A regular practitioner of Hatha yoga for over a decade, I am often taken aback at the power of this practice to cool down a fiery state of mind, soothe the nervous system and restore a mind-body balance. Seemingly passive, deep and active breath work combined with rhythmic stretches have a profoundly curative impact on our organism. 

It has been established in the medical world that the gut-brain connection is a direct link to our physical health and mental clarity. Our vitality largely depends on how we nourish ourselves, but our lifestyle choices are also responsible for our wellness and wellbeing. 

Working from the inside out, beyond our emotional states, yoga has a direct correlation to our muscles, tendons and nerves, but also our organs. Let’s have a closer look at the influence of yoga on our gut health, and how it can gently support us. 

Effects and affects of the digestive process

The main purpose of digestion is to break down food and absorb nutrients. From the esophagus to the colon, muscles and organs work hard to orchestrate that digestive dance. 

Effective digestion leaves us feeling invigorated, balanced and happy. The body knows to keep all of the good nutrients to function, feed, fight and energize, but also to discard surplus or toxins that do not serve us. On the other hand, a reactive, poor digestion will make us feel sluggish and often moody. 

This is where yoga makes an interesting ally to our diligent organs, such as the liver, kidneys, colon, and lungs, who are responsible to filter and carry out the said “waste” and stimulate the digestive process. 

“An internal massage for your organs…”

Specific yoga poses (asanas) promote pleasant pressure and movement on our organs that act as an internal massage on the stomach, intestines, liver, and even the pancreas. 

A bendy body goes a long way promoting blood flow and oxygen circulation, it strengthens the muscles of our organs and importantly, it activates our metabolism to release a large number of enzymes that help absorb nutrients better. 

A few examples: 

-Parivrtta anjaneyasana: (revolved crescent lunge) promotes digestion by compressing the colon in beneficial areas.

-Uttanasana: (and upside-down postures) reduces constipation and gas.

-Ustrasana: (Camel pose) stretches the intestines and stomach alleviating constipation.

 Hello Vagus!

In the preamble to her book “Gut: The inside story of our body’s most underrated organ”. Dr Giulia Enders introduces a sad event that sets her research in motion. 

“In my first semester as a student I was at a party where I ended up sitting next to a guy who had the smelliest breath I have ever smelled. It wasn’t typical bad-breath smell – not the scratchy hydrogen-breath odours of stressed-out-middle-aged gentlemen, nor the sugary-foetid funk from the mouth of an elderly aunt with too sweet a tooth. After a while, I moved away and sat somewhere else. The next day, he was dead. He had killed himself. I couldn’t get him out of my mind. Could it have been a diseased gut creating that smell, and if so, could a diseased gut also have affected his psychological state?”

While this is an extreme example, it is a relevant one to point out the correlation between our gut health and our nervous system. Say hello to the vagus nerve. 

The vagus nerve is the largest nerve in our body, responsible to regulate our parasympathetic or “rest and digest” nervous system. It ensures the “automatic” motility of our digestion, heart rate, immune response and more. For example, when we eat, our brain provides digestive signals to start handling nutrients, secreting enzymes and ensuring other digestive functions.

The gut-brain axis watches over our physiology, but also influences our emotional realm. 

Stimulating the vagus nerve is proving promising to assist the treatment of certain types of depression, and even inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS). 

Yoga for reducing stress and normalizing the nervous system

Yoga slows the body down, coordinates breath to movement and as a result increases our vagal tone. Opening postures, breathwork and meditation activate the parasympathetic nervous system and invites us to return to a relaxed state. While yoga can actively improve and stimulate digestion through specific postures and pressure points, it generally provides a favorable environment to reduce stress, and optimize our mind-body connection.

Child pose awaits! 

Yoga affects us profoundly and proves to be great to restore mind-body-soul. If you are struggling with various gut problems or just want to try something new, why not see for yourself and hop on the mat into child pose!