In today's fast-paced modern era, wrong eating habits, irregular daily routine and the habit of working continuously sitting on a chair for long hours have badly affected our digestive system. Starting the morning with tea and having dinner late at night as a heavy dinner has become a common practice these days. This is the reason why today every second person seems to be suffering from the problems of gas, acidity, constipation, indigestion and bloating. When people eat even a little fried or heavy food, the stomach starts filling with air like a balloon and a burning sensation starts in the chest. To get relief from this problem, people often resort to various types of medicines, powders or antacids, but these things provide relief only for some time. If you also want to get rid of these stomach problems permanently, then there is a surefire and very effective solution in our ancient yoga science. According to yoga gurus and Ayurveda experts, 'Pawanmuktasana', done regularly for just a few minutes, can completely improve your digestive system.
In the world of yoga, 'Pawanmuktasana' is made up of two Sanskrit words – first 'Pawan' which means wind or gas, and second 'Mukta' which means to expel or get rid of, and 'Asana' means posture. Thus, the simple meaning of this yoga asana is that it expels the excess gas and air trapped in the stomach and intestines from the body. When we do this asana, there is slight pressure on our abdominal organs, due to which blood circulation in the digestive organs increases and the trapped gas gets released easily. Due to the excellent massage of the lower abdomen and intestines, this asana is no less than a boon for those who suffer from chronic constipation or gas problems. In the modern lifestyle, where physical exertion has reduced and the abdominal muscles become loose, Pawanmuktasana works to breathe new life into those muscles.
The full benefit of any yoga asana is available only when it is done with the correct technique and method. Yogasana done wrongly can cause harm instead of benefit, hence the correct process of doing it should be understood thoroughly.
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Step 1: Lie straight on your back on a yoga mat or any clean ground. Both your legs should be together and your hands should be straight near the body.
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Step 2: Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, bend your right knee and bring it towards your chest.
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step 3: Now clasp the fingers of both your hands together and hold your right knee firmly and press it near your chest and stomach.
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step 4: After this, while exhaling deeply, lift your head and shoulders above the ground and try to touch your nose or chin with your right knee. Stay in this position for a few seconds, breathing normally.
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Step 5: Now slowly exhale and straighten your head and legs back to the ground. Now repeat the same process with your left leg and then complete this exercise by folding both the legs together.
When we eat food, sometimes due to slow digestion, the food starts rotting in the intestines and produces gas which gets stuck in the stomach. Doing Pawanmuktasana puts pressure on the inner wall of the stomach and especially on the large intestine. This pressure clears the way for the air trapped inside the stomach to come out naturally. Apart from this, this asana ignites the 'Agni Tatva' i.e. the digestive fire of our stomach, due to which the food eaten gets digested quickly and easily. If people who often suffer from heaviness, sour belching or stomach cramps, include this asana in their daily routine on an empty stomach in the morning or a few hours after lunch, they start seeing miraculous results within a few days.
Pawanmuktasana is not limited to just gas and bloating, but its regular practice provides countless health benefits to our entire body. This asana strengthens the abdominal muscles and also proves to be very helpful in reducing belly fat. Since there is a slight stretch on the spine during this exercise, it provides relief from lower back pain and increases the flexibility of the spine. Additionally, it stimulates the organs of the pelvic region and helps in relieving disorders related to the reproductive organs. Having a clean stomach brings a natural glow to the face, removes laziness and the whole body feels fresh and energetic throughout the day.
Even though Pawanmuktasana is a very safe and common yoga asana, still it should be done with caution in certain circumstances. Women who are pregnant or have serious spinal injury or pain, hernia complaints or have recently undergone major abdominal surgery should avoid doing this asana or should consult a yoga expert. In the beginning, do not do this by applying too much pressure, rather stretch the body as per your capacity. Make this easy yoga asana your habit by taking out just 10 to 15 minutes from your busy routine, and then see how without any medicine, your stomach always remains light, healthy and digestive system is completely fine.