Yoga is a spiritual and physical practice that involves physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. Research suggests that regular yoga practice may help alleviate digestive issues; decrease irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) severity, bowel symptoms, and anxiety; as well as improve physical functioning and quality of life in individuals with IBS. Yoga also strengthens, tones, and gives peace of mind. Some of the top yoga poses for digestion that have been used in IBS interventions I am sharing with you here. Please be sure you are cleared to do yoga by your practitioner.
Marjariasana (Cat pose) A gentle back bend that involves coming to hands and knees on the ground and rounding your back to the ceiling.
How to do Marjariasana:
Start with positioning your body into a table position on a flat surface
Make sure your knees are directly below your hips and perpendicular to the ground. And your wrist, elbows, and shoulders should be in a line while being perpendicular to the floor.
Your back and hand should be straight positioning parallel to the floor.
Now contract your core and exhale while pushing your spine towards the ceiling and bend your neck downwards to keep the body’s natural posture.
Make sure that your knees and hands don’t move and stay in the original starting position.
Hold the breath for 5-10 seconds
Now bring your body into the starting position while inhaling.
Practice this Marjariasana (Cat Pose) 6-8 times every day.
Benefits of Marjariasana:
Added flexibility – Marjariasana (Cat Pose) helps you with added flexibility through flexing and extending your back muscles in both the direction. A stiff back leads to many problems like poor posture and a lack of flexibility that may increase the chances of spinal injury.
Stronger spine – It helps in regulating the proper circulation of spinal fluid which in turn helps with better mobility. With better mobility, you are ultimately leading your spine towards its stronger version. The human spine is consisting of 33 vertebrates and with proper lubrication and mobility, you can increase the strength of your spine.
Better digestion – Marjariasana (Cat Pose) also helps in massaging the digestive organs which allows better functioning and proper removal of waste. Better digestion is linked to many benefits like better nutrition absorption, detoxification, fat loss, and increased metabolism.
Improved blood circulation – The main function of blood is transportation, protection, and regulation.
Transportation: blood helps in transporting oxygen and essential nutrients throughout the body.
Protection: It helps in fighting microorganisms and cancer cells.
Regulation: This stretch helps in regulating the water levels and PH level of the body. Through tight muscle tissues and tight vertebrates, you are actually causing inefficient blood circulation towards your back which is not good for you. Marjariasana (Cat Pose) helps in the proper stretching of muscles and vertebrates for better blood flow.
May help in height growth – Most of the yogic poses involve stretching of the spine, better respiration, and enhanced blood flow. Marjariasana (Cat Pose) is a pose that makes your spine free from any stiffness may result in growth or at the very least, maintaining your height!
Stretches your scapula: One of the greatest benefits is the effect of Marjariasana (Cat Pose) on the scapula. The scapula is primarily responsible for proper shoulder mobility, and it is responsible for attaching your arms with the thorax. While doing the flexion and extension of the spine, this pose will help in enhancing the mobility of shoulders as well. Flexible shoulders will help you to prevent future shoulder injuries.
Relaxed mind: Every yogic pose consists of a series of rhythmic breathing; this breathing pattern doesn’t just elevate your mood it will also help you with better sleep.
Toned abdomen: While you are flexing your spine to go in the upward direction you are contracting your core and abdominal muscles as well. Constant practice of Marjariasana (Cat Pose) will lead to toned core muscle and will help your belly fat disappear.
Relieves a backache: The most common reason for a backache is its stiffness and lack of flexibility, with the improved mobility through Marjariasana (Cat Pose) you can relieve your sore lower back muscles.
Improved posture: One of the most common symptoms of lifestyle disease is bad posture, through long hours sitting at the same place people are losing their natural posture. Marjariasana (Cat Pose) helps in stabilizing and stretching the vertebrates which will lead to better posture.
Trikonasana (Triangle pose) A standing pose that involves placing the feet one leg length apart and extending over the right leg to reach the right hand down to the shin, foot or the ground with the other arm stretched up towards the ceiling (Then repeating the pose on the left side).
How to do Trikonasana:
To do this, first of all, stand straight with your feet together and keep your hands beside your thighs.
Keep a distance of 2 to 3 feet between your feet and now spread your arms up to your shoulder level.
Now while inhaling slowly, move your right arm over the head so that it touches the ear.
Now while exhaling slowly tilt your body to the left.
Don’t bend your knees and don’t let your hands move away from your ears.
In the final pose, your right arm should be parallel to the ground and your left arm should be parallel to the left leg, but the arm should not rest on that foot.
