Viparita Karani, a yoga instructor says, “Based on my experience as a yoga instructor, I can tell you this tip certainly isn’t unfounded. Let me explain how to do this pose properly, plus the explanation behind this yoga trick.”
Why legs up the wall is good for digestion:
Legs up the wall is a gentle inversion, meaning your hips are above your heart. This posture is thought to help improve circulation. What’s more, inversions may help your body enter “rest and digest mode,” which stimulates and supports regularity.
The thinking behind this is: If you’re feeling bloated or cramped, laying with your legs up the wall will shift the gravitational pull on your digestive organs, helping to keep things moving. And simply relaxing into this posture will allow your body to calm down enough to digest.
How to do it:
- Start by sitting down facing a wall, with a mat or folded blanket underneath you if desired.
- Lay your upper body down and extend your legs up the wall.
- Your but doesn’t need to be touching the wall, so adjust to a length that feels comfortable.
- Legs should be relatively active and not completely stiff.
- Hold this position for about 10 minutes, breathing gently.
What are the other benefits?
Along with stimulating digestion and helping you de – bloat, the circulation that comes from this pose can also help ease headaches and anxiousness. Restorative yoga poses in general are great for working through stress that’s stored in the body.
And thanks to its relaxing effect, legs up the wall is excellent for grounding the nervous system, supporting the immune system, and yes, even getting a good night’s sleep. Next time you’re tossing and turning, try putting your legs up the wall for at least 10 minutes and notice how much sleepier you feel.
The bottom line is, this simple and restorative posture has a ton of benefits, whether you’re looking to go to sleep, find headache relief, or of course, minimize bloat.
Give it a try my friends.
That’s it for now, see you all the next time.
