Unhealthy food consumption, bad lifestyle choices, and life stress have proven to disrupt our digestive tract and our gut. Many people today suffer from the intestine or digestive problems like gas and acidity. Besides tweaking our eating and living habits, various yoga poses are another powerful way to relieve gas, acidity, and heartburn. This blog is about specific yoga poses for treating gas pain and acidity.
Apart from practicing yoga asana, you should also eat healthier and lead a lifestyle with more activity for a good digestive system.
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What are gas and acidity?
The gas formed in our intestine is a mixture of vapors without odor, like oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen. An unpleasant sulfur odor might develop upon these vapors mixing with intestinal bacteria.
Our body releases gas via the rectum (flatulence) or mouth (belching). Gas sometimes gets trapped in the stomach, causing pain in the abdomen and bloating- a tight or swollen feeling.
Intestinal gas is one life’s fact, a natural food digestion result. It is also caused by swallowing air. Everybody feels gassy at times.
The medical condition of acidity is caused because of excess acid production. The stomach glands produce this acid. Acidity causes such signs as stomach ulcers, dyspepsia, gastric inflammation, and heartburn.
There are several causal factors behind acidity- poor eating habits, stress, smoking, drinking, and lack of physical activities or sports. People who eat more heavy, non-vegetarian, oily, and spicy food, plus have excessive coffee intake, are acidity prone.
Plenty of medications like Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) may also make a person more susceptible to gastric acidity. A deep burning sensation in the throat and stomach after a heavy meal, constipation, indigestion, sour taste in the mouth, nausea, and restlessness characterizes acidity.
The benefits of yoga for gas and acidity relief
As per some research, yoga is a complementing treatment for gas and acidity problems. It might cure digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and help improve certain symptoms, including gas, constipation, bloating, and discomfort.
Another study showed that increased stress causes an increase in the amount of acid our stomach secretes. More acid might mean more chances for acid reflux to bring about symptoms.
The researchers of this study went on to explore the relationship between stress and yoga. They found that yoga as part of the treatment plan may help lower one’s body’s stress response. It was evident from this study that yoga can effectively treat Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and even peptic ulcers.
Yoga might help relieve digestive issues by increasing circulation, decreasing stress, and endorsing physical movement and gut motility of a person’s Gastro-Intestinal (GI) tract.
The yoga poses recommended for gas and acidity relief give abdominal compression, gently massaging the internal organs. These tone internal organ functioning as well as improve blood circulation. The suggested yoga asanas massage all the digestive organs and improve their functions and gastrointestinal balance. Yoga poses effectively help lose weight and keep the body’s metabolism in check.
Moreover, yoga asana also benefits us through the integration of proper breathing techniques that produce an effect on the gastrointestinal organs. Here are some best yoga poses that one can practice daily to avoid gas issues, bloating, acid reflux, etc.
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The best yoga poses for gas pain and acidity relief
Yoga is one of the easiest, quickest, and most natural ways for gas and acidity relief. Practicing yoga asanas reduces bloating and soothes your stomach. Yoga stimulates one’s bowel movements reducing gas formation. It helps strengthen the digestive system.
Here are the 10 yoga poses that can help provide relief:
1. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
The Cobra Pose is an excellent yoga pose for gas and bloating relief. It helps to stimulate the digestive system and can help to reduce acidity. It is effective in curing stomach and digestive disorders, reduces abdominal fat, and makes the dorsal spine flexible.
Precautions
- If you are suffering from cervical spondylosis, look front.
- If you had any abdominal operation, avoid this posture for a couple of months.
2. Cat-Cow Pose
The Cat-Cow Pose is another great pose for gas and acidity relief. It helps to massage the organs and relieves tension in the belly.
Precautions
- Begin the pose slowly and be aware of how your body is feeling as you move into position.
- Don’t push your body beyond its limits. If you feel any pain, stop immediately and consult your doctor.
3. Pawanmuktasana (Gas Release Pose)
Pawanmuktasana is a great yoga pose for trapped gas. It is also known as the wind-removing pose or gas-release pose. The original name is derived from 2 words- Pawan meaning gas or wind and Mukta meaning relief or release. The yoga asana for stomach gas release is very much beneficial in curing gas, acidity, and poor digestion problems.
Precautions
- People who underwent some recent abdominal surgery need to avoid performing this yoga.
- Pregnant women and people with strained necks, piles, and hernias should not do it.
4. Vajrasana breathing (Thunderbolt pose)
It is a great posture for those who have a weak digestive system. Breathing practice in the yogic posture helps increase blood flow to the intestine and stomach, resulting in effective food digestion.
Precautions
- In case your spine is rounding, extend it by adding a block underneath your buttocks.
- If you are having knee pain, put one pillow between your calves and back thighs.
5. Half Waist Wheel Pose (Ardha Kati Chakrasana)
It stimulates the body’s sides and gives the spine lateral extension. This pose helps to improve digestion and can help reduce acidity. It also improves liver functioning.
Precautions
- Don’t bend backward or forward, bend laterally.
6. Legs Up The Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)
It improves the digestion process and relaxes one’s lower back. It soothes the nervous system.
Precaution
- Comfort is paramount. Discomfort or pain may agitate the mind or body diminishing the pose’s effects.
- If you feel uncomfortable with your back, try to lie flat on the floor without a bolster.
7. Knees to Chest Pose (Apanasana poses)
It is known as a wind-relieving pose too. This Yoga pose greatly helps trapped gas move through the intestines. In this yoga movement, a person puts pressure on his abdominals by hugging his knees to his chest. This may help relieve gas pain and discomfort. By clearing the intestinal gas, this yoga pose relieves one from bloating symptoms. It also reduces stress. Furthermore, it helps us an overall better listen to our body so we can first figure out the discomfort’s cause.
Precaution
- If you have any neck or shoulder pain, do not attempt this pose.
- Do not attempt this pose if you are pregnant.
8. Child’s Pose
The Child’s Pose is a restorative pose that helps to relax the body and mind. It’s also great yoga pose for releasing gas. It helps to stretch the abdominal muscles and aids digestion. It helps to ease abdominal pain and gas by helping to release tension in the stomach and intestines.
Precaution
- People with high blood pressure should not do Child Pose, as it can increase blood pressure.
- Child Pose is not recommended for pregnant women or those who have recently given birth.
9. Downward Dog Pose
The Downward Dog Pose is a classic yoga pose that provides a gentle stretch for the whole body. It’s especially helpful for gas and acidity relief as it calms the nervous system and can help to ease digestive discomfort.
Precaution
- When performing the Downward Dog pose, be sure to keep your hands and feet shoulder-width apart.
- Stop the pose if you feel any pain in your wrists, arms, shoulders, or lower back.
10. Bridge Pose
Bridge pose also helps to massage the internal organs and can aid in digestion by helping to move food through the intestines more efficiently.
Precaution
- People with high blood pressure, glaucoma, or detached retina should not do Bridge Pose.
Conclusion
Yoga is a great way to combat gas and acidity. Yoga poses together with a healthy lifestyle and nutritious diet are best for gas problems and acidity. They also reduce stress and hypertension. Contacting the local yoga studio or consulting a yoga expert regarding one’s symptoms, is a good idea as well. They provide personalized yoga training which depends on the symptoms of the individual. Practicing yoga poses every day is important for acidity and gas relief and soon shows results.
