Yoga For Constipation: Best 7 Poses And Quick Tips To Get Relief

“Constipation is a lifestyle disorder in which you may have less than three bowel movements in a week. In which you may have hard or dry stools, difficulty in passing stools.” However, symptoms vary from person to person. And it’s important to cure it with time as it can lead to many other issues including weight gain. And diet, physical activities, and even yoga for constipation.
According to Ayurveda, 95% of diseases arise due to stomach problems, which is why we should always try to find out the root cause of the problem.
However, constipation can be defined as when we cannot release the toxins from the body that spoils our mood and leads to loss of energy and a feeling of irritation. We also need to get rid of constipation to stimulate the process of weight loss. Good gut health is essential for good overall health.

What Is Constipation?

Constipation is a problem that mainly occurs in our colon, where the movement of waste products is slower due to weak intestinal layers. Due to this, the absorption of additional water leads to complex and dry stools. Further, this complex and dry stool gets accumulated in our intestines and causes bloating, indigestion, constipation, headache, and many other problems. That is why it is much needed to take immediate action whenever you feel your bowel movement is less than three times a week. If we work on our lifestyle, we can get rid of constipation.

What Happens In The Body During Constipation?

The food we eat moves through the digestive tract, absorbing nutrients. The partially digested food which becomes waste moves from the small intestine to the large intestine, also called the colon. The colon absorbs water from this waste and creates the solid matter called stool. When someone suffers from constipation, the food may move too slowly through the digestive tract. This gives the colon enough time to absorb water from the waste. The stool becomes dry, hard, and difficult to push out.

How Is Yoga For Constipation Helpful?

Like many other conditions, constipation is a lifestyle disorder that lifestyle changes can only address. It is natural that our body knows how to heal itself when provided with the right atmosphere.

So know how yoga for constipation is helpful.

• Firstly, According to Ayurveda, constipation is a Vata imbalance disorder; vata is one of the three doshas associated with air and ether (space) with coldness and roughness. Cold foods such as salads can aggravate Vata and can make constipation worse.
• Also, people who suffer from constipation should modify their daily diet to include Vata-pacifying warm and moist foods. Ideally, it would be best to increase your intake of dairy products, especially milk, and favour heavy, oily foods – swap raw salads for steamed or stewed veggies. 

Yoga For Constipation 

Yoga asanas significantly impact the internal organs, unlike regular exercises. They massage the digestive organs, increase blood flow and oxygen delivery, aid the process of peristalsis, and encourage stools to move through your system. Regular yoga practice can result in normal, healthy bowel movements, which provide a long-term resolution. It also helps manage stress, one of the leading causes of constipation.

Yoga Poses For Constipation Relief

There are many yoga poses to get rid of constipation. Reading below you will know how yoga for constipation is helpful and how you can eliminate it.

1. Malasana (Yogi Squat)

Firstly, this asana is the best to stimulate the colon to increase functioning. It is the same posture in which Indians used to pass stool before the western style was introduced. It puts pressure on your abdominal muscles.

2. Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Pose)

Vajrasana is the only asana you can do after having a meal to digest the food because it boosts digestion and eliminates constipation.  So, let’s watch how to do this.

3. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold)

This yoga pose relaxes our minds and helps increase the blood flow to the brain to relieve stress. In contrast, the focus could be one of the reasons for your constipation.

4. Matsyendrasana (Seated Supine Twist)

Twisting enhances our gastrointestinal tract, increasing the blood flow to this part of the body and alleviating constipation.

5. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

This asana is one of the best poses of yoga for constipation. Gas is linked with constipation. This pose is best to stretch abdominal muscles, and digestive organs as well as will help to pass gas with ease.

6. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

It works as an inversion posture and leads to increased lymph and blood circulation. Inversion of the digestive tract leads to the movement of waste from the intestines.

7. Pawanmuktasana (Wind Relieving Pose)

This asana provides a great massage to the abdomen that helps release the trapped gas due to toxicity in the colon.

Note: These asanas should be performed only under the guidance of an experienced yoga teacher.

Quick Tips About Yoga For Constipation

Let me remind you that constipation is not a disease. It’s a condition that there is something wrong in your body, so if you get aware from the very beginning and start to follow all the tips below can help you out in many ways.

1. Wake Up Time

Circadian rhythm is connected to our digestive system, so if we do not wake up before sunrise, our bowel movements will be affected, leading to constipation.

2. Drink Water The Right Way

In the morning, you should have copper vessel water on an empty stomach to stimulate digestion and create pressure for easy bowel movement. The best asana in which we should drink water is the Malasana.

3. Yogic Stretches

Do the following yoga asanas after having water and walk around while simultaneously moving your hand all around your stomach in a clockwise direction:

1. Firstly, Tadasana (Palm tree Pose)
2. Tiryaka Tadasana (Swaying palm tree pose)
3. Kati chakrasana (Waist rotating pose) 

4. Have Lukewarm Lemon Water

Lukewarm water mixed with a bit of lemon juice is a fantastic drink. Emptying your bowl will help you with constipation, so lukewarm salt lemon water is the best to eliminate constipation. 

5. Drink Sufficient Water

Drinking sufficient water in a day will help to work the digestive system properly, and as a result, we will be able to clean the bowl properly. The research recommended having about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids daily for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) for women.

6. Focus On Balanced Diet

We must maintain a ratio of 80 percent alkaline food, such as soya, unsweetened yogurt, and milk, and most fresh vegetables, including potatoes, fruits, herbs, and spices, excluding salt, mustard, nutmeg, beans, and lentils. And 20 percent acidic food such as fresh and processed meats, eggs, beans, oilseeds, salt, high-sodium condiment, some types of cheese, and certain grains in our diet because when we maintain this ratio, our digestive system will work efficiently.

