Yoga poses for better liver health

Tailoring a personalized yoga regimen might aid in revitalizing your liver and enhancing your overall health. Even with fatty liver issues, adopting a healthy lifestyle is beneficial. Though liver conditions necessitate time and medical guidance to recover, focusing on a healthy lifestyle proves advantageous. For numerous individuals, this involves integrating yoga, physical activity, and a well-rounded diet.

Engaging in a yoga routine to promote liver health may enhance resilience, improve circulation, and digestion. Furthermore, it can target root causes such as stress.

How to practice yoga for liver health

Before diving into a new yoga routine, consulting a healthcare professional is crucial. This ensures you receive clearance and guidance regarding suitable poses, potential modifications, and safety precautions. Start your personal yoga journey with gentle, beginner-friendly postures. Gradually advance at your own pace, always attuned to your body's signals and respecting its limits. Practice under the guidance of a teacher to learn the right techniques safely.

Utilizing props like blocks, bolsters, and straps can offer stability, support, and aid in maintaining proper alignment. These tools render certain postures more accessible, allowing for comfortable and prolonged practice, and thus helping improve liver health.

Exploring various breathing techniques can heighten mindfulness, alleviate stress, and promote relaxation. Redirect your focus to your breath, alignment, and bodily sensations whenever your mind wanders.

7 Yoga Poses for Better Liver Health

Half-lord of the Fishes Pose

‍Known as Ardha Matysendrasana, this intermediate-level seated twist alleviates tension and stimulates your internal organs. It targets the hips, shoulders, back and abdominal organs, improving spinal mobility and boosting the functioning of the digestive organs. It improves blood circulation to the liver, encouraging better functioning of the organ.

How to practice half-lord of the Fishes Pose

Sit in Dandasana with your feet together and spine straight.
Now bend the left leg and place the left foot flat beside the right hip.
Take the right leg over the left knee and place the left hand on the right knee and the right hand behind you.
Now slowly twist the waist, shoulders and neck to the right and look over the right shoulder.
Ensure your spine is straight.
Now look over the right shoulder while taking slow deep breaths.
Release and repeat this on the other side.

Seated Forward Bend Pose

The Seated Forward Bend Pose, known as Paschimottanasana stretches the entire back, massages the abdominal organs and improves the functioning of the liver. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, encouraging relaxation and improving sleep patterns.

How to practice Seated Forward Bend Pose

Sit up with the legs stretched out straight in front of you (Dandasana). Keep the spine straight and toes pointing upwards.
Inhale, raise both arms above your head and stretch up. As you exhale, bend forward from the hip, chin moving toward the toes. Keep the spine erect. Focus on moving forwards towards the toes, rather than down towards the knees.
Place your hands on your legs, wherever they reach. Do not try to force yourself closer to the thighs if it is difficult. If you can, grab hold of your toes and pull on them to help you inch forward a little. You can also grab your calves if that’s where you’re comfortable.
Breathe in, keep your head straight and lengthen the spine. As you exhale, gently try to take your naval closer to the knees. Engage your core and try to use your breath to go deeper into the posture.
To come out of the posture, release the grip; inhale, raise both the arms up and lift the chin and chest as well. Breathe out, lower your arms and come back to Dandasana.

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Sphinx Pose

‍A gentle backbend, the Sphinx Pose relaxes the spine while stretching and strengthening the muscles. It improves core strength, stimulates abdominal organs, and encourages relaxation. Blood circulation to the abdominal organs improves significantly.

How to practice Sphinx Pose

Lie on your stomach with legs straight.
Come up on your elbows and place your chin on your palms. This will raise your upper body just a little bit, giving you a gentle backbend.
Stay here and keep breathing for a few minutes.

Cobra Pose

‍A deeper backbend compared to the Sphinx Pose, the Cobra Pose improves core strength, spinal flexibility, and blood flow to the abdominal organs. It helps alleviate stress, improves digestion and respiration.

How to practice Cobra Pose

Come into the prone position on your stomach.
First, interlock the thumbs or interlace the fingers at the back of the body.
Exhale and while inhaling, lift up the head and shoulders off the ground by engaging the back and core muscles.
Lift the chin, shoulder, chest and abdomen off the ground. Gradually stretch the shoulders back with the help of the arms and then lift them up with the help of the spinal cord.
Maintain awareness on the back as each vertebra is gradually lifted up, with the pressure slowly passing from the vertebra of the neck to those in the waist.
Breathe normally in the pose and hold for a few breaths.

Bow Pose

‍The Bow Pose, Dhanurasana, is an extremely effective asana for improving the functioning of all digestive organs. It massages the abdominal organs, improves blood circulation and has a strong stimulating effect. It also boosts energy, regulates hormones and improves liver function.

How to practice Bow Pose

Lie flat on the stomach with the legs and feet together, and the arms and hands beside the body.
Bend the knees and bring the heels close to the buttocks. Grip the ankles with the hands.
Keep the knees and thighs firmly on the floor and the arms straight throughout the practice.
Place the chin on the floor.
Tense the legs and lift the feet backward while raising the head and chest as high as possible from the floor without straining.
Use the backward movement of the legs to assist the raising of the body, allowing the back muscles to remain passive. In the final position, the gaze is upwards without compressing the neck.

Bridge Pose

‍The Bridge Pose strengthens the back, opens up the chest region and improves blood circulation. It boosts the functioning of abdominal organs by stimulating them and calms the nervous system.

How to practice the Bridge Pose

Lie on the back, bend the knees and bring the heels closer to the buttocks. Keep the heels firmly on the mat. The feet should be hip width apart on the floor with the knees and ankles in a straight line.
Hold the ankles with your hands.
Inhale and slowly lift the buttocks and hips up. Now lift the back and arch the back upward as you raise the lower, middle and upper back off the floor.
Now lift the chest as high as possible towards the chin without straining. Ensure that the feet and shoulders lie firmly on the ground. Keep the inner thighs and glutes active and engaged. The thighs should be parallel to each other.
Gently roll the shoulders and support your weight with the shoulders, arms and feet.
Stay here for a few deep breaths.

Wind-relieving Pose

‍Generally practiced towards the end of a session, Pawanamuktasana provides a gentle massage to the back while improving digestion. It stimulates the liver, improving functioning and blood circulation to the organ.

How to practice Wind-relieving Pose

Lie down flat on your back. Relax and breathe normally.
Now raise your legs and bend them at the knees. Hold the part of your legs below the knees.
Bring your knees back towards the head. Raise the head off the floor and bring your head close to your forehead.
Stay here for a few breathes.

Concluding thoughts

Liver complications affect physical well-being profoundly. With appropriate yoga exercises, one can manage risks and lead a healthy, fulfilling life. Integrating yoga into a holistic treatment plan can significantly boost overall health. Certain yoga poses positively impact liver health by enhancing digestion, circulation, and reducing stress levels.

Before starting a new yoga routine, seek guidance from a healthcare professional and qualified yoga teacher. Always practice mindfully, listen to your body, and respect your boundaries.

Learn how to practice yoga poses for liver health LIVE with Shvasa’s certified yoga teachers.

How to practice yoga for liver health?

Can I use props when practicing yoga for liver health?

Can I do breathing exercises to improve liver health?

What are the best yoga poses for liver health?

Practice asanas such as the bow pose, cobra pose, sphinx pose, seated forward bend pose, half-lord of the fishes pose and bridge pose to boost liver health.