Get Regular - Poses for Digestion

For your travels, here are some things you can do to encourage regularity:

1. The Belly Roll -- my personal favorite, this is a yin posture to be held for a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 15. Using a rolled blanket, towel, or yoga mat, lie down with the prop under your belly. Make sure it is between your ribs and pelvis, not under your hips or low ribs. Find a comfortable set up for your upper body, and relax here. This will give your insides a lovely massage. It's great for getting things moving. You will feel uncomfortable here and may feel your heartbeat in your belly. If you want to make this more intense, after a few minutes at rest, keep your belly relaxed and do some backbends like cobra and locust variations. This will really get things shifting.

2. Yin Twist -- This is a simple reclined twist. You can do your favorite version of this with or without props to support you. Always drop your knee(s) to the left first! This will help move stagnant energy through the intestines. Hug your knees to your chest for one minute in between sides, and hold each side for a few minutes (maximum of 7-8). If you don't have much time, and/or you want to generate more heat and work in the core, you can do more active twists--inhale knees to chest, exhale drop knees to one side, and repeat x10-15.

3. Supported Bridge -- Inversions are amazing for the digestive organs. A long-held supported bridge with a prop under the pelvis is amazing for stimulating the belly organs. Our organs spend most of the day sagging down toward our pelvis, so inverting relieves the pressure and kinks that build up here. Spend 5-10 minutes in this pose to enliven your digestive fire and clear away blockages.

4. Wide-Legged Kaiut Twist -- Sit on a prop with the legs spread wide. Sit tall, feeling both sit bones on the prop--do not lose contact the whole time! Face the right leg with your torso, placing the right hand on the prop or floor close to your right hip. Pring the left hand across to the right thigh (or to the floor inside the thigh), and slide the left hand down the leg toward the right foot. hold the shin, ankle, or the foot from above as is available without lifting the left sit bone from the prop. Press into your right hand to gound the left sit bone more. Rotate your shoulder girdle, ribs, and navel in the shape, but keep your head and neck relaxed and dropping. Hold for 2-7 minutes per side, release slowly and sit between sides, feeling. This can also be done with one knee bent (janusirsasana) or in (butterfly baddha konasana) or from easy sitting (sukhasana).

Enjoy these tricks and happy travels! Let me know how they feel for you, and send me any questions.