This a portion of a white paper that Samantha Knies Gray, RYT wrote for her final teacher training exam in 2017. The entire paper, including a Yogasana practice and Pranayama practices related to digestion, can be made available upon request.

PREFACE

In the last 30 years, yoga has become a popular workout for those looking to lose weight, tone up muscle, and increase flexibility. With emphasis on one or more of these three end-goals, yoga has become less about whole body-mind health and more about a sweat-inducing workout for today’s average practitioner. In the following pages, I’ll explore the effects that yoga has on the body outside of a muscle-building workout; specifically, the positive results that a consistent yoga practice can bring to one’s digestive health.

WHAT IS YOGA?

At its most basic level, the word ‘yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit root of yuj, which means ‘to unite’. Traditionally, and in reference to the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali text, yoga is defined as the ability to exclusively concentrate – and sustain that concentration – on an object without distraction. More commonly, it is known as an ancient Indian spiritual practice that focuses on breath control (pranayama), meditation, and body postures (asanas). While yoga does date back to India some 5,000 years ago or more, it is new to the western world, having only gained a following in the 19th century through yoga gurus from India and eventually becoming popular in the 1980s as the sets of physical exercise that most know it as today.

OVERVIEW OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM + AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

The effects of yoga on our outward physical body, as well as our inward mental state are well known – increased flexibility, strength and mental clarity are the leading benefits touted by practitioners. However, the effects of yoga on our intrinsic muscles, visceral organs, vascular systems and nervous systems are less regarded.

Besides keeping our extrinsic muscles strong and lean and our joints supple and young, yoga has been known to provide healing results to our internal systems – especially in regards to digestion.

The human digestive system performs four primary functions: ingestion, digestion, absorption, and elimination. It is made up of the salivary glands, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum with the liver, gallbladder and pancreas acting as accessory organs to the primary digestive organs. Housed in the upper abdomen to the right are the liver, gallbladder, and right kidney. Located in the upper abdomen to the left are the stomach, pancreas, spleen, and left kidney, as well as the duodenum and transverse colon. The small intestine, ascending colon (on the right) and descending colon (on the left) are found in the lower abdomen. (1)

Closely tied to the intrinsic muscles and visceral tissues is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) that is primarily run by the subconscious mind and has two modes of operation that do not function at the same time.

The sympathetic side of the ANS is commonly known as the ‘fight or flight’ reflex, kicking in when a threat is present or expected. It causes increases in heart rate and blood pressure, muscle tension, rapid and shallow breathing, capillary constriction, and turns off the digestive and endocrine functions. The parasympathetic side of the ANS is the ‘Rest, Digest, & Repair’ system and can only function when the sympathetic system is turned off. It produces a slower heart rate and blood pressure, increases muscle relaxation, slows breathing, dilates capillaries, and turns on the digestive and endocrine systems. (2)

TODAY’S AVERAGE LIFESTYLE + ITS EFFECTS ON THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

Today’s average lifestyle features an over-packed schedule, more stressors than we can handle, processed, greasy, high-fat foods, and liquor and sugary drinks. Pairing up these with our natural inclination to overeat, a sedentary lifestyle impossible to escape through office jobs, and food sensitives and allergies that so many of us are prone to, and we’re given a recipe for digestive and ANS overload. Indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, ulcers, bloating and gas, cramping, acid reflux, fatty liver, and gall bladder issues are just some of the common problems that can transpire from our daily lifestyles. In turn, inefficient digestion is the root cause of many other health complications; anxiety, depression, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight gain, weight loss, and loss of muscle and bone mass can emerge from improper digestive health.

THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME: A STUDY

On a more serious level, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – also known as a spastic colon – is a chronic condition that affects the large intestine and must be treated long-term. IBS is estimated to affect 8% to 14% of the population with more than 200,000 cases per year.

