The most wonderful time of the year is also, often, the most bloated time of the year. While all the delicious food, drink and downtime can be rejuvenating, it can leave your body feeling sluggish.
Thankfully, some gentle movement is an easy way to aid digestion and feel more energetic.
“Natural remedies like yoga can help you process food more efficiently and ease digestive issues, allowing you to fully enjoy Christmas,” says Melissa Leach, a certified yoga instructor at Yoga-Go.
Below, Leach shares four yoga poses that will help relieve bloating as and when you feel it. It’s also worth practicing these poses regularly to improve your overall circulation, digestion and prevent symptoms.
Four yoga poses to relieve bloating
1. Wind relieving pose
“Wind relieving pose directly targets bloating by gently compressing the abdomen, and the repeated hold-and-release movement helps to release trapped gas,” says Leach.
“Additionally, the compression stimulates bowel movement, relaxes the abdominal muscles and can provide immediate relief from cramping and digestive discomfort.”
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your legs extended.
- Gently bring one knee toward your chest, clasping your hands around your shin or knee.
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Switch legs and repeat before bringing both knees in together, hugging them to your chest for a final time.
2. Half pigeon pose
“When practicing half pigeon pose, you are gently compressing one side of your abdomen, which stimulates the digestive organs and encourages gas to move through the intestines, helping reduce bloating,” says Leach.
“This pose also releases tension in the hips and psoas muscles, two areas closely linked to stress and digestive discomfort,” she says.
“By calming the nervous system, the body is able to increase blood flow to the gut, supporting smoother and more efficient digestion.”
How to do it:
- Start on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Slide your right knee toward your right wrist.
- Keeping your right knee close to your right wrist, move your right foot toward your left wrist, as far as is comfortable.
- Extend your left leg behind you, keeping your left knee and left foot on the floor.
- Hold for 30 seconds to a minute, then repeat on the other side.
3. Seated spinal twist
“The twisting action in this posture is the main reason it is so effective in improving digestion,” says Leach.
“It massages the abdominal organs and when the twist is released, it increases blood flow to the stomach, liver and intestines, helping stimulate peristalsis and digestive secretions.
“This twist is also especially effective at helping gas move through the digestive tract, making it great for reducing bloating.”
How to do it:
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended
- Bend your right knee and place your right foot outside of your left thigh.
- Rotate your torso to the right, placing your left elbow outside your right knee
- Place your right hand on the floor behind you.
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, then switch sides.
4. Bridge pose
“As opposed to many other digestive-focused postures, bridge pose focuses on stretching rather than compression,” says Leach.
“By stretching the abdominal region, we can improve circulation to the digestive organs, helping them function better.”
“The mild inversion also allows gravity to assist intestinal movement and helps relieve congestion,” she says.
“This pose can help stimulate the thyroid gland, which plays a crucial role in regulating metabolism and digestive function, contributing to a reduction in bloating.”
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides.
- Lift your hips, pressing your feet and arms into the floor.
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds while breathing deeply.
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