Perfect Digestion

Strong digestive system is a boon to modern man. All joys become meaningless if you are always worried about your disturbed stomach. The increasing prosperity with lack of physical work out and growing stress and tension have gripped not only elderly people but also our school going children and most of them are suffering from indigestion, constipation, acidity, ulcer, wind or gastric problems and diabetes. Even the women and children confined to the four walls of their home are deprived of natural body movements resulting into failure of proper body functions and permanent sickness. It adds a lot to their mental irritations and dissatisfaction towards life. Surprisingly they do not even exert to find the way out but accept it as their physical tendency instead.

Though very small but regular amount of time devoted to Yog Sadhana early morning may lead everybody to a regime of perfect digestion resulting into perfect health and tense free light mind. The tragedy is that we have a vast knowledge of the subject, we go on discussing the masters, styles and benefits of yog sadhana but we do still suffer of weaker systems leading to regular sickness. A little yoga applied in day to day life is always better than a lot of learning and accepting nothing. Let’s be determined and learn a few tips for our everyday life.

Begin your day with salutation to parents Divine. Drink the stale water treated in a copper jug all through the night. After toilet and bath have comfortably loose dress and sit on a fourfold blanket on the floor of your Sadhana Kaksha / meditation room. Lie down on your back and relax your body and mind being in an effortless position. Stretch yourself with your arms lifted upward and brought to floor above your head while inhaling. Stretch the entire body in this position in such a way that the upper half of the body is pulled upward and the legs to downward direction. Exhale gently and return to starting position followed by relaxation. Repeat it for about five times. Now you are ready to perform the daily work out for a fit stomach. Better to motivate every member of the family, even the kids and old dada daadi to perform these easy but essential yogic movements for a joyful healthy body and mind.

Uddiyan bandha

Bandhas are the locks to apply Pranic Power in a particular area as we develop dams to check the free flow and wastage of water and apply it to generate energy. Uddiyan bandha is associated with Manipura Chakra that sustains the Annmaya Kosha the physical body and governs the digestion and metabolism.

Process

Sit in Padmasana resting right leg on left thigh and left leg on right thigh with soles facing sky. Try to touch both of your knees to floor and keep the thighs, knees and pelvis relaxed. Maintain your spine, neck and head in one straight but still tense free line. Obtain Gyan Mudra by folding the index fingers to touch the inside root of thumbs. Keep the other three fingers straight, relaxed and slightly apart and place the wrists on your knees with palms facing upward. Beginners who fail to attain this posture may sit in half lotus or Ardh Padmasana and practice with changed position of feet every day.

Close the eyes to relax your mind and body. Breathe deep through nose only and exhale deep emptying the lungs as much as possible holding the breath outside. Press down your wrists on the knees and contract the abdominal muscles inward and upward. Hold this abdominal lock and hold the breath out position for as long time as you can without putting any extra strain on your lungs. Now relax your wrists and release the Uddiyan Bandha and allow a slow and deep inhalation. Relax until your breathing is normalized then begin the next round. You may begin with practice of three to five rounds and gradually increase to ten rounds within a couple of months. Remember that Uddiyan Bandha is performed with external breath retention only.

Precautions

In case of ulcer, high blood pressure and heart disease Uddiyan Bandha is not recommended. Patients suffering from asthma and hernia are advised to practice Uddiyan Bandha under expert guidance only as said in Yog Sutra “Gurupdisht margaineh yogmaiv samabhyesait”.

Benefits

It is a sure cure to constipation, indigestion, worms and diabetes if they are not chronic and chronic patients will do it with certain other combinations. Uddiyan Bandha improves the digestive fire and balances the adrenal glands. Even the tension and anxiety gets cured and whole trunk area gets better blood circulation. It is a preventive kriya for ulcer, hernia and asthma. The best benefit of Uddiyan Bandha is the stimulation of Manipur Chakra that gives an even distribution of energy to entire body.

Vajra asana

Vajrasana is one of the easiest asanas to perform and can be attained by all. Vajra Nadi is directly connected with the genitor-urinary system that controls and regulates the sex energy in human body. It is beneficial for digestive organs.

Process

Sit in the kneeling position keeping the big toes together and heels separate lowering the buttocks on to the inside of heels. Hold your back straight but tense free. Place the palms on your knees and relax the arms and whole body. Close the eyes and breathe normally with attention on rhythmic mental chanting of holy “OM” in each breath. This mental chanting of OM with closed eyes brings rhythm to all systems and tranquility to mind. Practice vajrasana as much as possible. This is the only asana that may be practiced even after meals.

Precautions

Beginners may find it a little tough as the knees and ankles ache after even a short sitting in Vajrasana. In such case withdraw as you feel uncomfort and stretch your legs forward and move the feet until stiffness disappears. Increase the practice time gradually. For meditative purpose check the flow of breath. If the airflow through the left nostril is predominant then place the left big toe on top of the right big toe and in case of right nostril place the right big toe on top of left big toe. This will balance the flow of breath in ida and pingla nadis to bless you with tranquility of mind.

Benefits

Vajrasana increases the efficiency of entire digestive system and removes ailments such as hyperacidity and peptic ulcer and sciatica and sacral infections. It prevents human body from joints pain, hydrocele and hernia besides strengthening the pelvic muscles. Vajrasana is important meditative asana also as it keeps the body upright straight and is easy to perform almost by all. It is very important asana for mental balance and concentration as it controls the sexual energy and activates prana in sushumna nadi. Even Muslims and Zen Buddhists have accepted this Vajrasana as a compulsory posture for prayers and meditation.

Uttan padasana

Lie down on your back with palms flat on the asana spread on your floor. Inhale deep and raise the right leg as high as comfortable but keep it straight with foot relaxed. Hold the left leg straight on floor. Retain the breath and old the posture for about 5 seconds. Lower the leg slowly and exhale gently. Repeat it on left leg as well. Increase this practice from up to ten rounds. Later, practice with both legs lifted together. Your stomach gets perfectly strong with all its functions toned up if you practice holding the Uttan Padasana for one and a half minute.

Precautions

For perfect results Uttan Padasana may be repeated rising the legs to progressive heights at 30, 46 and 60 degrees respectively in each round.

Benefits

Besides strengthening the abdominal muscles and reducing the abdominal bulk this asana strengthens the digestive system, lower back and pelvic muscles. It tones up the perineal muscles also.

An Advice

Anger, Hatred, Lust and Passion are the enemies of your digestive system. The chemical reactions under such positions reflect adversely and leave poisonous effect on our digestive, nervous, gland our and muscular systems. Regular yogabhyas with relaxed bowl will lead your stomach with perfect health and give you a healthy happy long life. Avoid fats, stale and fried food in the beginning. Prefer liquid or semi solid food for a month if you are facing an irritating bowl system. You may again enjoy solid and balance fat food as you get ok. Avoid late night dinner as this is the mother of several diseases so a threat to your good health and life. Leave your bed early morning to clear your stomach in a proper way. Avoid taking standing meals in a hurry and try to have food with patience and contentment sitting on asana spread on floor. Avoid excessive food and leave the stomach ¼ empty to allow a comfortable flow of breath. Avoid water intake during meal it may be taken after half an hour. Prefer seasonal vegetables and fruits and they are more favorable to you. Over and above all learn to eat with contentment and sweet smile.