Breathe in slowly and exhale slowly and maintain this posture according to you.
While breathing slowly come back to the old position.
Repeat the same action on the other side as well.
Perform this 4 – 5 times.
Benefits of Trikonasana:
Trikonasana For Weight Loss: If you want to get rid of obesity or belly fat, then you should practice Trikonasana. It brings a suitable stretch to your entire body and plays a significant role in reducing excess fat. By doing the modified Trikonasana exercise, belly fat can be reduced very easily.
Trikonasana for Skin: Regular practice of the triangle pose saves you from skin related problems. The problem of frequent pimples and acne on the skin goes away and makes the face shiny.
Trikonasana to Increase Height: With its regular practice, your height increases, and you can get the height you want.
Trikonasana for Lungs: By practicing trikonasana regularly, you get more oxygen in your lungs and the right exercise of the lungs is done.
Trikonasana for Energizing the body: This asana makes you light and at the same time maintains your energy.
Trikonasana for Diabetes: By practicing this yoga, type 1 and type 2 diabetes can be prevented.
Trikonasana for Back Pain: With this asana, you can cure back pain to a great extent.
Trikonasana for Sciatica: If this asana is done slowly or with a specialist, then sciatica can also be cured with help of this posture.
Trikonasana for Constipation: A person suffering from constipation should practice this yoga. This makes your digestive system and digestion strong.
To increase stamina: Regular practice of the triangle pose, you can increase your stamina.
Helping with acidity: This asana helps in proper secretion of your stomach glands and plays an important role in digestion of food.
Reducing Anxiety and Stress: With its regular practice, the glands of your body secrete hormones in the proper amount, which gradually takes you away from the stressful life.
Shashankasana (Hare pose) A forward bending pose that involves kneeling down with knees spread sideways and toes touching behind you, then sliding the palms on the ground in front of you and folding forwards.
How to do Shashankasana:
The starting pose for Shashankasana is the Vajrasana. Straighten your back and get into Vajrasana.
Fold both legs, keeping your hips on the heels. Toes pointing out behind you and big toes touching each other.
Sit on the pit formed by the parted heels.
Keep the head, neck, and spine in a straight line. Palms facing up, placed on your thighs.
Hold the Vajrasana (Diamond pose) and take long deep breaths.
Now raise both your hands above your head in such a manner that your arms are shoulder distance apart. In the final position, both your palms will be facing in the forward direction.
Take a deep breath and while you exhale slowly bend in the forward direction from your waist while keeping the hands completely straight.
Bring your head also forward and in the final position you will have your forehead touching the ground. Your arms will also be stretched in front of your body with palms touching the floor. Keep your arms completely straight.
Relax your body and keep taking deep breaths.
After holding the pose for 10 breaths, lift up your body and get back to the starting position.
Repeat the whole cycle 5 to 10 times depending on your ability and comfort and relax.
Benefits of Shashankasana:
Muscles: It strengthens the pelvis, rib cage, back, and arms. It provides an intense stretch to the back part of the body in the gluteal muscles, arms, back, neck, and shoulders.
Joints: It helps in the extension of the neck, arms, and spine, and also flexes the knees and hips.
Heart: Practicing this pose helps improve the circulation of blood to the scalp, face, and brain. It gives a nice glow to the face.
Adrenal glands: This pose helps in regulating the adrenal glands.
When doing this pose, the stomach, spleen, and liver are also activated, thus helping in their functioning.
Reproductive organs: The Hare Pose is also beneficial to the reproductive organs.
All internal organs in the abdominal area: In addition, the pose is said to massage all the internal organs in the abdominal area.
Breathing: Compressing the stomach and chest reduces the capacity of air held by the lungs. Breathing also gets constricted at the area of the throat. Shashankasana helps in making use of the back part of the rib cage while breathing and in controlling the breathing speed.
Surya Nadi Pranayama (Right nostril breathing) A breathing exercise that involves covering the left nostril and taking deep breaths through the right nostril.
How to do Shashankasana:
Place yourself comfortably in a mediation pose – an asana such as Siddhasana preferably.
The Siddhasana begins by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and hands at your sides. For extra cushioning, consider sitting on a yoga mat or blanket.
Bend your left knee and bring your left heel close to your body by your groin area.
Bend your right knee and move it toward the front of the left ankle.
From this position, inhale and while you exhale, lift your right foot, and place it just above your left ankle. Bring your right heel into your groin area. This step should feel comfortable. Do not force it.
Slide the toes of your right foot into the space between the left calf muscles. This will help to keep your posture steady.
