Yoga to improve digestion

Gulf News

Yoga to improve digestion. Find out how to beat the aches of overindulgence with routines from Artistic Yoga that help to improve digestion. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv

Transcript

00:00Namaste and welcome to this week's article on Artistic Yoga.

00:16We're looking at what can be done from a yoga perspective to take care of digestive disorders.

00:21As you know we all eat outdoors, we are eating a lot most of the time, we have a lot of stress

00:26in day-to-day life, so the first thing that takes the load is the digestive system.

00:31From basic indigestion to more serious problems, everyone seems to have some kind of problem

00:37with their digesting.

00:38So we look at what can be done to ensure that we have proper digestion and we can enjoy

00:44a meal out like this.

00:47The first thing that we look at is called Pavan Muktasana.

00:51To do this yogic pose, lie down on your back, bend your knees, as you exhale, hold your

00:58knees and press it towards your chest.

01:00You can then touch your chin to your knees.

01:05If in case you have high blood pressure, don't hold for too long and if you have a cervical

01:10problem, don't touch your chin to your knees.

01:14The benefits of Pavan Muktasana include improved digestion and an ability to press the glands

01:21and organs of the body to remove flatulence.

01:24The second pose that we look at is a classic yoga meditation pose called Vajrasana.

01:30Bend your knees and interlock the big toes of your feet and sit down comfortably.

01:36Vajrasana is the only yogic position that can be done after food.

01:42The benefits include resting the body so that your digestion can be more comfortable.

01:49The next pose that we look at is something called Agnisaar Kriya, activation of the digestive

01:56fire.

01:57To do this, come into a standing position, take in a deep breath.

02:01As you blow out, bend the body, placing your hands on your thighs.

02:06Now with the stomach pulled in, start to move your stomach in and out.

02:11Breathing is happening automatically and one's focus remains on the movement of the stomach

02:16muscles.

02:18We now look at two very important yogic cleansing practices or Shatkarmas.

02:23The first is called Kunjal Kriya and is done to clean the stomach and alimentary canal

02:28to the mouth.

02:29It has to be done early in the morning on an empty stomach.

02:32We first take two bottles of lukewarm water with a tablespoon of salt in it and drink

02:40this rapidly.

02:42Once we have drunk the water, then prepare to regurgitate or vomit this.

02:50Bend your knees, get into a comfortable position.

02:52With three fingers, irritate the back of the tongue.

02:57This causes a regurgitation and the water from inside begins to be expelled out of the

03:03body.

03:05What happens while this is going on is that all the bad bacteria and undigested food particles

03:11in the stomach is also thrown out with that water.

03:15Rest, lie down on the mat, rest for about 45 minutes without sleeping.

03:25The next Shatkarma practice that we take on is a more detailed practice called Laghu Shankha

03:30Prakshalana.

03:31This is the yogic form of colon cleansing.

03:34Again it's done in the morning.

03:36First drink two bottles of lukewarm water with a bit of salt in it.

03:41Once you have done this, we do five positions to open the different sphincters of the body.

03:48The first position is called Tadasana.

03:51Breathe in, come up onto your toes, exhale, drop your hands.

03:58We repeat this movement eight times.

04:04The second movement is called Tiryaka Tadasana.

04:07Breathe in, stretch your hands up, as you exhale go down to one side and then go down

04:15to the other side.

04:17Come back and exhale.

04:22The third position is called Kati Chakrasana.

04:26Put one hand on the opposite shoulder, breathe in, turn to one side and then turn to the

04:32other side, exhale, come back to the start position.

04:37We're doing this also eight times.

04:40The fourth position is called Tiryaka Gujangasana.

04:44Lie down, inhale, come up, twist to one side and to the other.

04:55Come back to the start position and exhale.

04:58This is also done eight times.

05:00The final position is called Kavachalanasana.

05:05Sit on your haunches, breathe in, push one knee across and twist and to the other side,

05:15exhale and come back.

05:17Repeating this eight times as well.

05:19All these positions progressively open the different sphincters of the body.

05:24The water passes through the stomach into the intestines and after which generally one

05:30feels like going to the loo and just clear water passes through the digestive tract.

05:37Once you have done this, rest in Shavasana for about 45 minutes to an hour.

05:43Finally, we finish with a yogic cleansing and breathing technique, Anulom Vilom.

05:50Breathe in through the right nostril, block both the nostrils and then exhale through

05:56the left.

05:58Once you have breathed in through the left, block nostrils, exhale through the right.

06:04So we are doing alternate nostril breathing with a retention in between.

06:08Once you have done this for 5-6 rounds, it will help to de-stress you and relax you.

06:14I hope you benefit from this series of exercises and yours too a great digestion.

06:20Happy eating and happy digesting.

06:23Thank you and Namaste.

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