Bloating and trapped gas cause significant discomfort. Yoga offers a gentle, physical approach to relieve these common digestive issues through mindful movement and breath. This practice encourages the natural movement of air through the digestive tract, moving beyond temporary relief.
How Yoga Stimulates Digestion
Movement is a powerful tool for encouraging a sluggish digestive system. Specific yoga postures utilize gravity and physical pressure to aid the body’s internal processes. This physical manipulation helps shift trapped air and waste materials through the intestines.
Many yoga postures involve abdominal compression, which gently squeezes the internal organs. This action massages the stomach and intestines, stimulating the wave-like muscle contractions known as peristalsis. Increased peristalsis helps propel gas and digested material along the gastrointestinal tract, leading to relief from bloating. Twisting and folding movements act like a sponge, first compressing the organs and then releasing pressure, which encourages fresh blood flow.
Specific Poses to Release Trapped Gas
Wind-Relieving Pose (Apanasana)
The Wind-Relieving Pose (Apanasana) is named for its effect on trapped intestinal gas. Begin by lying on your back with your legs extended. As you exhale, draw both knees toward your chest, clasping your hands around your shins or the back of your thighs.
The pressure of the thighs against the abdomen creates compression, helping to push air out of the digestive tract. Hold this position for 30 seconds to one minute, focusing on deep, slow breathing to maximize the massaging action. To exit, release your hands and extend your legs back down to the floor on an inhale, allowing the abdomen to soften.
Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
Twisting poses are effective for digestive comfort because they compress and release the organs. Start by lying on your back, drawing both knees into your chest, and then extending your arms out to the sides in a ‘T’ shape. Exhale and gently lower your bent knees over to one side, keeping both shoulders grounded on the floor.
Turn your head to look in the opposite direction of your knees. This twist creates a mild squeeze on the digestive system, which can help dislodge pockets of trapped gas. Hold the twist for five to ten deep breaths before inhaling your knees back to the center and repeating on the other side.
Child’s Pose (Balasana) with a Variation
Child’s Pose is a resting posture that combines gentle compression with deep relaxation for the nervous system. Start on your hands and knees, then bring your big toes to touch and spread your knees wide. Exhale as you sink your hips back toward your heels, letting your torso fold forward between your thighs.
For focused abdominal relief, a variation involves bringing the knees closer together, which increases pressure on the belly as you fold forward. Rest your forehead on the floor or a prop and extend your arms forward or rest them alongside your body. Hold the pose for one minute or longer, allowing the gentle compression to soothe the abdominal area. Avoid deep forward folds or twists immediately following a large meal, as this can exacerbate discomfort.
The Role of Breathwork in Digestive Comfort
Targeted breathing practices (pranayama) work independently of physical poses to support digestive function. Diaphragmatic breathing, often called belly breathing, involves intentionally engaging the diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle beneath the lungs. This deep, slow breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
When the body shifts into the parasympathetic state (“rest and digest” mode), it signals the digestive system to function optimally. Deep, rhythmic movement of the diaphragm provides an internal massage to the stomach and intestines. This gentle pressure encourages the natural movement of contents through the gut, which can help alleviate cramping and bloating.
To practice, lie down and place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen to monitor the movement. Inhale slowly through your nose, expanding your belly and pushing the lower hand up, while keeping the chest relatively still. Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling the abdomen contract back toward your spine. Combining this breathwork with physical postures maximizes their efficacy for digestive comfort.