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There are many benefits of exercise, but did you know that many yoga poses can aid the liver? Aside from the skin, the liver is the largest organ in the body and plays a key role in our health.
The liver has many functions, but its main one is to keep the 'bad guys' (toxins and harmful carcinogens) out of the bloodstream by filtering what passes through our intestine.
When you practice a well-rounded yoga routine, you boost your ability to eliminate harmful toxins from the body. With a few yoga poses, waste from lactic acid to lymphatic fluid, toxins, and carbon dioxide will be removed from deep tissues and extremities of the body.
Six Yoga Exercises To Improve Liver Function
Here's a look at six such poses:
1) Revolved Half Moon
To improve liver function, practice the Half Moon posture. A daily regime of half moon yoga stretches and builds strength while promoting focus and mental clarity.
Practicing the half moon improves your balance and strengthens your spine. It can also help you relax, especially if you're stressed.
Here's how you do this yoga pose:
- Start in the triangle pose, and reach one arm towards the sky and the other towards your foot, placing it on your pinky toe side.
- Keep your hand on your top hip for balance as you lift your back leg hip high.
- Once you are stable in the revolved half moon, gaze straight down towards your standing foot, and begin to rotate your body till your chest faces the floor.
- Reach for the floor or block with one hand, and extend the other arm towards the sky to come into a forward fold.
- Hold for 5-10 breaths, and switch sides.
2) Seated Spinal Twist
Sitting for long stretches on your computer, or working in a hunched position twists your spine from top to bottom.
Using spinal twists to periodically unwind it can improve spine health and flexibility, increase activity in digestive organs like the liver, and reduce back aches.
To do this move:
- Sit up tall, with your spine lengthened.
- Inhale as you raise your arms. Stretch up through your chest, and exhale as you twist to the right, looking over your shoulder.
- Bring your right hand behind you like a kickstand, and stretch out your left arm to rest on the outside of your right leg.
- Breathe deeply for five breaths, and repeat on the other side.
3) Marichi's Pose
The forward and backward bending in Marichi's pose has the same spinal and digestive benefit as the seated spinal twist. It allows you to go a bit deeper into the twist, massaging your liver and improving its optimal function.
To do this pose:
- Sit with your legs straight in front of you, and lengthen your spine.
- Bend your right knee, and place the sole of your foot against the outside of your left knee.
- As you inhale, lift your arms and torso towards the ceiling.
- As you exhale, twist over your right shoulder toward the back.
- Feel your right hand follow behind you as you deepen the twist by pressing your left elbow against your right knee.
- Hold for five breaths, and repeat on the other side.
4) Revolved Hand-to-Big Toes
This pose opens up the hips and stretches the gluteus muscles.
It detoxifies the body by rinsing the internal organs and twists the spine, improving strength, flexibility, balance, and lung capacity.
Here's how you do this yoga pose:
- Stand tall with your hands on your hips, and raise your right knee to a 90-degree angle.
- Make sure your hips are facing forward as you place your left hand on the outside of the right knee, and twist towards the right side.
- Extend your right arm behind you, and turn your eyes to see it.
- Hold this pose for five breaths, and repeat it on the other side.
5) Revolved Side Angle
This pose is great for improving liver function, grounding you and strengthening the legs, knees and ankles. It improves your balance and stamina while promoting digestive cleansing and purification.
To do this yoga:
- Start in the crescent lunge with both hips facing forward, front knee aligned over the front ankle, and back heel lifted off the floor.
- Step your hands to the prayer position, and sink into the lunge.
- As you breathe out, twist over your right shoulder.
- To deepen the pose, move deeper into the lunge, and press your left elbow against your left thigh.
6) Navasana
By performing the pose known as the Boat or Navasana, you stimulate and strengthen your liver, allowing it to run a detox programme for the body.
To do this pose:
- Lie on your back with both legs straight and arms by your sides.
- Raise both your upper and lower body, resting on your buttocks.
- Hold this pose as long as you can before returning to the starting position and repeating it.
Takeaway
There're many yoga poses that can detoxify and heal the liver.
Incorporating the aforementioned exercises into your daily routine improves your overall health and well-being in multiple ways.
