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Want a Better Bathroom Experience? Try Toilet Yoga!
Feeling stuck or sluggish on the toilet? It might be time to try toilet yoga! Your get out of poop free card:)
What is Toilet Yoga?
Toilet yoga, or "poop yoga," involves practicing yoga-like movements and poses while sitting on the toilet, often with the help of a potty stool to mimic a natural squat. This position helps relax the puborectalis muscle, which can kink the rectum, thereby straightening the colon for easier stool passage. The benefits include improved colon alignment, reduced straining, relief from constipation and bloating, and enhanced bowel function through a combination of physical positioning and mindful breathing techniques.
How Toilet Yoga Works
Mimicking a Natural Squat: Using a toilet stool elevates the feet, placing the knees higher than the hips. This position mimics a natural squat, which is the most anatomically efficient posture for bowel movements.
Relaxing the Puborectalis Muscle: The elevated position relaxes the puborectalis muscle, which normally creates a "kink" in the rectum. When this muscle is relaxed, the rectum can straighten, providing a more direct path for stool to pass.
Abdominal Engagement: Gentle twists and abdominal movements, similar to those in yoga, can help stimulate and massage the colon, encouraging stool movement through the digestive tract.
Breathing Techniques: Deep, conscious breathing during elimination can help to relax the pelvic floor and aid in more effective expulsion of stool.
Benefits of Toilet Yoga
Constipation Relief: By promoting a more efficient and natural bowel movement, toilet yoga can help alleviate constipation.
Reduced Straining: The relaxed posture and muscle engagement make it easier to pass stool, lessening the need for straining, which can lead to issues like hemorrhoids.
Improved Colon Health: Practicing toilet yoga can help with proper colon alignment and promote the release of toxins from the body.
Reduced Bloating and Discomfort: Smoother and more efficient bowel movements can reduce bloating and general digestive discomfort.
Stress Reduction: The integration of mindful breathing and movement, a core element of yoga, can help reduce stress, which is often linked to digestive issues.
Preparations for Toilet Yoga
Stool: Place a stool under your feet to elevate your knees above your hips, which mimics a squatting position and helps with bowel elimination.
Foot Position: Keep your feet flat and positioned slightly wider than hip-width apart, with your toes facing slightly out.
Toilet Yoga Techniques to Try
Forward Lean: Sit with a straight back and lean your upper body forward, placing your hands on your thighs.
Deep Belly Breath: Inhale deeply through your mouth to bulge your tummy muscles forward, creating pressure in your abdomen to help push down.
Seated Spinal Twist: With your legs in position, place your left hand on your right shoulder and twist your torso to the right, then repeat on the other side.
Winged Pose: Hold your knees and gently rock side-to-side to help with passing gas or to relax your body.
