Ardha Matsyendrasana is very beneficial yogasana for nourishing and detoxifying the body and helps in digestion and getting rid of constipation. It massages the abdominal organs and stimulates the digestive fire. The Digestive fire allows you to digest food efficiently, and absorb essential nutrients from the food. It promotes fresh blood to flow to your digestive organs. Ardha Matsyendrasana can feel slightly uncomfortable right after eating, so be sure to twist slowly and gently.

Ardha Matsyendrasana or Sitting Half Spinal Twist

Technique: Sit with your legs outstretched on the floor or on the yoga mat. Place your right foot on the other side of the left leg beside the knee. Fold the left leg in such a way that that the sole of your left foot touches the left hip. Place the palm of right hand behind your back and fold the left arm around the right knee and twist your back to look backward.

Mayurasana or The Peacock Pose Yoga for Constipation

Mayurasana helps get rid of constipation by toning the bowels and regulating the movements and excreting the waste out of the body. Practicing Mayurasana negates the effects of unhealthy food in the body. This asana helps in increasing the intra-abdominal pressure inside the body which reduces the enlargement of liver and spleen.

Technique: Sit on your heels with your knees wide apart. Place your hands on the floor with the fingers pointing towards the body. Bend your arms in such a way that the elbows are pressing towards the abdomen. Touch your head on the floor and bring the strength in the stomach. Stretch your legs in such a way that the upper part of feet is facing the floor. Shift your body weight on your hands and lift your body off the floor in such a way that the body is parallel to the floor. Hold this position for a few breaths or for 10-20 seconds initially.

Balasana or Child Pose Yoga for Constipation

Balasana is one of the relaxing asanas which soothes the mind, relieves anxiety and promotes digestion by stimulating the abdominal organs.

Technique: Sit in Vajrasana. Bring your arms to rest backward in such a way that both the arms are lying on either side of the thighs. Bend forward and bring your forehead to touch the floor.

Stay in this position for a few seconds.

Supta Matsyendrasana or Supine Spinal Twist Yoga Pose to Get Rid of Constipation

Supta Matsyendrasana like Ardha Matsyendrasana stimulates the digestive fire which allows the food to be digested properly and also promotes the blood flow to digestive organs. Twists are generally considered balms for bad digestion and are known best to cure constipation.

Technique: Lie on your back on the yoga mat. Keep your legs straight and spread your arms perpendicular to the body in such a way that the body makes a “T” in this formation. Fold your right leg and take your right knee close to your chest and then draw your right knee over your body and let it rest on the left side of the body. Turn your body to right with your head turning to the right direction as well. Stay in this position for a few seconds and repeat on the left side as well.

Pranayamas to Get Rid of Constipation

Pranayamas stimulate the bowel and help in relieving constipation with the help of regulated breathing techniques.

Kapalbhati Pranayama – Kapalbhati Pranayama helps get rid of all the stomach and abdominal disorders like constipation.

Technique: Sit in Padmasana or Lotus feet pose. Inhale deeply and fill your lungs with air to their full capacity. While exhaling, take your abdominal muscles inwards. A pressure will be felt while exhaling and while the stomach is pushed inwards. Repeat this for at least 3-4 minutes every day to improve digestion.

Agnisar Kriya – Agnisar Kriya pranayama tunes up and stimulates the entire digestive system. It improves digestion and metabolism and helps get rid of digestive problems. It is an excellent exercise to get rid of chronic constipation and indigestion.

Technique: Inhale deeply and fill your lungs to their full capacity. Then Exhale very slowly. Now hold your breath and while holding, push the abdominal muscles in and then release them. Continue doing this till you can hold your breath. After releasing Inhale. Practice for at least 2-3 times and increase the repetitions gradually with practice.

Anulom Vilom: It is said that there is nothing that Anulom Vilom pranayama can’t cure. While regulating the breathing pattern it helps in improving the blood flow to the body and increases oxygenation of the blood.

Technique: Sit in Padmasana. Close your right nostril with the thumb and inhale deeply from the left nostril. Close the left nostril with the ring finger and little finger of the same hand and exhale deeply from the right nostril. Now, inhale deeply from the right nostril and after inhalation closes the right nostril with the right thumb and exhales deeply from the left nostril. Repeat this for 7-8 times. You can practice Anulom Vilom for 5-7 minutes every day.

The Benefits of Yoga to Relieve Constipation:

Yoga improves your stress response, which in turn improves your digestion and helps get rid of Constipation.
The Yogasanas can massage your digestive organs thereby improving the blood supply and helps get rid of Constipation.
Pranayamas stimulate the bowel and help in relieving constipation with the help of regulated breathing techniques.

Precautions and Contraindications While Practicing Yoga for Constipation

Please note that if you have very high blood pressure, you should not practice Kapalbhati Pranayama.
Do not overstretch your body while practicing the advanced asanas. Go as far as your body allows.
People suffering from Back Pains and high blood pressure should practice advanced asanas like Mayurasana, Halasana etc under the guidance of a Yoga trainer.
You need to be stress-free and have a calm mind to reap maximum benefits and get rid of constipation.

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Yoga for Constipation