Feeling bloated and gassy is one health concern that affects everyone at some point in life, and, man, is it embarrassing. Gas and acid reflux can really have a negative impact on your overall sense of wellbeing, causing you to reach for the Tums and lie on the sofa until it goes away . However, according to Boston-based yoga instructor Zayna Gold, long-time Crohn’s disease sufferer and creator of Healing Through Movement, a more subtle, natural way to deal with that bloated feeling is yoga. ‘Fifteen minutes of yoga will help ease your pain,’ she says. But how exactly does yoga benefit your digestive wellness?
Gold points out that starting from a reclining position ‘gives you a chance to take a deep breath and feel energized.’ After this, she recommends that you progress from seated to standing positions, such as the bridge pose that stretches your body and stimulates your abdominal organs. Once you’ve done a few stretch poses, you should move on to twist poses that tone your abdomen – which is essential for eliminating gas, bloating and constipation. The other poses work and relax your nervous system, which is comprised of your back, neck and spine. Gold explains, ‘You will feel less stress when your nervous system is relaxed. The health benefits will spread to the rest of your body and ease your digestion.’ So which poses should you try?
1. The Apanasana: This is a great starting pose in which you lie on your back, relax, inhale and place your hands on your knees. From there, you exhale and hug your knees to your chest. To maximise the stretch, rock your knees from side to side and stay for five to 10 breaths before you release your knees, and repeat the movement a few more times. To vary the stretch, you can do one side at a time, leaving the other leg extended. This simple stretch is also known as the wind-relieving pose, as it helps you to gain relief from bloating and gas pains.
2. The Spinal Twist: You might want to try this pose if you need to soothe and tone your abdomen. Again, start by lying down, hugging your knees and breathing in. Then, as you exhale, drop your knees to the left, using your left hand to push them down gently. From here, turn your head and stretch your arm out to the right, staying for five to ten breaths. Once this is completed, inhale, return your hands and knees to centre and repeat on the other side. For variation, you can have a go at the one-legged seated spinal twist which, as you do it from a seated position, gives you more control over your stretch.
3. The Bridge Pose: Also known as the “Setu Bandha Sarvangasana”, a mild inversion like the bridge pose helps your blood flow, making you feel more energised and get over that post-dinner bloat. Lying on the floor with your knees bent, arms beside your body and feet flat on the floor, move your hips up so that you give your chest a good stretch. For an even better aid to digestion, Gold recommends the following variation, ‘Press one hip up and hold the pose. Take five breaths, then switch to the other side.’ However, this isn’t the only modification you can try. For another version of the Setu Bandha Sarvangasana or Bridge Pose, start as you did before but keep your hands under you as you arch your back and open your chest. It’s also a good idea to clasp your hands and interlace your fingers under your back.