6 Yoga Poses to Help Relieve Chronic Constipation

Everyone has experienced constipation at some point, but you can relieve the discomfort of this condition with yoga. Your daily habits, diet, travel, and activity levels play a role in how often you have bowel movements.

Having less bowel movements per day can lead to chronic constipation, which damages the excretory system. Yoga is a complete system that relieves constipation by helping modify your daily habits and eating healthy foods.

---

Gentle Yoga Poses to Relieve Chronic Constipation

Here's a look at six such poses:

1) Supine Twist

This relaxing pose is a good one for constipation. It’s a gentle twist that helps you expel waste, move food through the digestive tract, and increase blood flow to the gut.

How to do it?

• Start with your legs straight in front of you, as you do in the seated forward fold.
• As you breathe in, bend your right knee, and slide your right foot toward your right hip.
• Lengthen through the spine; extend one arm behind you for support, and reach the other arm across your body to rest it on or just outside of the bent knee.

---

2) Child's Pose

It's a calming yoga position that helps regulate the nervous system, especially after a long day. It massages the internal organs, which can improve bowel movements.

How to do it?

• Kneel on the floor, either seated on a block or on your heels.
• Your knees should be about hip-distance apart and feet tucked underneath you, with your big toes touching.
• Inhale deeply, and let yourself relax down into the posture.
• Continue to breathe deeply, and just relax.

---

3) Seated Forward Fold

It can help you relax, relieve stress, and get energized for the rest of the day. The action of folding over the legs stimulates the liver and kidneys and gently stimulates the stomach and intestines, helping in better food digestion.

How to do it?

• Lie down on the floor or on a folded blanket, with both legs extended straight out in front of you.
• Deeply inhale as you extend your arms overhead, and gently fold yourself over your legs as you exhale.
• Make sure to do that by hinging at the hips and not by rounding your back.
• Hold onto your shins, ankles, or feet, and gently push yourself as far as your flexibility allows.

---

4) Downward Dog Pose

The downward dog is one of the yoga poses that inverts the body. Inversions can make the heart work harder than usual and may help get lymph to circulate through the body. It also inverts the digestive tract, which can help move waste around in the intestines.

How to do it?

• Begin on your hands and knees, with your palms flat on the floor and fingers spread wide.
• Inhale and tuck your toes under; exhale as you lift your knees towards the ceiling.
• Straighten your legs as much as possible while keeping your gaze directed towards your belly button.

---

5) Thunderbolt Pose

It's a great way to give your digestion a boost, especially if you have been eating heavy meals. It also helps eliminate constipation before it becomes a problem.

How to do it?

• Start by kneeling on your mat with your shins pressed down against it. If you need more support, try sitting on a folded blanket or block between your heels.
• Inhale deeply, and press against your abdomen with both fists for added stimulation.
• Continue to inhale deeply and exhale slowly while pressing with your fists.
• For an extra stretch, gently spill over your thighs when you exhale.

---

6) Cobra Pose

It's the perfect pose if the digestive system is backed up. This pose stretches the abdominal muscles and organs, helping you pass gas with ease and grace.

How to do it?

• Start by lying on your stomach with your toes pointed, and place both palms on the mat so that they're in line with the shoulders.
• Press through your palms, and engage your abdominal muscles; lift your chin slightly, and let your gaze shift towards the ceiling.
• Breathe gently, and hold the posture for five to seven breaths.

---

Takeaway

The aforementioned poses are especially helpful when it comes to combating constipation and easing the associated symptoms.

With just a bit of practice, you can incorporate them into your yoga or daily routine. So if you’re interested in simple solutions for a less painful way of life and also want to try a few new postures to help ease constipation, these poses are for you.