"Good Food Brings People Together & Nourishes the Soul." - Anonymous

How's your tummy feeling today?

No matter how healthy you might eat all year long, everyone has the occasional experience of holiday tummy troubles. Tempted by an endless stream of holiday treats, you stray from your normal diet and eat rich, heavy meals.

Throw in eating on the run, increased snacking, and the emotional stress of holidays, and you will more than likely notice tummy discomfort. It can show up as gas, bloating, constipation, or a feeling of lethargy and heaviness.

Science shows us that when our “digestive fires” get sluggish, our digestive health suffers. If you are spending the holidays away from your own kitchen, you might not always have a say over the meals placed in front of you. But no matter where you are, you can rely on a few simple yoga poses to help light your digestive fires and alleviate your tummy troubles.

Yoga can also help lower the stress and anxiety associated with the holidays. The digestive tract is sensitive to our emotions. Feeling angry, anxious, or sad can trigger a response in your belly. Constant stress and depression may trigger your tummy troubles, especially during the holidays.

Studies show that certain yoga poses soothe the nervous system and get us out of stress mode. Yoga is an excellent way to stimulate the connection between the belly and the brain, and it helps us switch to the “rest and digest” mode of our nervous system. Once stress is managed, digestion may become easier.

Additionally, certain poses improve blood flow to the digestive organs, while also massaging the belly and alleviating tummy tension. By massaging the belly, we increase peristalsis, which is the movement of food through the digestive tract.

Cat-Cow Pose

One of my favorite poses for alleviating tummy trouble is cat-cow pose. It’s a simple pose that carries big benefits. The gentle, back and forth movement of the torso, when combined with the breath, relieves stress and calms the mind. It can also stimulate the digestive system, as the rhythmic movement massages the belly and encourages the movement of food through the digestive tract.

As part of my new guide, Tips for Handling Holiday Stress, I’ve included a brand new video, 5 Yoga Poses to Avoid Tummy Trouble.

In just 10 minutes, you will increase your digestive fires and begin to alleviate those uncomfortable tummy troubles.

Would you like to give it a try? Here’s a clip where we practice Cat Cow Pose.

To enjoy the full practice, pick up your copy of Tips for Handling Holiday Stress in the Midlife Yoga & Wellness store. Your belly will be happy you did!

Until next time,

~ Rosemary