Our experts explain how yoga for digestion may improve symptoms of IBS
Whether you've simply overindulged at dinner or suffer from a more serious digestive disorder like IBS, yoga for digestion uses a combination of breathwork, movement, and stretching to help soothe and relieve symptoms of disrupted digestion. But how? "Our gut is known as our 'second brain' because of a communication network of nerves that form the gut-brain axis," Gabriella Espinosa, yoga teacher at Movement for Modern Life (opens in new tab), tells Live Science. "The vagus nerve is the longest and most powerful nerve. It originates in the brain stem and connects to organs like our gastrointestinal organ, influencing our digestion." "Research shows that stimulating the vagus nerve using yoga is an effective way to stimulate the gut-brain axis, as this switches on the parasympathetic 'rest and digest' mode in our nervous system," Espinosa adds. "It plays a key role in reducing stress and anxiety, which are key drivers of digestive issues like inflammation, constipation, bloating, loose stools, and IBS." Dodgy digestion can be deeply unpleasant and debilitating but finding ways to improve gut health can help – including the addition of yoga to your daily routine. Below, our experts explain how the physical benefits of yoga for digestion may boost your gut health , as well as some simple poses to kickstart a happier, healthier belly. What causes digestive issues? According to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (opens in new tab), a staggering 60-70 million people suffer from some degree of digestive disorder. But while there are many contributing factors (like diet and disrupted sleep), Eve Kalinik, registered nutritional therapist, gut health specialist, and owner of Kalla Probiotics (opens in new tab), believes stress plays a vital role. "We now know that stress hormones like cortisol can lead to increased inflammation in the gut," says Kalinik. "This stress can damage and compromise the gut barrier and the balance of good versus bad bugs, so we…