upset stomach and yoga

This past weekend my former house-mate returned  from cold northern climes. With her came her cutest little daughter and husband. Unfortunately, an uninvited guest in the form of a stomach bug took up residence in her belly. She spent much of that first night throwing up and then finally retching when the dial pointed to empty.

This caused much consternation but a quick visit to the local chemist the following morning and she was a happy, burbling mass of joy. Alas, what was in her is now in me, Puleng and my friends husband. Like participants in one of the more annoying reality shows we have succumbed, to various degrees, to the debilitating effects of this bug.

For me, it translates to a slight bloating of the stomach, a mild fever and a feeling of lethargy. So in turning to my yoga medicine chest, I quickly found these simple but effective asanas.

In my drained state, it is clear that supports will be required. During times of weakness, the energy that remains in the body is better used to tackle whatever is causing you the dis-ease. Using chairs, blocks or foams is excellent in providing you the benefits of the pose without the physical effort.

I love the imagery of the body as river. In this river areas that have a sluggish or non-existent flow become a source of pollution. Likewise when you feel bloated like I do, by brining an opening to that area, the freedom encourages the release of those pent-up demons and a flow of positive energy to the affected part of the body. In this way the body begins to correct itself.

Lastly, that feeling of distress that accompanies sickness is countered by calming asanas. This can be emotionally calming, or mentally calming. The two are interlinked. In fact all these considerations I have discussed show very clearly how yoga works on multi-dimensional levels when addressing issues. The physical, emotional, mental, and of course, the spiritual.

So, let’s get to this shall we. This very simple sequence is as always not to be taken for a cure. It is specifically for targeting my current loosely defined ailment.

Supported Supta baddakonasana- direct movement of buttock flesh with belt towards, heels, support thighs if groins get sore (5-10 minutes).

Supported Setubanda Sarvangasana- tie centre thighs/shins, support abdomen and legs (5-10 minutes).

Supported Salamba Sarvangasana- chest open, great immune booster (5-10 minutes).

Vippharita Karani- cover or close eyes, abodomen supported (5-10 minutes).

Savasana- if back thighs stiff, have legs slightly apart (5-10 minutes).

Thanks to Bill Grainger at Yoga Font for the images.