It is the most common of gastrointestinal disorders and is largely experienced by adolescents with an estimated 17% of high school students and 8% of middle school students suffering from IBS symptoms. (3)

Signs and symptoms of IBS vary, but often include abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, excess gas, and diarrhea or constipation or a combination of both. Food, stress, and hormones can trigger symptoms of IBS.

The root cause of IBS is unknown; however, muscle contractions and inflammation in the intestine, abnormalities in the nervous system, severe infection, and changes in the microflora of the gut appear to have an effect. Risk factors of IBS include the following: being young, being female, having a family history of IBS, and having a mental health problem. IBS is generally associated with a poor quality of life and mood disorders. Counseling, biofeedback, relaxation exercises, and mindfulness training have all been known to help prevent or ease symptoms of IBS.

In a study published in the Winter 2006 issue of Pain Research Management, 25 adolescents with IBS, aged 11 to 18 years, were randomly assigned to either a yoga intervention group or wait list control group. Before the study commenced, both groups answered questionnaires regarding their symptoms, pain, functional disability, coping, anxiety, and depression. The participants assigned to the yoga group were given a one-hour instructional session followed by four weeks of daily home practice guided by a video. After 4 weeks, the participants repeated the questionnaires and the wait list then received the same yoga instruction and four weeks of home practice followed by the questionnaires. (4)

The results of the study concluded that yoga holds promise as an intervention for adolescents with IBS. Participants in the first yoga group reported lower levels of functional disability, less use of emotion-focused avoidance, and lower anxiety following the yoga intervention than the participants in the control group. When the two groups were combined, participants had notably lower scores for gastrointestinal symptoms and emotion-focused avoidance following the yoga intervention.

The participants found the yoga to be helpful and indicated that they would continue to use it as a means to manage their IBS symptoms. (5)

ADDING AN ASANA + PRANAYAMA PRACTICE TO YOUR LIFE

Based on the study previously mentioned, adding a yoga practice to your life can prove beneficial to your digestive health. Starting a personal practice on an empty stomach and avoiding food is best, but increasing your water intake and slowly adding probiotics to your diet is recommended. In addition to the asana (or posture) practice, adding a pranayama (or breathing) practice can help to decrease stress. The diaphragm is run by the parasympathetic system, but can be controlled consciously. Slow, deep breathing will feed back into the ANS and reset it to the parasympathetic side. (6)

Starting a yoga practice with gentle, restorative poses and building up to sitting and standing poses is recommended. Poses that allow you to lay on your back, such as corpse pose or legs-up-the-wall, will reset the adrenal glands and allow the ANS to switch over to the parasympathetic side. Slowly adding in forward folds and twisting poses will assist in massaging and stimulating the digestive organs. Incorporating pranayama that focuses on abdominal breathing, as well as a meditation practice will deepen your abilities to concentrate and relax.

Cautions to take into consideration before starting a yoga practice for digestive health improvement include recent abdominal surgery (including caesarean sections), abdominal wounds and injuries, hernias, and peritonitis.

Citations

(1) Yoga Anatomy for Posture and Health. Jean Wessel.

(2) Yoga Anatomy for Posture and Health. Jean Wessel.

(3) A randomized trial of yoga for adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome. Leora Kuttner, PhD,1 Christine T Chambers, PhD,1,2 Janine Hardial, BSc,2 David M Israel, MD,1,3 Kevan Jacobson, MBBCh,1,3 and Kathy Evans, BSN3

(4) A randomized trial of yoga for adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome. Leora Kuttner, PhD,1 Christine T Chambers, PhD,1,2 Janine Hardial, BSc,2 David M Israel, MD,1,3 Kevan Jacobson, MBBCh,1,3 and Kathy Evans, BSN3

(5) A randomized trial of yoga for adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome. Leora Kuttner, PhD,1 Christine T Chambers, PhD,1,2 Janine Hardial, BSc,2 David M Israel, MD,1,3 Kevan Jacobson, MBBCh,1,3 and Kathy Evans, BSN3

(6) Yoga Anatomy for Posture and Health. Jean Wessel.