Five Yoga Poses for Digestive Health

Yoga has been used for thousands of years as a health enhancing practice. It is only now that science is proving the effectiveness of various yoga poses for different bodily conditions. One health issue that yoga is known to improve upon is the efficiency of the digestive tract. Twisting postures and forward bends are especially good for improving digestion because they relieve tension in the abdominal area and compress the lower abdomen to release gas. Twisting postures help to massage the inner organs while wringing out toxins and helping the organs to perform more efficiently. Try the following poses to improve sluggish digestion and other related maladies.

Revolved head to knee pose

Sit on the floor with your torso straight and your legs straddled wide. Bend your left knee and place the heel into your right groin. Lean to the right, and press the back of your right shoulder against the inside of your right knee. Lay your right forearm on the floor inside your right leg, palm facing up. Lengthen the right side of your torso along the inside of the right thigh. Turn your right palm toward the inside edge of the foot and take hold of it, thumb on the top of the foot, fingers on the sole. Press the left femur firmly to the floor and twist your torso toward the ceiling. Inhale your left arm straight up toward the ceiling and then behind your left ear, taking hold of the outside edge of the right foot. Turn your head to look at the ceiling. Breathe. Repeat on the other side.

Bharadvaja’s twist

Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Shift over onto your right buttock, bend your knees, and swing your legs to the left. Lay your feet on the floor outside your left hip, with the left ankle resting in the right arch. Twist your torso to the right, keeping the left buttock on or close to the floor. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor to keep the lower back long. Tuck your left hand under your right knee and bring your right hand to the floor just beside your right buttock. Pull your left shoulder back slightly, pressing your shoulder blades firmly against your back even as you continue to twist the chest to the right. Breathe. Repeat on the opposite side.

Big toe pose

Stand upright with your feet parallel. While keeping the legs straight, bend forward from your hip joints. Slide the index and middle fingers of each hand between the big and second toes. Curl those fingers under and grip the big toes firmly. Lift your torso as if you were going to stand up again, straightening your elbows. Lengthen your front torso, and on the next exhale, lift your sitting bones. For the next few inhalations, lift your torso strongly as you continue to actively contract your front thighs; on each successive exhalation, strongly lift your sitting bones as you consciously relax your hamstrings. Finally exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides, pull up on your toes, lengthen the front and sides of your torso, and gently lower into the forward bend. Breathe into the pose.

Bridge pose

Begin by lying on our back. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as possible. Pressing your feet and arms actively into the floor, push your tailbone upward while lifting the buttocks off the floor. Clasp the hands below your pelvis and extend through the arms to help you stay on the tops of your shoulders. Lift your buttocks until the thighs are about parallel to the floor. Keep your knees directly over the heels, but push them forward, away from the hips, and lengthen the tailbone toward the backs of the knees. Firm the outer arms, broaden the shoulder blades, and try to lift the space between them at the base of the neck up into the torso. Breathe deeply.

Hero’s pose

Kneel on the floor with your thighs perpendicular to the floor, and touch your inner knees together. Slide your feet apart, slightly wider than your hips, with the tops of the feet flat on the ground. Sit back halfway, with your torso leaning slightly forward. Wedge your thumbs into the backs of your knees and draw the skin and flesh of the calf muscles toward the heels. Then sit down between your feet. If your buttocks don't comfortably rest on the floor, raise them on a block or blanket. Allow a thumb's-width space between the inner heels and the outer hips. Turn your thighs inward and press the heads of the thigh bones into the floor with the bases of your palms. Breathe.

When you are finished practicing these poses, it is always a good idea to lie on your back in relaxation pose for five to ten minutes. Namaste!

Yoga for Pain Relief

Yoga asana and meditation reduces pain in those suffering from a number of conditions including: carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and rheumatoid disorders, back pain, headaches and fibromyalgia. Let us take a look at each of the above conditions to find out why yoga is one of the best natural forms of pain relief around.

The first scientific study which showed yoga to successfully treat carpal tunnel syndrome was published in 1988 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Since then it has been widely accepted that yoga treats CTS as well as pain associated with it. Because carpal tunnel syndrome is not just a problem of the wrists but also of the neck and shoulders, yoga poses that encourage proper posture are especially helpful. In addition to these, there are many wrist exercises such as prayer pose and reversed prayer pose and alternating flexion and extension of the wrists which help to reduce pain.