Take your hands from your sides and place them palms down on the knees. Your knees should touch the floor. You can also stretch your arms straight to the sides and rest the backs of your palms or wrists on your knees, so your palms face upwards. If you cannot do this or you experience discomfort, use one of the modifications until you have more flexibility in your hips.
Sit upright with your gaze facing forward. There should be a nice, straight line from the top of your head to the floor.
Stay here and breathe deeply for one minute or longer.
Keep your spine lengthened and your head straight up with your eyes closed.
Close the left nostril with your forefinger and middle finger in the middle of your forehead and between your eyebrows.
Take a long inhalation in, slowly and deeply through the right nostril.
Close the right nostril with the thumb of your hand and keep the breath in for as long as you can. Yoga text suggests that you should hold your breath until there is a bit of heat and sweat coming from you. This is a more advanced step and should be practiced with someone and with caution.
Breath out by taking a long exhalation through the left nostril.
Repeat this cycle around 5 – 10 times.
Benefits of Shashankasana:
Clears excess mucus
Helps with difficulties getting up in the morning
Helps with allergies
Increases the body temperature
Helps to improve the energy of the body by making you more active
Cleans the frontal sinus
Suggested to help remove intestinal worms
Warms the body during winter seasons and is best practiced when the weather is cold
Helps cure gas problems
How to do Vajrasana:
Straighten your back and get in Vajrasana
Fold both legs, keeping your hips on the heels. Toes pointing out behind you and big toes touching each other.
Sit on the pit formed by the parted heels.
Keep the head, neck, and spine in a straight line. Palms facing up, placed on your thighs.
Hold the Vajrasana (Diamond pose) and take long deep breaths.
Stay in this posture for 5 to 10 minutes, as long as you feel comfortable.
Benefits of Vajrasana:
Improves digestion: One of the best poses to improve digestion, as it increases the blood circulation in the abdomen area. If practiced regularly, it can also help to reduce constipation and gives relief from acidity problems.
Strengthens and relives back pain: With the spine in an upright position, it helps to strengthen your back and relieves back pain.
Improves posture: People with a sedentary lifestyle spend a lot of time on their desks, causing a slump in the body. Doing Vajrasana can help you to correct your slump and improve body posture.
Stretching and flexibility from thighs to feet: It stretches and gives flexibility to thighs, knees, feet, and ankles.
Weight loss: This asana helps to reduce obesity and is beneficial for weight loss.
Urinary and sexual problems: It activates Vajra Nadi that can further help in the treatment of urinary problems and sexual problems.
Pelvic muscle strengthening: It helps to strengthen pelvic muscles.
Reduces Menstrual cramps: For women, It also helps to reduce menstrual cramps.
This month’s recipes are Baby Arugula and Watermelon Salad and Curried Rice Salad!
I don’t know about you, but living in the NE of the USA, I am ready for spring and summer! Trying new and tried and true salads to get me ready to enjoy long days of light and warmth!
Baby Arugula and Watermelon Salad
Serves 8
Ingredients
5 ounces of baby arugula
1 small watermelon cubed (or pears or blueberries, any fruit works!)
8 ounces of crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Wash arugula, cube fruit of choice and place in salad bowl mix the crumbled blue cheese into it.
In a bowl, combine:
½ cup cold pressed olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey (Can be omitted if watching sugars)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Whisk until well blended
Pour the dressing over it all and toss and enjoy! The sweetness of the fruit with the blue cheese and arugula is a match made in heaven, so refreshing!
Curried Rice Salad
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups of brown rice soaked overnight in filtered/non chlorinated/fluoridated water
¼ cup oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar with the Mother in it
¾ cup avocado mayonnaise
1 Tbsp minced onion
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp unrefined salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
½ tsp dry mustard
1 cup diced celery
1 package of frozen peas
In a glass or ceramic bowl add rice and cover with filtered/non chlorinated/fluoridated water and leave 24 hours to remove phytates that block absorption of nutrients.
Pull your peas out of the freezer to defrost.
Cook the rice in 3 cups of water with ½ a tsp of non-refined salt.
Add ¼ cup of oil and vinegar and lightly toss. Place in refrigerator at least 1 hour.
In a large bowl mix the 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, 1 TBSP minced onion, 1 tsp curry powder, ½ tsp salt, 1//8 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp of dry mustard (mix well so no clumps!) add in 1 cup of diced celery, 1 package of defrosted frozen peas and the rice. Mix well and enjoy! This is even better the next day!
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and be able to have a conversation and not forget every other word in a sentence!
Simply amazing what optimal thyroid hormones and optimal nutrition can do!
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