The yoga pose, usthrasana, is believed to benefit the entire upper body, relieving back pain and constipation. Details.
Easier sleep, reduced stress, improved flexibility… Practicing yoga has many health benefits. One pose in particular can even ease digestive issues like constipation and lower back pain; Ustrasana, also known as ‘camel pose’.
The key is stretched in front of the screen after a day
“It’s the opposite of sitting in front of a computer,” says Amelie Decou, an osteopath and yoga teacher in Annecy. We’ll just have to see what it looks like in practice. With your knees on the ground, you arch your back, your chest rises toward the ceiling, and your hands rest behind your thighs, on your ankles, or in front of you, depending on your flexibility.
In the video, Dua Lipa gives us a yoga lesson with this Sirsasana
Done correctly and regularly (two to three times a week), “stretching can ease the back by engaging the posterior musculature, which will strengthen the spine,” notes Amelie Decou.
Since the front of the body is fully extended, posture also facilitates transit. “It looks like we’ve stretched the colon, we illustrate the osteopath, we give it space. The diaphragm moves away from the pelvis to make more room for the digestive system and more blood supply. And better vascularity leads to better organ function.”
It’s like stretching the colon, giving it space
Amelie Deku, osteopath and yoga teacher
In the morning, on an empty stomach, after a few warm-up poses, this stretch wakes up and disrupts the rest of the digestive system. However, the relieving effect on constipation is not systematic, especially if it is caused not only by the colon, but also by stress or some other specific health condition, emphasizes Amelie Decoux.
As a bonus, this “wide open heart” pose stimulates the nervous system (twisting stimulates the nerves), stretches the quadriceps, and opens the ribcage, which allows for better breathing,” concludes the expert.
Performing Ustrasana without getting injured
If you don’t practice yoga, you can also incorporate this pose into your stretching routine, says Amelie Decoux. In order to do this without harming yourself, you should follow several rules.
Sitting on your heels, lift your hips above your knees, keeping you upright. Arms rise to the sky as you inhale, then settle namaste (hands are pressed in front of the heart) while exhaling. Tight glutes create a slight pelvic tilt to protect our lower spine.
As we inhale, the chest that brings us into the pose rises forward and the shoulder blades retract. We repeat this inspiration two or three times before allowing our hands to slide behind our legs. If you are comfortable, you can rest your head back. The intention should be to really stretch, creating space between the diaphragm and the pelvis.
To come out of the pose, a long inhale follows the arms in the opposite direction from the heels up hello As you exhale, the glutes return to the heels. Before changing the posture, we wait a few minutes to avoid dizziness.
For a complete practice, we hold the so-called “camel” position for three to five deep breaths, combining it with other postures. Beginners, however, should be careful not to over-tighten.
Source: Le Figaro
