Improve Your Digestion

A few days ago I mentioned in one of my updates that you may eat the best food that you can possibly find, but if your body doesn’t assimilate all the nutrients then eating healthy food is an exercise in futility.  To the right are 6 poses which are beneficial in stimulating and massaging the digestive system and maintaining its good health.  However, remember, as always, that yoga poses can’t be practiced in isolation.  For the practice of yoga to work for you, you must incorporate these asanas in a regular yoga practice.

Below are a few important points to remember when performing these asanas.

 

Setubanasana – The Bridge Pose

• Elbows must be right under the wrists.
• Back of the neck should be long on the floor.
• Fingers should be touching while the thumbs are facing away from the body.
• Knees should be above your ankles.
• Thighs should be parallel.
• Squeeze your glutes and lift from the hips.
• Don’t rest your weight on your hands.

 

Bhujangasana – Cobra Pose

• Keep the neck long.
• Keep the shoulders pushed back.
• Push the chest forward and up.
• Lengthen the spine and stretch the abdomen.
• Tighten the glutes and the groin.
• Shoulders and wrists should be in one line, arms perpendicular to the floor.
• Feet not more than hip width apart.

 

Dhanurasana – The Bow Pose

• Neck should be long.
• Shoulders should pushed back and chest should be open.
• Keep your glutes and groin tight.
• Push the legs away from the torso, which will also pull the arms back.

 

Marichyasana – Lord Marichi’s Pose

• Keep good engagement between the elbow and the knee.  Do this by pushing the elbow out and the knee in, creating a kind of tension.
• Keep your backbone long.
• Keep both buttocks on the floor.
• Keep the straight leg active with the heel pointing out and the toes pointing straight up.
• Rotate the neck and keep the chest open.

 

Vajrasana – The Thunderbolt Pose

• Keep your back erect.

 

Pawanmuktasana – Wind Releasing Pose

• Keep the back relaxed and be aware of the spine lengthening across the floor.