Yoga and Breathing to End Constipation

A system of living, Yoga offers techniques for supporting any and all body functions, and constipation is no exception.

Become familiar and faithfully practice the following breathing exercises, for creating regularity.

Fire Essence Breath (Agnishaar): Exhale and tuck chin against neck/chest in chin lock. Rapidly pump the belly inside (contract and expand abdominal muscles). Try three rounds of 10 pumpings per round, to start. Inhale and exhale after each round. Build up to 60-100 pumpings per round. Cleans up digestive orders, constipation, strengthens abdomen. Best on empty stomach and bowel. Note: Don’t do if more than three months pregnant. Excellent after delivery, to tighten up pelvic and abdominal muscles. Proven to help flatten the gut.

Shining Skull (Kapalbhati): Close eyes and mouth, breathe only through nose. Take a few deep breaths to prepare. As you exhale, imagine you are snuffing a fly off your nose. The forced exhale feels like a short burst of breath, causing your abdominal muscles to contract briefly and your diaphragm to move down. (Optional: Place your hands on belly, it feels like your stomach is pumping or jumping quickly.) No inhale action required; this is called passive breathing. Repeat snuffing and pumping, one exhale per second. Start with three rounds of 20 to 30 pumpings. Gradually increase to 60 pumpings, one minute.

Three Locks (VahiPranayama): Exhale fully, swallow and lock neck (tucking chin deeply into chest), suck naval back to spine and hold, pull rectum up and hold. Hold until you need to breathe. Inhale, tip head back then forward, exhale, swallow, lock and hold. Prevents health problems, especially in throat and systems of digestion and elimination.
Alternate Nostril Breathing (Analoma Viloma): Hold right hand up to nose, with elbow slightly tucked to your side and shoulder relaxed. Left hand resting on thigh. Gently close right nostril with right thumb and inhale from the left. Close left nostril with ring finger and exhale from right. Keep left nostril closed and inhale from right. Close right nostril with thumb and exhale from left. These steps comprise one round. Retention of breath can be added between each inhale and exhale, to promote the development of muscle.

Try some of these asanas, or postures, to relieve constipation.

Asanas (if able, pull in and hold stomach in for first two postures):
Knee Squeeze: Pull one knee at a time up to chest. Squeeze. Repeat four or more times with each leg. Then pull and hold both knees at chest. Particularly focus on the left leg, as you can squeeze against the descending colon. (Here’s a simple cue to remember: squeeze the left, the Left is where Elvis Leaves the building! Think L, as in Let Go.)

Heel Thumping: (if possible, better done standing) Stand on toes then forcefully bring body weight down on heels. Repeat this strong, focused thump three to five times. The bowel point on the bottom of the foot is being stimulated.

Lap Cradle: Collapse into your lap, cradling your head in your knees. Put hands out, as if diving, then let them drop to your sides or hug your thighs. Breathe and relax. With each exhale, surrender more to gravity. If your head does not reach your thighs comfortably, put a pillow or folded jacket in your lap. If comfortable, suck in and lock belly to encourage intestines.

Modified Camel: Sit upright in a low backed chair or on a stool. Reach behind you and sit on your hands, fingers pointed forward, palm down. Arch back, drop head back and open chest, leaning over back of chair. Inhale and exhale deeply and slowly.

Seated Twist (Modified Kati Chakrasana): Sit upright. Take right arm and cross chest and reach behind shoulder to hold back of chair, sliding hand as far to right as possible. Keep fanny on seat. Turn head and look over right shoulder and continue to breathe. Take two complete breaths. Reverse, using left arm. Repeat up to five times.

Modified Rowboat (Nauka Sanchalansana): Sit on edge of seat. If comfortable doing so, hold legs off the ground, straight out in front of you. (If not, keep feet on floor) Hold your imaginary oars, palms down and exhale as you extend the arms fully, reaching forward, as far as comfortable. Lean back, exhale and pull elbows back as far as you can. The hands are making a circle as you row. Repeat five to 10 times.

Wrist squeeze: take one wrist and then the other and vigorously squeeze and twist.

Rectum Squeezing (Ashwini): Tighten and squeeze rectum, pulling it up and holding without strain as long as comfortable. Continue, rhythmically tightening and releasing the rectum, and being conscious of not adding other parts of the body such as thighs, buttocks or stomach to pulsation. Do throughout the day, as much as comfortable. Increase speed of contractions as able. Breathe normally.

Hand Mudra: YogaSir suggests using the Gas Making position (Apaan mudra) when sitting on the toilet, to stimulate movement of the bowel. The thumb, middle and ring fingers are fully extended and held together, tips facing up.

Rectum lock: Sit comfortably with eyes closed and relax. Observe your natural breath. Pull up rectum and hold. Repeat regularly, as comfortable, for regularity.