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Even when it’s from that delicious slice of pizza, late-night Netflix noshing, or the irresistibly wealthy chocolate mousse, bloating and indigestion never feel good. And digestive issues can rise to the extent of chronic medical conditions comparable to inflammatory bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease, that may be severe and debilitating.

“I used to be diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in my early 20s,” says Govind Das, Kirtan musician and owner of Bhakti Yoga Shala in Santa Monica. “After months of crippling sickness and spending eight days within the hospital receiving blood transfusions, I used to be told I could be on medication to manage my inflammatory bowel disease for the remainder of my life.”

Within the face of that diagnosis, he took a friend’s suggestion and attended his first yoga class. Over time the practice helped. He credits Bhakti Yoga, asana, and Ayurveda for aiding his recovery.

Even when we’re not facing such a severe diagnosis, we could all profit from higher digestion. That’s where yoga is available in.

Connecting Your Gut and Your Brain

While health workers stop in need of suggesting that yoga “wrings out” the digestive organs—something we frequently hear in yoga classes—there may be some evidence that yoga poses tone the vagus nerve (VN) which communicates information between the gut and the brain. Low vagal tone has been connected with GI disorders.

“Stress inhibits the VN and has deleterious effects on the gastrointestinal tract,” in response to research published in Frontiers in Neuroscience. Researchers think stimulating the anti-inflammatory properties of the vagus nerve could help restore balance along the gut/brain axis. This may very well be useful to people diagnosed with digestive conditions.

Do this sequence—which mixes stretches and twists that concentrate on abdominal organs—to alleviate a wide selection of digestive discomforts (think: gas, bloating, constipation).  Mix the movements with diaphragmatic respiration which also provides a mild massaging motion to the interior organs that may ease GI symptoms. (But, after all, in case your discomfort becomes chronic or gets worse, see your health care provider.)

Marjaryasana-Bitilasana (Cat-Cow)

(Photo: Andrew Clark. Clothing: Calia)

Bring your hands beneath your shoulders and knees beneath your hips. Inhale as you drop your belly button toward the earth and lift your heart and hips to the sky into Bitilasana (Cow Pose). Spread your shoulders apart and away out of your ears. On an exhalation, round your upper back toward the sky, dropping your gaze to your navel and pressing your hands and feet into the earth in Marjaryasana (Cat Pose). Proceed for 10 rounds.

Respiratory deeply in these poses will massage your organs as you alternately compress and lengthen the intestines, bringing fresh blood to the epithelial cells, that are accountable for healthy gut function.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)

(Photo: Andrew Clark; Clothing: Calia)

Come into Plank Pose to establish your hands and feet. Place your hands shoulder-distance apart and feet outer-hip-distance apart. Then, using your core, press your hips up and back. To broaden your back, bend your knees barely to elongate your spine and spread your shoulders wide.

Use Down Dog to take deep breaths into your belly, pulling the navel up and in toward the back of your heart every time you exhale.  Breathe for five to 10 rounds.

Utthita Trikonasana (Prolonged Triangle Pose)

(Photo: Andrew Clark)

From Down Dog, step your left foot forward right into a High Lunge after which straighten your left leg. Walk your right foot forward 6 inches and angle it in order that your toes face the front-right corner of the mat. Keep your heel flat on the bottom. Rotate your torso, opening your body to the best. Reach your right hand to the sky together with your palm facing outward, and rest your left hand frivolously in your left shin, on a block or on the ground. Stretch the crown of your head forward as you reach your tailbone toward your right heel. Breathe in Utthita Trikonasana for 5-10 breaths after which move to Parivrtta Trikonasana (below) before switching sides.

Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose)

(Photo: Andrew Clark; Clothing: Calia)

Release your right hand to the earth and level your hips—keeping the best hip consistent with your left. Keep your legs stable and powerful by engaging your quads and keeping a micro-bend in each knees.  Twist to the left and reach your left arm up toward the sky together with your palm facing away out of your body. Breathe on this pose for five breaths, then repeat Utthita Trikonasana and Parivrtta Trikonasana on the opposite side.

By compressing and releasing the colon on this pose, you’ll stimulate the organs. For those with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Jean Koerner, yoga teacher and former co-owner of Be Yoga Studios, advises proceeding with caution on this pose, as it could cause unwanted pressure on the organs.

Uttana Shishosana (Prolonged Puppy Pose)

(Photo: Photo by Andrew Clark; Clothing by Calia)

Come onto your hands and knees in Tabletop.  Then, keeping your hips where they’re, walk your hands forward and lower your body until you might be in a position to release your head onto the ground or a block.  Open your shoulders by moving your shoulder blades away from one another. Allow gravity to open your heart.

Uttana Shishosana pose is particularly useful for stretching the belly to alleviate cramps after a big meal.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

(Photo: Andrew Clark; Clothing: Calia)

Bridge Pose is an incredible backbend for compressing the digestive organs, while concurrently delivering fresh blood to the guts and relieving any fatigue which may be brought on by poor digestion.

To enter this pose, lie in your mat and place your feet flat on the ground as near your sitting bones as possible. Exhale and press your inner feet and arms into the ground as you lift your hips toward the sky, stretching your knees forward. Place a block beneath your sacrum for a more passive backbend. Take 10 deep breaths here, then slowly roll your spine right down to release.

Ardha Pawamuktasana (Half Gas-Release Pose)

(Photo: Photo by Andrew Clark; Clothing by Calia)

Look no further than the name of this posture to find its healing profit: Pawan = air or gas. Mukta = release.  This pose compresses the ascending colon on the best side and descending colon on the left, stimulating the nerves to assist elimination. Hug your right knee in toward the best side of your ribcage.  Keep pressing your straight left leg into the earth.  You could clasp your hands around your right shin to drag it closer you. Hold for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat on the opposite side.

Supta Matsyendrasana (Supine Spinal Twist)

(Photo: Andrew Clark; Clothing: Calia)

From Bridge Pose, bring your feet together and release your knees to the left, stretching your right arm straight out to the best for a Supine Twist. For a deeper stretch, rest your left hand gently in your right knee. You could also straighten your right leg and extend it out to the left.  Reach your left hand toward your right toes or outer right foot. Relish on this deep, releasing twist so long as feels good. Return to center and repeat on the opposite side.

Savasana (Corpse Pose)

(Photo: Andrew Clark; Clothing: Calia)

From Supine Twist, bring each knees into your chest to neutralize your spine. This front-body compression will aid elimination by stimulating the transverse colon. Then allow your legs to straighten gently to the bottom and rest the palms face up next to your hipbones. You could decide to roll a blanket or towel and place it under your knees. Let your respiration change into natural as you calm down all of your muscles.

Jean Koerner believes quieting the mind in poses like Savasana is probably the most essential a part of the practice since it calms the nervous system. “Leisure helps to counterbalance the consequences of stress, which results in these conditions,” she says. Addressing the explanation for the discomfort will help alleviate the symptoms.

This text has been updated. Originally published on July 25, 2014.

Casey Coviello, RYT-200, a former Yoga Journal intern, has extensive experience providing health-related services.