6 Yoga Poses to Help Manage IBS Symptoms
6 Yoga Poses to Help Manage IBS Symptoms
April 20, 2022 by Lesley Seto, MSc.A, RD
It’s IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) awareness month and I wanted to share some key yoga poses with you that will help alleviate some common symptoms of IBS. Gas, bloating and constipation are common complaints of IBS-C and IBS-M (constipation dominant or mixed; constipation and diarrhea). If you suffer from IBS, you know that eating certain foods can worsen your symptoms, but so can excess stress and lack of movement. Doing a few yoga poses is a phenomenal way to activate your relaxation response and support motility so you can keep symptoms at bay or recover more quickly if you ate a triggering food.
In addition to practicing yoga poses, here are a few more lifestyle tips that can be helpful.
Morning Walks to support motility
Colon Massage (along the line of the colon in a clockwise motion; counterclockwise for diarrhea)
Fennel essential oil mixed with carrier oil for abdominal massage (Try This!)
Include digestive herbs like ginger, fennel, anise, and cardamom
Dandelion root tea (for constipation)
Stay hydrated
Consider what you might be ‘holding on to’ or not releasing
Here are the yoga poses to get you started!
Practice each for a few minutes or for at least 15-20 slow deep belly breaths. The longer you hold them, the better!
Supported Bridge and Variation
Laying on the mat, bring feet below the knees and hip-distance apart. Lift your hips up and place a block under your sacrum (not lower back, just below). Arms can be out to the sides or grabbing opposite elbows. After a few breaths, you might want to take a different variation by walking the feet towards the front of the mat (keep both feet pressing down).
Gas-Releasing Pose
Bring the right knee towards the chest, interlace your fingers around the front of the knee and pull the knee in towards the chest. Circle the leg in a clockwise motion for a few breaths and then in the counter-clockwise motion. Release the leg and do the same on the other side.
Child’s Pose Flow
Starting in child’s pose with legs parallel or knees wide, keep the spine rounded as you pull yourself forward. When shoulders are above the wrists, drop the belly down and open the collarbones, bringing the chest through between the shoulders. Then keeping the spine arched, sit back onto the heels and back into child’s pose. Flow through this slowly for a few minutes with your own breath.
Supported Squat
Bring the feet wide, knees over the ankles, begin to sit your butt down. Place blocks underneath you for support (stack multiple blocks if needed). For the ambitious, option to hold the pose without support of the block as well!
Seated Forward Fold
Keep knees bent and make contact of the palm of the hands with the pad of the feet. Start to walk the feet forward while maintaining contact if you can! If you can’t reach your feet, no problem! Fold forward from the hips as much as you can and make contact wherever your hands can reach if you can’t reach your feet.
Supine Twist (Both Sides)
Twists are wonderful for flushing/stimulating the digestive system! Hold this one a little longer on each side! If crossing legs is too difficult, you can simply stack the legs on top of each other or extend the bottom leg straight.
These practices and tips are great for getting relief from gas, bloating and constipation, but if you’re experiencing these symptoms regularly long-term, get to the root of it by reaching out to a dietitian specialized in IBS and gut disorders. Contact us to see how we can help!