The rationale of this yog-asana and prāṇāyāmasequence is to indirectly ‘touch’ and stimulate each of these three parts of the abdominal cavity and exert a positive effect on the gut-brain axis thanks to meditative prāṇāyāmatechniques.

The abdominal area is here ‘divided’ into three portions and the sequence is aimed at contacting and stimulating each of them. The upper digestive tract is where the stomach and liver are. The central part of the abdomen is mainly occupied by the gut; while the lower part is where bladder, rectum, prostate and uterus are. Kidneys and adrenals glands occupy the posterior part of the upper abdominal cavity. Moreover, being aware of research evidences that tend to establish a strong relationship between stress-related psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety with gastrointestinal disorders, I also pay attention to embodied practices that can help balance in the autonomic nervous system.

The third part is focused on twisting asanas. Open twistings such as #bharadvajasana create movement in the kidney/adrenals and stomach areas, while closed twistings such as #marichyasana and #pashasana massage and tonify the lower tract of the digestive system, urinatory and excretory systems in particular.

After toning with abdominal and twisting poses, the lateral extension in combination with twisting in #parivrtta #upavisthakonasana and #parivrtta #pascimottanasana allow to work on the upper and lower part of the digestive tract, respectively, creating a release. The bolster and blanket in particular give a soft support to breath against while maintaining the pose.