Can't go? Do these yoga poses for quick relief, gut expert says

If you're releasing flatulence in yoga class, you aren't alone. 

The practice is full of movements and poses that spring your digestive tract into action. 

There are three main ways that a yoga session might get a slow digestive system moving, Dr Jill Deutsch, the director of the Yale Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Program said. 

Dr Deutsch, who is also a registered yoga teacher, said that a regular practice can help stimulate the digestive organs, strengthen muscles that help you go and initiate relaxation.

Stress can contribute to constipation, and the movement and breathwork associated with yoga might help to alleviate some of this - as well as strengthen muscles needed to help stools exit the body.

'Even a short sequence on most days can be helpful, as compared to a very long [yoga] flow just once per week,' Dr Deutsch told SELF. 

Because your digestive organs are packed tightly around your abdomen, movements that twist and bend this region can stimulate activity in the region.

Experts say the gentle pressure or compression of your stomach and colon can move gas or stool along the intestinal tract. 

'The GI tract moves from the right lower abdomen up and around to the left lower abdomen in a circle, so it makes logical sense that a twist or circular motion can potentially help stimulate or improve movement through the GI tract,' Dr Deutsch said. 

Then there's the poses that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. This group of muscles sits between the genitals and anus and are important in controlling the flow of waste that exits the body, according to the continence foundation of Australia.

Weakened pelvic floor muscles- from birthing, injury or disuse- can lead to unstable bowel movements.

What's more, mindful breathing practices that are common in yoga can regulate the movement of the diaphragm, reducing abdominal pain, urgency and bloating, according to University of Michigan's Digestive and Liver Health department.

Also, deep breathing relaxes your body - and the more relaxed your body is, the easier it is for you to go. 

The gut and brain are highly connected, and if you can reduce anxiety and stress, you're probably going to be more lubricated down there, Kelly Turner, a yoga teacher  and vice president of training and experience at YogaSix told SELF.

'Yoga helps people transition back to a state of relaxation and ease, which often leads to positive changes in digestion,' Ms Turner said. 

Here are eight poses that might help you get things moving. 

Cat-Cow

The cat-cow pose involves moving from a curved spine to an arched spine while breathing, and stretches a whole range of your body, from your pelvis to your shoulders.

This pose, originally known in Sanskrit as Marjaryasana-Bitilasana, has you move from an arched back to a curved spine while on all-fours. It's commonly used early in class as a way to get the spine ready to move.

The pelvic movement in these poses is the key to it's digestive benefits, Valerie Lucas, a senior master trainer at YogaSix, told SELF. 'This is useful when you need to alleviate gas pains and stimulate digestion,' Ms Lucas said.

Moving through these convex and concave positions gets blood flowing to your back and belly, which can help improve gut flow Katey Davidson, a registered dietitian and personal trainer, wrote for Healthline. 

Reclined twist 

This position is known in Sanskrit as Supta Matsyendrasana. You must keep your upper body stable while moving your lower trunk in order to get the full benefits.

To get into this twisted position, lie down on the floor, hug your knees into your chest, then drop both to one side of your body while keeping your upper back stationary, with your arms out to the side.  

After sitting in this position for at least 20 seconds, you pick your legs up and stretch them to other side of your body in order to get the stretch on both sides.

Dr Deutsch said that poses that incorporate twisting might be some of the best for stimulating digestion. That's because twisting puts pressure on the digestive organs, pushing and prodding at the complex plumbing that moves waste around. 

Squat 

This squat pose can engage your pelvic floor muscles, which are important in helping you go to the bathroom. This pose is known in Sanskirt as Malasana. 

Malasana, commonly known as a squat, has yogis place their feet wider than their shoulders, bend their knees and drop their pelvis to the floor while using their elbows to press your knees open. 

You get a deep leg, groin and ankle stretch in this position, while engaging your pelvic floor, Natalie Trubin, a physical therapist wrote for The Healthy, a readers digest shoot off. 

'It’s a great pose for both lengthening of the pelvic floor, and strengthening it,' Ms Trubin said. 

Seated twist

Sitting in a cross-legged position and twisting your upper body can help you massage your inner organs.

Sit on the mat with your legs crossed, making sure your spine is neutral. Then, placing your hands on the outside of your thigh, rotate your spine to the side and look in the direction you're turning, holding for at least 30 seconds. 

This pose stretches the lower back and falls under Dr Deutsch twist category, making it a gut stimulator. 

Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional holistic healing native to India, looks to poses like these as ways to 'improve overall gut health, function, and motility,' she said. 

Half lord of the fishes pose

This pose, Ardha Matsyendrasana, uses the tension between your arm and leg to create a twisting motion in your back. 

To enter this post, you must extend your legs in front of you while sitting on the floor, then bend one leg up near your opposite knee. From there, you take the opposite arm and place your elbow on the outside of your bent knee, using the other arm as support to twist yourself backwards. 

You can hold your right thigh for support in this position, which should be held for a minimum of thirty seconds.  

This pose also falls under the twist category. Ms Lucas highlighted it as being an especially good massage for the abdomen that might release tension from your core and GI tract. 

Knees to chest

This post is sometimes called the wind relieving pose. It can be done as it's pictured here, with one leg, or by bringing both knees into your chest at the same time.

This pose, known in Sanskrit as Apanasana, is sometimes referred to as the 'wind-relieving post' because it's so efficient at getting gas out of your system. WHY 

This can be done one leg at a time or with both legs into the chest at once. To achieve it, you first lie flat on your back with your legs extended. Then, you pull a leg(s) into your chest and hold it tight with your hands.

You can hold still or gently rock the leg back in forth, getting more of a circular motion on your lower back. 

This pose gently compresses the stomach and the colon, which can force air out, like a whoopie cushion.

'This yoga pose is excellent for those who experience gas, bloating and abdominal discomfort. It provides relief by gently massaging the abdomen from front to back,' according to the Colorectal Clinic of Tampa Bay.

Child's pose

Child's pose is a widely known part of yoga that might help you get your poop moving. 

Childs pose, known in Sanskrit as Balasana, starts on your knees. From there, you can extend your hands above your head as you fold your torso over your legs, stretching your shoulders, neck and spine before letting your forehead rest on the ground. 

This pose is especially good at helping your body relax. A more relaxed body is a body that's more likely to poop. 

'Child’s pose helps to change the angle of the pelvic floor musculature to release low back tension,' Dr Deutsch said. 

Happy baby 

This pose can help engage and elongate pelvic floor muscles while also getting some internal movement of your gastrointestinal organs. 

To get into the happy baby pose, lie on your back and lift your feet from the floor in a bent position. 

Then, you grab hold of whatever part of your feet is comfortable and lightly pull them towards your chest, while making sure your knees stay on either side of your body. 

 This exercise might give you an internal massage while also engaging your pelvic floor, Ms Trubin said. 

Since you're on your back in this position, you don't have to work against gravity, which might make it easier for your muscles to relax.

'This gives those muscles a chance not only to elongate, but to relax and let go,' Ms Trubin said. 

Ms Lucas recommends this to alleviate gas and bloating pains.