Metabolic Rush
I’ve had a lousy digestion since puberty. And the more I stressed about it, the worse it would get. I would pay frequent visits to the doctor struggling with constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and bloating. I swallowed handfuls of pills to restore the stomach flora, drowned the intestines in probiotics, wrestled with painful enemas – to no avail. I tried everything from belly massage, to colon cleansers, from herbal tinctures to homeopathy, but nothing ever worked. I lived fearing food, skipping and not truly enjoying meals, and hoping I wouldn’t turn into a “Michelin”.
And then one day, my mom took me to a holistic healer who tracked the energetic blockages causing all the symptoms, and urged me to switch to a raw enzyme-rich zone diet, and commit to a regular yoga practice. I soon learned that the most likely culprit of poor digestion was low stomach acid. When you don’t have enough gastric juices harmful bacteria invade the body slowing the process of breaking down proteins for digestive enzymes to use as fuel. As a result, the food simply sits in the stomach and causes fermentation and a whole bacteria feast rages. This impairs the pancreas to produce enzymes and large pieces of food clog the intestines, causing constipation, among other problems.
I stuck to a zone diet religiously and realized how improper food combining and the eating of many different food groups in one meal caused stress for the digestive system, which was already depressed. The deeper buried the stress, the further into the body it went, and the digestive system was about as far as it could go to hide. The raw fiber rich fruits and veggies I devoured improved my gut flora and also took care of my lactose and gluten intolerance. I resorted to wholesome and pungent foods, like garlic, onions and ginger to aid gastro-intestinal movements, dispel gas and promote a healthy appetite. I refined my sense of smell and taste, appreciating the real unseasoned flavor of live foods. I cut my fluid intake during meals, and always made sure to include a little salt to clear internal body heat, flush away toxins and facilitate healthy bowel movements.
The makeover was apparent: my belly flattened, eye-sight got sharper, my lung capacity got wider, my sense of smell was infallible. I got satisfied with a moderate and simple meal. The sugar and flour cravings naturally tapered down. The stress vanished. I restored my vital flow and eating became a ritual of joy and appreciation.
I paired my new diet with a healthy yoga practice, and soon discovered that digestive issues had to do with burying unresolved emotions in the lower abdomen and pelvis. Energetically, they blocked the solar plexus – the pillar of our true identity, and dissuaded us from employing our talents and engaging fully in society. Perhaps, the most interesting revelation I had during this intense healing time was that digestive disorders revealed a personality that holds things in. That truly resonated with my inability to assimilate things instantly. Instead I would brood on things for days, keeping them for myself. I developed a constant preoccupation and anxiety to past or future events. I caught myself regretting the past, and worrying about the future. I developed an odd intolerance for the now. What’s more, this inability to release and fully let go, slowly transpired into an inability to share and perform.
And in order to stop the vicious circle from spinning I was left with the one and only solution – unlearn. You start by dropping nasty food habits. You relinquish thoughts of the past or expectations about future. You feel more at ease with yourself. The regular yoga practice rinses and soaks the body with new blood, while stimulating all the glands. You get leaner and stronger. Your body image is no longer an obsession, but a site for cultivation. You feel good in your skin and you radiate this goodness around. It’s a win-win situation.
Oddly enough, as I fell in love with my yoga practice and book-wormed through countless volumes of spiritual literature, I happened to learn, that besides physical indigestion there was a syndrome known as spiritual indigestion. It was that same acute state of overconsumption of cognitive food in the form of esoteric knowledge, prayers and worship that without the practice would lead to mental bloated-ness. Yoga is experiential and without the practice it is hard to reap the benefits and share them with everyone around. We are what we eat – so eat wisely to nourish both body and soul. Stay open and always ready to digest issues instead of running away from them. And then un-ready yourself to adapt to change.
Let’s feel the rush of blood in the belly as we dive into this digestion booster – the first in a new series of targeted routines that we shot especially for you in the spectacular “El Yunque” rain forest of Puerto Rico. Stay tuned, more exciting practices to come!
Yogea digestion boosting routine: Metabolic Rush
This Yogea targeted sequence integrates breathing techniques and asana to aid optimal digestion, assimilation and excretion. It starts off with purifying “pranayama” that boosts metabolism, generates body heat and speeds up the detoxification processes in the body. Belly toners, standing bound twists and backbends help the body generate enzymes to fuel the breakdown of food and facilitate alkalinity and nutrient absorption. Innovative seated twists and squats massage the bowels and help regulate ph levels. Deep forward folds aid elimination and promote healthy gaseous exchange. Semi-inversions get the blood circulating and supine fetal positions open the downward flow to bring physical release and mental resolve.
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