Yoga = Tummy Ache

Laurios
Laurios Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone

I did yoga last night for the first time, and although I felt great after, really relaxed and stretched, I was walking to the car and experienced a sharp painful cramping in my abdomen. This last all evening, right until I went to bed.

It wasn't a muscle pain it was digestive and actually caused diarrhea. I made sure not to eat before I went to yoga and I drank plenty of water.

I want to go back next week but worried it will happen again

Has anyone else experienced this or got any suggestions to avoid it?

thank you
Laura

Replies

  • OtiWanKenobi
    OtiWanKenobi Posts: 340 Member
    Hi!

    This is very possible. Yoga is beyond just an outward physical exercise. I'm not if your instructor does this but they should be telling you what each pose does to your body. There are certain poses that rinse your organs like your thyroid, large and small intestines etc. So if you've done the poses right and your body is toxic...then those poses are gonna have an effect on you. The same thing can happen with a deep tissue massage if certain pressure points are activated.

    I've had that happen to me in a deep tissue massage and I've had minor symptoms after a yoga class.

    The poses I've come to learn that have an effect on your intestines and kidneys are eagle pose, standing separate leg head to knee pose and bow pose. There could be more. :) I'm sure once you start eating more clean and drinking lots of water the symptoms should subside.

    So what you are experiencing is totally normal and healthy. It's just flushing out your system of toxins. :wink:
  • Laurios
    Laurios Posts: 12 Member
    Thank you so much for your reply.

    I must admit once the pain had stopped and my body had 'exited' what it needed to, I did feel better.

    I have a big walk tonight and at the weekend with Yoga again on Tuesday. I'll see how I get on.

    I'm very impressed that poses like the Eagle actually had internal effects. That was one of the poses we did but she didn't tell me what it would do!

    Thank you for the clarification

    Lx
  • OtiWanKenobi
    OtiWanKenobi Posts: 340 Member
    You're very welcome! Glad I was able to help and "enlighten" you on the world of yoga. :-)
  • Melissa22G
    Melissa22G Posts: 847 Member
    If you've been to as many yoga classe as I have you'll find a lot of folks passing gas in the class.

    It's from your body moving in different positions, stretching, or just relaxing.

    I wouldn't be surprised if it also made you have to use the bathroom afterwords.
  • KyleneSusan
    KyleneSusan Posts: 68 Member
    I'm pretty sure twists are up there, too, for detoxifying the body.
  • michellechawner
    michellechawner Posts: 892
    This happens with me too in yoga.

    But typically yes once the pain passes I feel so much better. Although there isn't one pose I've noticed for me, a lot of the folding ones seem to give me some cramping, but I know that means my body probably needed it and it's flushing away whatever needs to be flushed.Anything where I bend at the hips and am folded up seems to start moving things around in my intestines!

    If I feel weird I often ask the teacher and she is pretty spot on with my medical issues and knows what I need to work on even at home. I've done a few private classes and learned a LOT.
  • jlrwilliams
    jlrwilliams Posts: 2
    HI! Look at it this way...instead of looking for ways to avoid it, welcome the detoxing effects of yoga :wink:! I know it doesn't feel great at the time (it happens to me when I run long distances) but it really is good to get that toxic "stuff" out of your body. Twisting poses are great for your digestive organs as well. I've been doing yoga for over a year and it has had an amazing effect on my body as well as my mind. I'd highly recommend sticking with it! Namaste!

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