April 15th, 2021
Adam Meyer, chair of the department of Yogic Sciences at Pacific College of Health and Science, was recently interviewed by Parade.com on yoga poses to aid in digestion. Parade is an 80-year-old publication with millions of readers that features health and wellness article designed to make topics more accessible to the average American. Adam delved into the perspective on digestion granted by Ayurveda, the traditional medicine system of large parts of the Indian subcontinent, which views digestion as a process fueled by the element of fire. This digestive fire can be bolstered and digestion aided by specific yoga poses (asanas) such as cat-cow (marjaryasana-bitilasana), child’s pose (balasana), and the seated twist (ardha matsyendrasana).
“Another way in which yoga asanas can improve digestion is through directly or indirectly massaging and stimulating the digestive organs within the abdomen,” said Meyer, which can occur with forward folds, twists, and core strengthening poses. He described the 10 best poses that can accomplish this goal, along with visual aids.