The term colitis refers to inflammation of the large intestine, or colon. Causes of colitis include infections, irritable bowel syndrome, poor blood circulation and autoimmune reaction. Stress is one major trigger of colitis symptoms, such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. To manage stress, experts at MayoClinic.com recommend yoga's gentle exercise and breathing techniques. Throughout your practice, make sure to drink plenty of water. Dehydration may cause abdominal cramps.
Beginning
To relieve colitis, practice meditation, pranayama or breath techniques, mild forward and back bends; and spinal twists. Choose a gentle practice over a fast-pasted or heated practice. Start your practice sitting on your yoga mat wearing comfortable clothing. Gently close your eyes and focus on your breath. This will help you get centered and prepare your body and mind for your practice. Learn the breath of fire, a technique that incorporates passive inhalations and active exhalations, done while contracting stomach muscles.
Warm-Ups
Cat/cow gently warms up your spine, perks up your circulation and massages your organs. Match your movements to your breath --- cat pose as you exhale and cow pose as you inhale.
Come up onto your knees and sit back on your feet for thunderbolt pose, which aids digestion and alleviates cramping. This is a good pose to practice after every meal for five minutes.
Back Bends and Forward Bends
Cobra pose gives you a good stretch in your spine, stimulates your digestive organs and relieves stress. As you lengthen forward and come up into the pose, draw your navel toward your spine and scoop your tailbone back and down.
Tuck your toes under and exhale as you push back into downward-facing dog, another good spine-stretcher that calms your nervous system and improves digestion.
Other helpful back bends include locust, bow and camel pose. Also try standing and seated forward bends and seated wide-angle pose.
Spinal Twists
By complementing forward and back bends, spinal twists have a positive effect on your digestion. Just as you would wring out a sponge, these poses clear toxins from your organs. You can twist while standing, seated or lying down. Use your inhalation to create space in your body, and twist during your exhalation.
Relaxation
Legs-up-the-wall pose is a soothing, anxiety-relieving pose that relieves digestive problems and nausea. Use a bolster under your hips and a lavender eye pillow.
Savasana, or corpse pose, ends every asana practice with deep relaxation. Hold for five to 15 minutes, and finish your practice with a comfortable seated meditation. With your eyes closed, play soft music and focus on the fullness of your breathing.
