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 fifth part of the sequence is a combination of several inversions, #viparitasthiti. I propose to practice #halasana and #salamba #sarvangasana with weights because such variation requires to forcefully push the femurs upward, thus creating a spontaneous #uddhyanakrya in the abdomen. With an uddhyanic positioning of the abdominal cavity, the organs retract back and find their own space.

Different variations of #sarvangasana with lateral extensions and knottings, such as in #pindasana, are employed to stimulate the elimination of extracellular fluid and boost gut’s peristalsis.