Yoga for Digestion: 9 Poses You Need to Know

Digestive health plays a vital role in overall well-being, influencing energy, immunity, and comfort. see our guide on From Stress to Serenity: How Meditation Can Transform Your Day for more details. Yoga offers natural and effective ways to support digestion through specific poses that stimulate internal organs, improve circulation, and relieve tension. By incorporating these poses into your daily routine, you can alleviate bloating, reduce discomfort, and enhance your body’s ability to process food efficiently. This guide explores 9 yoga poses tailored to promote better digestive health, offering a holistic approach to maintaining a balanced and healthy gut.

Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

This gentle flow between Cat and Cow poses massages the abdominal organs, promoting digestion and relieving tension in the belly.
How to Perform:
Place your hands and knees on the mat in a tabletop position.
Inhale, arch your back (Cow Pose), lifting your tailbone and looking upward.
Exhale, round your spine (Cat Pose), tucking your chin and tailbone inward.
Repeat the flow for 1-2 minutes, moving with your breath.

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Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

This pose compresses the abdomen, stimulating the liver, kidneys, and intestines for better digestion.
How to Perform:
Sit on the floor with your legs extended forward.
Inhale, lengthen your spine and reach your arms upward.
Exhale, hinge at the hips to fold forward, reaching toward your feet or ankles.
Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, breathing deeply and relaxing your back.

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Wind-Relieving Pose (Pavanamuktasana)

This pose helps release trapped gas and promotes smooth digestion.
How to Perform:
Lie on your back, legs extended.
Exhale, draw your right knee toward your chest, holding it with both hands.
Press your thigh gently into your abdomen.
Hold for 1-2 minutes, then switch sides.
For a full-body effect, bring both knees to your chest and hold for 1 minute.

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Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

This gentle backbend stretches the abdominal muscles and stimulates the digestive organs.
How to Perform:
Lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders.
Inhale, press into your palms and lift your chest off the mat, keeping elbows slightly bent.
Relax your shoulders and keep your neck neutral.
Hold for 15-30 seconds, breathing steadily.

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Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

This twist massages the internal organs, aiding digestion and promoting detoxification.
How to Perform:
Lie on your back with your arms extended outward in a T-shape.
Draw your right knee to your chest and guide it across your body to the left.
Keep your shoulders grounded and gaze toward your right hand.
Hold for 1-2 minutes, then switch sides.

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Child's Pose (Balasana)

This resting pose relaxes the body and gently compresses the abdomen, supporting digestion.
How to Perform:
Kneel on the mat, bringing your big toes together and knees apart.
Sit back on your heels and fold forward, extending your arms in front of you.
Rest your forehead on the mat and breathe deeply.
Hold for 1-3 minutes, allowing your belly to soften.

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Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

This standing pose stimulates the abdominal organs, improving digestion and detoxification.
How to Perform:
Stand with your feet wide apart.
Turn your right foot out and left foot slightly inward.
Extend your arms to shoulder height and reach your right hand toward your shin, ankle, or the floor.
Raise your left arm upward and gaze at your left hand.
Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then switch sides.

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Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

This pose stretches the chest and abdomen, stimulating digestive organs.
How to Perform:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
Press your feet into the mat to lift your hips, creating a bridge shape.
Clasp your hands under your back, extending your arms.
Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, breathing deeply.

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Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

This seated twist massages the abdominal organs, improving digestion and relieving discomfort.
How to Perform:
Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
Bend your right knee and place your right foot outside your left thigh.
Place your right hand behind you for support and your left elbow outside your right knee.
Inhale, lengthen your spine; exhale, twist gently to the right.
Hold for 1-2 minutes, then switch sides.

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Boat Pose (Navasana)

This core-strengthening pose stimulates the abdominal muscles, aiding digestion.
How to Perform:
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat.
Lean back slightly and lift your feet off the floor, balancing on your sitting bones.
Extend your arms forward, parallel to the floor, and straighten your legs if possible.
Hold for 20-30 seconds, maintaining steady breaths.

Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

This restorative pose opens the hips and gently stimulates the digestive system.
How to Perform:
Lie on your back and bring the soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to drop outward.
Place your hands on your belly or extend them to the sides.
Breathe deeply and relax in this pose for 2-3 minutes.

Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

This pose improves circulation and stimulates the digestive organs through gentle inversion.
How to Perform:
Start in a tabletop position with hands and knees on the mat.
Tuck your toes under and lift your hips upward, creating an inverted V-shape.
Press your hands firmly into the mat and straighten your legs, if possible.
Hold for 1-2 minutes, breathing deeply.

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Corpse Pose (Savasana)

This final resting pose allows the body to integrate the benefits of the practice and promotes relaxation.
How to Perform:
Lie flat on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing upward.
Close your eyes and focus on deep, even breaths.
Stay in this pose for 5-10 minutes, letting go of tension and stress.

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Twisted Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)

This standing twist strengthens the legs while massaging the abdominal organs.
How to Perform:
Stand with your feet together and bend your knees, bringing your thighs parallel to the floor.
Bring your hands to your chest in a prayer position.
Exhale, twist your torso to the right, bringing your left elbow to the outside of your right knee.
Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

Supported Child’s Pose with Bolster

This restorative variation of Child’s Pose provides deep relaxation while gently compressing the abdomen.
How to Perform:
Place a bolster or folded blanket lengthwise on the mat.
Kneel on the floor, big toes touching and knees apart.
Lower your torso onto the bolster and rest your head to one side.
Hold for 3-5 minutes, switching the direction of your head halfway through.