Dealing with chronic constipation can be frustrating and uncomfortable.

While diet and hydration play significant roles in keeping things moving, there’s another powerful remedy for constipation that often goes overlooked: yoga.

Incorporating yoga into your daily routine not only helps regulate digestion but also brings a sense of calm to your body and mind. Ready to get into the world of yoga? Wondering where to start? Or which are the best poses for constipation?

In this blog, Mykare Health will dive into each pose and explore how you can use yoga to support a balanced digestive system and feel your best, day after day.

1. Wind-Relieving Pose (Pavanamuktasana)

This pose is specifically designed to aid in digestion and can help relieve gas and bloating.

How to Perform

• Lie on your back with your legs extended.

• Inhale, then draw your right knee towards your chest, clasping your hands around it.

• Exhale and gently pull your knee closer to your abdomen.

• Hold for 5-10 breaths, then switch to the other leg. For a deeper stretch, bring both knees towards the chest.

Benefits: Pavanamuktasana stimulates the intestines, eases abdominal cramps, and promotes bowel movements by applying gentle pressure to the stomach area.

This pose directly targets the digestive organs, applying gentle pressure to the abdomen, which helps move gas through the intestines and relieve bloating. The name itself, “wind-relieving,” refers to its effectiveness in releasing trapped gas, stimulating digestion, and promoting bowel movement.

2. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Child’s Pose is a simple posture that helps relieve stress while gently compressing the stomach, aiding in digestion.

How to Perform

• Kneel on the mat, sitting back on your heels.

• Lower your torso over your thighs, stretching your arms forward.

• Breathe deeply and hold the pose for at least one minute.

Benefits: Child’s Pose is both restful and gentle on the abdomen, which can help ease bloating and cramping. The mild compression on the stomach and the deep breathing helps stimulate bowel function and reduces stress—a key factor in constipation.

The pose is ideal for calming the mind and body, reducing the stress-related digestive issues. This restful pose relaxes the lower back and massages the abdominal area, promoting relaxation and reducing tension that can worsen constipation.

3. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

This pose stretches the entire back body and helps compress the intestines, which stimulates digestion.

How to Perform

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.

• Inhale and lengthen your spine, reaching your arms overhead.

• Exhale and fold forward, reaching toward your toes.

• Hold for 1-2 minutes, breathing deeply.

Benefits: This pose creates a mild compression on the abdomen, which aids digestion and stimulates the liver, pancreas, and intestines.

Forward bends like this one encourage circulation to the lower abdomen, helping relieve symptoms of constipation by encouraging natural digestive movement.

The gentle compression of this pose massages the abdominal organs, which can stimulate bowel movements and improve digestion.

4. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

This dynamic movement between Cat and Cow poses is excellent for awakening the spine and gently massaging the abdomen.

How to Perform

• Start on all fours, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.

• Inhale, arch your back, and lift your head and tailbone (Cow Pose).

• Exhale, round your spine, and tuck your chin to your chest (Cat Pose).

• Repeat for 10-15 breaths.

Benefits: This movement sequence gently massages the abdominal organs, stimulates blood flow to the digestive tract, and enhances peristalsis (the wave-like contractions that move food through the intestines).

Cat-Cow is also known for releasing spinal tension, which can indirectly improve digestion by reducing stress.This sequence increases blood flow to the abdominal area, stimulates the digestive organs, and can relieve tension that contributes to constipation.

5. Revolved Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)

A twist in the chair pose creates a wringing effect that can help stimulate digestion and relieve constipation.

How to Perform

• Stand with your feet together and bend your knees, lowering into a squat.

• Bring your palms together in a prayer position at your chest.

• Twist to the right, hooking your left elbow outside your right thigh.

• Hold for 5-10 breaths, then switch sides.

Benefits: This twisting motion compresses the digestive organs, stimulating blood flow and improving digestion. Twisting poses help massage the intestines, enhancing the body’s ability to eliminate waste.

The twist also detoxifies the body by “wringing out” toxins in the digestive organs, which helps promote bowel movements.The twist in this pose helps wring out toxins and stimulates the digestive organs, promoting regularity in bowel movements.

6. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

Bridge Pose is beneficial for gently massaging the lower abdomen, which can help alleviate constipation.

How to Perform

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart.

• Press into your feet and lift your hips towards the ceiling.

• Hold for 5-10 breaths, then lower down slowly.

Benefits: Bridge Pose stretches the abdominal muscles and encourages blood flow to the digestive organs. The gentle backbend massages the digestive tract, which can relieve tension in the abdomen and promote peristalsis.

This pose is also great for relieving lower back tension, which can indirectly support digestive health.Bridge Pose stimulates the digestive organs, improves circulation, and relieves tension in the lower abdomen, all of which aid in bowel regularity.

7. Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

This gentle twist stretches the spine and stimulates the abdominal organs, promoting digestion. How to Perform

• Lie on your back and draw your right knee towards your chest.

• Cross it over to the left side, extending your arms out in a T-shape.

• Hold for 10-15 breaths, then switch sides.

Benefits: Supine Twist provides a deep twist that stimulates the intestines and helps move waste through the digestive tract. This gentle stretch relieves trapped gas and bloating, aiding in the elimination process and improving overall digestive health.

This pose aids in releasing gas and stimulating peristalsis, which can help move waste through the intestines.

8. Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

This seated twist encourages detoxification and massages the abdominal organs. How to Perform

• Sit with your legs extended.

• Bend your right knee and place your foot outside your left thigh.

• Twist to the right, placing your left elbow outside your right knee.

• Hold for 5-10 breaths, then switch sides.

Benefits: This seated twist compresses the digestive organs, aiding in detoxification and enhancing digestion. By increasing circulation in the abdominal area, it helps the body release built-up gas and promotes a smooth flow through the intestines, alleviating constipation.

Twists compress the digestive organs, which increases circulation and aids in the elimination of waste, alleviating constipation.

9. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Cobra Pose is excellent for stretching the abdomen and stimulating digestive flow.

How to Perform

• Lie on your stomach with your palms under your shoulders.

• Press into your hands and lift your chest, keeping your elbows slightly bent.

• Hold for 10-15 breaths, then lower down.

Benefits: Cobra Pose stretches and stimulates the abdominal muscles, which enhances circulation in the digestive organs. The gentle pressure on the abdomen helps in moving food through the digestive tract, easing constipation.

Additionally, this pose activates the adrenal glands, which can positively impact stress levels that contribute to digestive issues.This pose stretches the abdominal muscles, which promotes digestive health by stimulating the organs responsible for bowel function.

10. Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

This backbend massages the abdominal area and helps stimulate digestion.

How to Perform

• Lie on your stomach and bend your knees, reaching back to grab your ankles.

• Inhale and lift your chest and legs off the floor, pulling your feet towards the ceiling.

• Hold for 5-10 breaths, then release.

Benefits: Bow Pose is a deep backbend that compresses the abdomen, which massages the digestive organs and stimulates peristalsis. This pose improves blood flow in the abdomen, helping to relieve constipation by massaging and stretching the digestive organs.

The intense stretch in Bow Pose compresses and massages the digestive organs, aiding in the relief of constipation and enhancing gut health.

The information provided represents the views and opinions of Karetrip. It is crucial to conduct your own independent research before making any decisions regarding your healthcare journey.