In 1999 a study at the Pain Center at Texas Tech University found that gentle yoga poses and meditation reduced pain associated with fibromyalgia while improving patients’ ability to cope with it. In regards to osteoarthritic conditions, yoga helps to prevent or minimize the breaking down of cartilage that causes the joint pain of osteoarthritis. It also helps expand the range of motion while decreasing pain within joins that have already undergone damage. Because misalignment is a major cause of arthritic conditions, yoga poses that focus on proper alignment are of great benefit.

Yoga is known to reduce back pain while encouraging stress release, proper posture, letting go of tightness in the muscles and strengthening muscles. Yoga helps increase flexibility of the spine which also helps. Back pain sufferers should practice yoga poses such as cat/cow, cobra pose, various hip stretches, triangle pose, child’s pose and relaxation pose.

Yoga comes to the rescue when headaches occur because stress is such a major factor in tension headaches and migraines. Yoga teaches us to relax the muscles of the neck while slowing down in our lives to be aware of other possible causes of chronic headaches. Breathing exercises and restorative poses are especially helpful in relieving pain associated with headaches.

A study published in the British Journal of Rheumatology found that a three month program of gentle yoga postures and pranayama resulted in improved grip strength in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Yoga has also been known to relieve pain in those suffering from heart conditions, cancer and HIV/AIDS. As yoga continues to be accepted in the medical community we will find more and more evidence that yoga is one of the best pain medications on the market.

Yoga Pose of the Day!

Dancer's Pose. Lord of the Dance. Natarajasana. Nata= dancer, actor, mine. Raja= king.

Stand with your feet together and arms at your side, while fixing your gaze at an immobile spot in front of you.
Inhale and bend your right leg backward, taking hold of the inside of your foot with your right hand.
Extend your left arm above your head with your fingertips reaching to the sky.
Slowly lower your left arm straight forward and kick your right leg back as you stretch forward.
Hold the asana (posture) for 5-30 seconds while taking calm, deep breaths, focusing upon the stretching and strengthening of the abdomen.

Tip: Try bracing your free hand against a wall to help you stay stable.

In addition, "this difficult balancing asana develops poise and a graceful carriage. It tones and strengthens the leg muscles. The shoulder blades get full movement and the chest expands fully. All the vertebral joints benefit  from the exercise in this pose." -B.K.S. Iyenger "Light on Yoga"

Yoga Therapy

Try the Following Yoga Poses for Headache Relief


Our headaches are usually a result of muscle tension in the back of the neck due to postural problems. For most people, restorative yoga poses and breathing techniques can relieve and help prevent the onset of all types of headaches.

Mountain pose is an active standing posture. Stand tall with the outer edges of the feet parallel to each other. Lift the kneecaps while engaging the thigh muscles. Press your shoulder blades together and then release them down the back. The neck is long, chin is parallel to the floor, eyes are soft.

This asana can help eliminate bad postural habits and serve as a reminder to lift the head up and away from the shoulders rather than crunching it into the neck.

Downward Facing Dog. Begin by kneeling with the hands and knees on the floor, hands under the shoulders, fingers spread wide, knees under the hips, spine straight. Push the hips upward, moving the body into and inverted V-shape. Legs and arms are straight, the elbows are engaged and the shoulders are wide and relaxed. The heels move toward the floor and the tummy can be engaged while the head and face are relaxed. Take several slow deep breaths and repeat as many times as you like.

Stretching and strengthening the muscles in the upper torso during this pose can also help relieve tension in the neck and head.

Bridge Pose. Lie on your back with the feet planted close to your buttocks, palms on the floor. Breathe in, and with an exhale, press the feet into your mat to lift the tailbone. Clasp your hands together underneath you and walk the shoulder blades closer together so that your weight rests on the posterior shoulders and feet. Lift your hips upward. Hold for several breaths and then slowly roll the spine down to the ground, one vertebra at a time.

This calms the brain while opening the chest and rejuvenating tired legs.

Wrapping the head with an Ace bandage while in restorative postures can also be helpful and the sensation it creates can be quite comforting.

Paleaku Peace Gardens-Tuesday Morning Yoga Class