7. Avoid Binge Eating

Frequently having food at regular intervals in large amounts unnecessarily.

This habit can weaken our digestive system, and we can suffer from the problem of constipation.

8. Do Abdominal Massage 

We should massage our empty stomachs in a circular movement while lying down in the supine position. It will help our toxins to move from the colon to the rectum during constipation.

Do’s And Dont’s For Yoga For Constipation

Here we have enlisted the major points to keep in mind while performing yoga for constipation

Do’s:

Include apples, papaya, guava, and grapes, in your diet.

Don’ts: 

• Never have bed tea or coffee as a first drink in the morning.
• Never drink water in a standing position.
• Never drink water in a hurry.
• Try to avoid food before clearing your bowel.
• Never have fruit after sunset.

Home Remedies For Constipation

There are numerous home remedies to get rid of constipation issues. Here are the following:

1. Triphala

• Triphala is a churn that is made out of three components – Indian gooseberry (amla), black myrobalan (harad), and Belleric Myrobalan (baheda).
• This ayurvedic formulation acts as a potent natural laxative by increasing the secretion of digestive enzymes and stimulating the contraction of the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Scientific research on the benefits of Triphala for constipation found that the polyphenols in Triphala inhibit the growth of unhealthy gut bacteria while simultaneously promoting the development of beneficial gut bacteria.

2. Milk With Ghee/ Almond Oil (Badamrogan Tel)

• Start taking a glass of lukewarm milk with a teaspoon of ghee is an effective natural remedy for constipation.
• Milk and ghee are Vata-balancing foods and are commonly used for quick constipation relief. You can drink this mixture every night before going to bed to treat and prevent constipation.
• Ghee has a lubricating effect on the colon, helping ease the passage of stools. Although there have been no clinical trials or studies to evaluate the efficacy of this remedy, there may be sound logic behind it. Ghee feats most likely work similarly to stool softeners, helping pass hard stools. 

3. Flax Seeds (Alsi)

• Flax seeds are one of the perfect home remedies for constipation. Whole flax seeds contain 6 to 12 percent mucilage.
• Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance that protects the mucous membranes by forming a protective film along the entire digestive tract.
• This also allows stools to pass easily through the digestive tract, which helps to decrease intestinal transit rates and helps to treat constipation.
• To use flaxseed for constipation, boil a tablespoon of flaxseeds in a cup of water for 2-3 minutes and allow it to cool slightly.
• Drink the water, and eat the seeds. This simple Ayurvedic remedy for constipation will go a long way in alleviating your digestive problems and improving your overall digestive health.

4. Bengal Quince (Bael) Fruit Pulp 

• Bael or stone apple is one of the most effective Ayurvedic remedies for constipation. Ayurvedic texts recommend eating half a cup of bael fruit pulp before dinner daily to relieve chronic constipation.
• Scientific research shows that bael fruit pulp can stabilize colonic mast cells, which helps treat slow-transit constipation patients.
• The fruit also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which help to improve digestive health. The fruit has a tangy and slightly astringent taste, so you can add a teaspoon of jaggery to the pulp to make it palatable.

5. Fennel (Saunf)

• Fennel is well known as a natural galactagogue (promoting breast milk production), but it is also very effective in treating digestive and respiratory ailments.
• They are a rich source of volatile oils; in fact, studies show that fennel seeds contain a total of 28 compounds. Many of these oils promote the production of gastric enzymes and prevent the proliferation of unhealthy gut bacteria that interfere with the digestive process.
• To use fennel seeds as a natural cure for constipation, roast a teaspoon of these seeds and have them with a glass of lukewarm water. Wait for a few minutes, drink the water, and eat the seeds. This remedy is a mild natural laxative and will ensure healthy bowel movements. 

6. Figs (Anjeer)

• Figs or anjeer are an effective (and delicious) home remedy for constipation. Soak a couple of figs in hot water for about an hour and then drink the water and eat the figs. The health benefits of figs are numerous.
• This will prevent mild cases of constipation and is often recommended for constipation in kids.
• Some research suggests that the intake of figs may help increase fecal output while decreasing colonic transit time, which would be extremely helpful when dealing with diet-induced constipation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why Should We Drink Water From A Copper Vessel?

Ans. According to Ayurveda, it balances tridosha (Vata, pitta, Kapha) that are present in our body and helps boost the immune system.

Interesting Facts

• When we sit in a squat position, it relaxes the puborectalis muscle, which allows for more straightforward elimination. And the problem arises when we sit in the wrong place where the puborectalis muscles “choke” the rectum.
• 16% of the population is constipated.
• 33.5% of adults over 60 have constipation.
• According to the National Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases, the ratio of constipation between males and females is 1:1.5

Bottom Line

Yoga is the oldest form of therapy which originated in India itself and was used from a very old traditional time in the growth of humans in every aspect of life. Also, it not only aids in weight loss but also promotes a balanced physical and mental well-being which is helpful in maintaining the lifelong growth of every person. Everyone should add yoga to their daily routine for living a healthy life. It just needs: 

• Consistency 
• Healthy diet 
• Mindset

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Disclaimer

This blog post was written to help you to make healthy and better choices altogether. So, be aware and take care. The important thing to consider is your own health before starting a diet that is restrictive. Therefore, always seek advice from a doctor/dietitian/yoga teacher before starting if you have any concerns.
Eat Healthy, Live Healthy. Enjoy a long happy life.