Back to Blog

Improve Your Digestive Health Inside a Hula Hoop!

Sep 05, 2019

Improve Your Digestive Health Inside a Hula Hoop!

When you’re waist hooping, as when practicing the HoopYogini™ From The Core Series, the hoop massages your abdomen to include the umbilicus/belly button, the intestines, the lower portion of the liver, some of the stomach and in the back, the kidneys.

As you deepen into your practice and increase your body awareness, you learn how to moderate the speed and intensity of of your hoop so you can choose the location of and pressure that the hoop applies to your body.

With this awareness, you can start to target and focus your rotations from broad to specific allowing an improvement in circulation, respiration and detoxification in your body, structures and systems. And yes, of course, to create more definition and tone in your muscles and body.

Returning to the more internal aspects of the abdomen and specifically the intestines, the following sequence will support the large intestine and the process of digestion -specifically elimination – so you can release gas (let it out!), chronic constipation (let IT out!) and metaphorically learn how movement and touch (by the hoop!) can help you release what is ready to be let go so you can live with greater health and freedom.

First, a bit of an anatomy session:

digestive health

 

The large intestine is 5 feet long and has several segments including: the ascending colon (area from which food matter is received from the small intestine), the transverse colon (segment where continued “digestion” and fermentation occurs and stool begins to be formed) and descending colon (area from which the waste begins to move downwards towards the exit point of the anus).

 

Hooping for Digestive Health Flow aka “Hooping & Pooping”:

1. Get Centered.
Go into Waist Hooping in Foundation Pose (get your FREE instructional video here!) in your natural, most easeful direction. Activate Ujjayi Pranayam, the “Ocean Breath” that builds heat in the body, lubricates joints and activates detoxification. Close your eyes, tune into and feel into your body. Feel the hoop rotate around your belly and notice the touch points. Breathe. Continue for 1 – 3 minutes.

2. Massage the Descending Colon and focus on the exit point first.
Ensure that you’re hooping to the left (hoop is rotating to the left). Place your left foot in front and come into a lunge posture with both knees slightly bent. Make sure you bum is slightly tucked under because if the butt is out, the torso leans forward and the hoop falls down. Stand tall, push equally front and back (no longer pushing left and right at the waist). Feel the hoop massaging the lower aspect of the descending colon “awakening” the exit point, bringing circulation to this area and applying pressure that encourages movement and relaxation. Continue for 1 – 3 minutes.

3. Massage the Transverse Colon.
Return to HoopYogini Waist Hooping in Foundation Pose. Your feet will again be placed side by side, hip distance apart. Increase the speed and intensity of your pushes so the hoop lifts a bit and moves above the belly button yet below your diaphragm and lower ribs. Close your eyes, draw your attention inward and feel the hoop massage the transverse colon. Continue for 1 – 3 minutes.

4. Massage the Ascending Colon.
Place your right foot in the front, return to a lunge and push vigorously front and back. Close your eyes, visualize and feel the hoop massaging the lower aspect of the ascending colon Continue for 1 – 3 minutes.

5. Play With Tempo.
If you’ve not yet had to stop and go to the bathroom, return to Waist Hooping in Foundation Pose with your feet side by side and hip distance apart. Play with hoop tempo – push harder and faster left and right to make the hoop rise above the navel and below the ribs; to bring the hoop flow below the navel and above the hips, slow down the push tempo and soften the hoop pressure – to give a lovely massage to the full of the belly. Close your eyes, feel what there is to feel and affirm your health and well-being. Perhaps state out loud aspects of your life that you’re ready to shift, including relationships and habits that need to be released or transformed. Continue for 1 – 3 minutes then come into Heart Centered Pose with or without the hoop, feel the changes in your breath rhythm, circulation and energy. Offer an inward namaste and continue with your day. Include a visit to the bathroom ðŸ™‚

When should you do this flow?

This flow is great to do in the morning after oil pulling and brushing your teeth and before you eat breakfast. Before you follow the flow, consider drinking a cup of warm water with fresh lemon juice. This is a known and long time remedy that helps to detox and move the bowels.

 

Jocelyn-Gordon Digestive Health

Author – Jocelyn Gordon
Jocelyn is the Creator of HoopYogini™ and Bhakti Boogie Yoga. She is a lifelong dancer who became fascinated with bodywork and Reflexology at the age of 5. Jocelyn has a degree in Marketing and holds multiple certifications in Life Coaching, Massage, Yoga and Dance Therapy. She loves integrating paths of awareness and health and guiding the modern woman into greater movement, ease and grace in body and life.

Don't miss a beat!

New moves, motivation, and classes delivered to your inbox. 

We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.