Skipping breakfast, eating quickly at noon, eating too rich meals in the evening before going to bed ... We sometimes put a strain on our digestive system. What if yoga could make digestion easier for us?
Link between emotions, stress and digestion
When you feel stressed, your digestion is automatically disrupted. Our body automatically slows down the digestive process because it considers that "digesting is no longer an emergency, the stressor is a priority".
This is the reason why the overall appetite decreases under stress. The storage of energy reserves is limited resulting in weight loss in most cases.
The brain constantly communicates with our body and in particular with our belly which is also very rich in neurons. The digestive system is believed to be home to nearly 200 million!
The functioning of these neurons is closely linked to that of the microbiota, that is to say all the bacteria present in our digestive system.
To find out more, here is our dedicated article:
What is the microbiota?
Parasympathetic nervous system stimulation
The ANS (Autonomous Nervous System) manages all the "automatic functions" of our body.
It is distinguished in 2 antagonistic systems:
• The accelerator or sympathetic nervous system (which is not always sympathetic by the way!).
Action: Acceleration of the heartbeat, increased vigilance, opening of blood channels and bronchi, decrease in digestion.
• The frenulum or parasympathetic nervous system.
Action: Decreased heart rate, reduced alertness, closure of blood channels and bronchi, activation of digestion.
In cases of chronic stress, the sympathetic nervous system is over-stimulated to the detriment of the parasympathetic nervous system. We are not designed to deal with chronic stressful situations but only occasionally.
Some individuals manage to cope more easily with these stressful contexts, others are more sensitive to them. We are not all equal when it comes to this.
In short, to digest properly, we must leave a necessary time for this after the meal and generally promote calm and rest: activity of the parasympathetic nervous system.
The interest of opening yoga postures
Yoga incorporates many postures in opening. These positions, repeated or maintained, promote muscle activity in the diaphragm. They also help get as much air as possible into your lungs.
The diaphragm acts on the digestive system like a pump that “massages” the organs located nearby (stomach, liver, intestine, etc.).
Our breathing can be thoracic and more shallow or on the contrary abdominal (actively stimulates the diaphragm) and deeper. The practice of yoga forces you to focus on these details: Does your belly rise when you breathe in?
In case of mild abdominal pain or digestive difficulties, yoga can therefore, thanks to its mechanical effect on the digestive system, provide effective relief.
Yoga facilitates digestion by mechanical effect and also by physiological effect through the regulation of the autonomic nervous system.
