I awoke sore from yesterday’s vigorous class so I did some gentle yoga to loosen up. I also did some core specific poses, twists and wind removing. I got to thinking about digestion and poses that specifically help with that.
Wind-Removing Pose
Pavanamuktasana
This specifically works the intestines. Bikram says: Wind-Removing Pose compresses and massages the ascending colon and descending colon.
It also messages the transverse colon and compresses the entire digestive system.
Twists also help massage the digestive system. I would suggest gentle twists and head-to-knee with bent knees. Elevating the legs on a chair can also feel good on a full belly. A nice walk followed by a sequence with the above components will really help ease that overly stuffed feeling that we all hope to achieve on Turkey day.
Thanksgiving isn’t only about stuffing our faces. It is about being grateful that we are blessed and able to take a day off to stuff our faces and spend time with loved ones.
The asana Parsvottanasana is considered to be an expression of gratitude. It is a challenging pose that should be entered into with care.
There are many variations of this pose so one doesn’t have to be an “advanced” yogi in order to express gratitude through their practice.
Namaste.