You should begin by lying on the floor with both of your legs extended. Breathe in slowly and deeply, using the shoulders and the back of the head to support the spine. Next you want to raise your knees to your chest and place both of your hands on your chest just above the heart, resting on the right knee. Now let your abdominal muscles expand and contract, feeling them stretch and squeeze. You may want to think of squeezing a balloon, feeling the air come through as you breathe in.
When you breath out, the air is pushed out of the lungs, allowing it to be breathed in, where it is exchanged through the stomach. This helps move the food and fluid that are stuck in the intestines, relieving constipation. Another reason the stomach expands is because it helps contract the muscles in the abdomen to push the food and fluid out. Yoga for constipation focuses on strengthening these abdominal muscles so they can help ease or stop constipation.
One of the keys to relaxing the large colon and the large bowel is through relaxation exercises, such as yoga. In fact, these two organs play an important part in digestion. The large intestine is made up of three sections: the upper, the middle, and the lower sections. The colon is responsible for moving waste products from the body and moving them to the stool. The lower bowel has a dual purpose: it stores food for the body and removes water and other waste products from it.
There are many yoga poses that help with relieving constipation, and these include the Sukhasana (standing forward bend), Anuloma Viloma (downward facing dog), Trikonasana (triangle pose), Bikram Yoga (belly breathing) and Shavasana (headstand). By practicing yoga poses such as the Sukhasana regularly, you will strengthen your abdominal and digestive system. As your strength and flexibility to improve, you will find it easier and more comfortable to have regular bowel movements.
Another important part of practicing yoga is meditation, because the mind plays a large role in constipation. By learning meditation techniques, you will learn to calm your mind and relieve your body of unnecessary stress. There are different types of meditation, including deep breathing and progressive relaxation. All of these techniques help you to achieve peace and tranquility and therefore help with constipation.
Yoga also includes pranayama, or breath control. Pranayama has two different categories: yonibedha and kapalbhati. Yonibedha is more vigorous breathing control, which increases blood circulation throughout the entire body. Kapalbhati is more gentle and is recommended for people who are experiencing chronic constipation. Both yoga poses increase blood circulation throughout the body and therefore help your digestive organs to work more efficiently.
There are other yoga poses that can also be helpful. For example, back bend and crocodile twist are considered to be good for treating chronic constipation. Back bend concentrates on forcing the anal sphincter to relax, and crocodile twist focuses on relaxing the muscles around the rectal veins. While the yoga poses may seem passive, they actually go a long way toward healing your body by relieving the stress on the digestive system. The increased oxygenation in the blood helps to keep your digestive system healthy.
As you continue your yoga exercises and learn to master the different yoga poses, you will start to feel better and improve your digestive health. Many experts recommend yoga for constipation for those that experience bloating, abdominal pain, and chronic constipation. By learning how to perform the various yoga poses correctly, you will be able to reduce stress and relax. If you want a proven way to improve your constipation and get rid of painful and uncomfortable symptoms, try one of the many different yoga poses that have been proven to be helpful for people.
