Wind Removing Exercise

It happens to all of us at some time – the feeling of being bloated with trapped bowel wind.  Yoga exercises and diet generally help to keep the problem at bay but when it strikes - -

This exercise is a variation of that used in the warming up sequence.  There the aim is to loosen the hip and low back.  Now we change the breathing around to get those results plus more.

Lie on your back, legs extended.  Bend the right leg and draw it close in to your abdomen and chest with the help of your hands.  Breath in as you increase the downward pull of the leg to press the thigh against the abdomen.  The pressure will help to move gas up and along the large intestine.  The pressure may be enough to displace gas already sitting in the descending large intestine on your left side and expel it through the anus.  Don`t be embarrassed, this is a perfectly natural reaction on the  part of the body.  Hold the leg in place for a few breaths, gently pulling in more firmly each time you breath in and so increasing the pressure.

Change leg.  This time the pressure will help to move the gas down the large intestine as it descends towards the bowel, and hopefully clear the problem.

A more gently method is to use the heel of your right hand.  Press into the lower right side of the abdomen and then keeping the pressure draw the hand up towards the lower ribs on the right side.  Maintain the pressure moving across the upper abdomen.  Change to the heel of the left hand as you keep up the pressure and slow firm movement down towards the left hip bone and in towards the centre of the body, just above the pubic bone.  This method can be used even during a period of constipation (but look at your diet and maybe incorporate more fruit and veg etc)  Even sitting on the lavatory this may help with difficult motions.

Derek Osborn                                     06 05 12