Topic 6.02.02 Empty Bladder and Bowel

Topic 6.02.02 Empty Bladder and Bowel. VERSION CONTROL: 1 August 2017

Bowel movement relates to cleanliness and food.
Always empty your bladder and move your bowel before your practice of Yoga.
Never practise advanced asanas without having first evacuated the bowels. Topsy-turvy poses help bowel movements. If you are constipated or it is not possible to evacuate the bowel before the practice of asanas, start with simple raised leg stretches, and progress to the shoulder-stand, sarvangasana and its variations.

If you are starting Yoga practice for the first time or re-starting after a long interval, you might find it beneficial to take a purgative and clean your bowels before starting practice.

Should you find it difficult to evacuate your bowels before beginning practice, would you consider drinking a glass of warm water early in the morning, followed by the practices of:
– stomach lift, uddhiyana,
– isolation and rolling of the abdominal recti, nauli kriya, or
– by giving the abdomen a gentle massage by hand, which will help to get the bowels evacuated.