Top 8 'Gut-Brain-Axis-Boosting' Yoga Poses to do for a Calmer Mind and Happier Gut in 2025
Ever had that feeling of "butterflies" in your stomach before a big presentation? Or felt your gut clench up during a stressful conversation? That’s not just in your head—it’s the gut-brain axis in action. This incredible communication network is a two-way superhighway, constantly sending signals between your digestive system and your brain. When you're stressed, your brain sends distress signals to your gut. When your gut is unhappy, it sends inflammatory signals right back to your brain, affecting your mood and cognitive function.
It’s a powerful, intricate dance, and for many of us in our fast-paced world, the music is often out of tune. The result? A cycle of stress, anxiety, bloating, indigestion, and brain fog. But what if you could become the conductor of this internal orchestra? What if you could use simple, ancient techniques to restore harmony between your mind and your gut? This is where the profound practice of yoga comes in.
Yoga isn’t just about flexibility or fancy poses. It's a holistic system designed to unite the body and mind. Through specific postures (asanas), controlled breathing (pranayama), and mindfulness, yoga directly stimulates and soothes the vagus nerve—the main highway of the gut-brain axis. It lowers stress hormones like cortisol, improves blood flow to your digestive organs, and gently massages your internal systems. In this guide, we'll explore the top 8 gut-brain-axis-boosting yoga poses that will help you cultivate a calmer mind and a happier, more resilient gut in 2025 and beyond.
1. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
The Gentle Wake-Up Call for Your Spine and Gut
If you could only do one yoga pose each morning, Cat-Cow would be a top contender. This gentle, flowing movement is the perfect way to awaken your spine, warm up your body, and, most importantly, connect your breath to your movement. As you move between the two positions, you're not just stretching your back; you're creating a subtle, rhythmic massage for your abdominal organs, including your stomach and intestines. This gentle compression and release can stimulate peristalsis—the wave-like muscle contractions that move food through your digestive tract.
The true magic of Cat-Cow for the gut-brain axis lies in its connection to the breath. By synchronizing your inhales with Cow Pose (arching the back) and your exhales with Cat Pose (rounding the spine), you begin to regulate your nervous system. This mindful breathing sends a powerful signal to your brain to shift from the frantic "fight-or-flight" (sympathetic) state to the restorative "rest-and-digest" (parasympathetic) state. It's a moving meditation that tells your body it's safe to relax, digest, and heal.
How to do it:
- Start on all fours in a tabletop position, with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Inhale (Cow): Drop your belly towards the mat, lift your chest and tailbone, and look forward. Feel a gentle arch in your spine.
- Exhale (Cat): Press into your hands and knees, round your spine towards the ceiling, and tuck your chin to your chest. Gently draw your navel towards your spine.
- Continue flowing between these two poses for 8-10 breath cycles, moving with intention and awareness.
2. Child's Pose (Balasana)
The Ultimate Posture of Rest and Digest
There's a reason Child's Pose feels so incredibly nurturing. This restorative posture is a direct invitation for your nervous system to downshift. By folding your torso over your thighs and resting your forehead on the mat, you create a safe, contained space that minimizes external stimuli. This physical act of turning inward has a profound effect on the mind, quieting anxious thoughts and promoting a sense of calm and security.
From a physiological standpoint, Child's Pose is a champion for the gut. The gentle pressure of your thighs on your abdomen provides a soothing compression that can help alleviate bloating and discomfort. More importantly, the position of your head below your heart, combined with deep, diaphragmatic breathing, directly stimulates the vagus nerve. This activation is key to switching on your parasympathetic nervous system, which is essential for optimal digestion, nutrient absorption, and gut lining repair. Think of it as hitting the "reset" button for your entire system.
Tips for a deeper release:
- For extra comfort, you can place a folded blanket or bolster between your thighs and calves.
- Try spreading your knees wide apart and letting your torso rest between them for a deeper hip stretch and more space for your belly.
- Focus on breathing into your back body, feeling your rib cage expand with each inhale and soften with each exhale.
3. Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
The 'Wring and Release' for a Sluggish Gut
Imagine your digestive organs are like a sponge that has absorbed toxins and stress. A spinal twist is like gently wringing out that sponge, releasing what's no longer needed and allowing it to soak up fresh, oxygenated blood upon release. The Supine Spinal Twist is a passive yet powerful way to achieve this. As you lie on your back and gently guide one knee across your body, you create a rotation in your spine that massages your entire abdominal cavity.
This twisting action stimulates the organs of digestion and elimination, including the liver, kidneys, and intestines. It can improve motility, help relieve constipation, and reduce gas and bloating. On a nervous system level, this pose is deeply relaxing. Lying on the floor provides a sense of being supported and grounded, while the gentle stretch releases tension held in the back, shoulders, and hips—areas where we often store stress that can disrupt gut function.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Extend your arms out to the sides in a "T" shape, palms facing up.
- Lift your feet off the floor and draw your knees towards your chest.
- As you exhale, slowly lower both knees to the right side, allowing them to rest on the floor or a cushion.
- Turn your head to the left, if it's comfortable for your neck.
- Hold for 5-10 deep breaths, feeling the stretch along your side body and the gentle compression in your abdomen. Repeat on the other side.
4. Wind-Relieving Pose (Pawanmuktasana)
The Go-To Pose for Bloating and Discomfort
The name says it all! Pawanmuktasana is a foundational yoga pose specifically designed to address gas, bloating, and abdominal discomfort. By drawing one or both knees into your chest, you apply targeted pressure to the abdominal area, which can help release trapped gas and stimulate the digestive tract. The pose works systematically, compressing the ascending, transverse, and descending colon to encourage healthy elimination.
This pose is more than just a physical remedy; it's also incredibly grounding. The act of hugging your knees to your chest can feel like a comforting self-embrace, reducing feelings of anxiety that often accompany digestive distress. As Goh Ling Yong often emphasizes, our emotional state is directly mirrored in our physical body. By calming the mind with this simple, grounding posture, you create an internal environment that is more conducive to healthy digestion. It's a beautiful example of how a simple physical action can have a profound impact on the gut-brain dialogue.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back.
- One-legged: On an exhale, draw your right knee into your chest, keeping your left leg extended on the floor. Clasp your hands around your shin or behind your thigh. Hold for 5-8 breaths, then switch sides.
- Two-legged: After completing both sides individually, draw both knees into your chest. Wrap your arms around your shins and gently rock from side to side to massage your lower back. Hold for 5-8 breaths.
5. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)
The Gentle Inversion for Improved Circulation
Bridge Pose is a gentle backbend and inversion that offers a wealth of benefits for the gut-brain axis. When you lift your hips off the floor, you stretch the front of your body, including your hip flexors and abdominal muscles. This can help release tension that builds up from prolonged sitting, which can otherwise constrict the digestive organs and impede their function.
The mild inversion aspect of Bridge Pose, where your heart is slightly higher than your head, encourages blood flow to your core. This rush of fresh, oxygenated blood can nourish your digestive organs and improve their efficiency. Furthermore, this pose stimulates the thyroid gland, a key player in regulating metabolism. From a mental wellness perspective, backbends are known as "heart-openers." They can be incredibly energizing and help to counteract feelings of fatigue and depression, which are often linked to poor gut health.
Tips for stability and comfort:
- Keep your feet parallel and hip-width apart. Press firmly through all four corners of your feet to activate your legs and protect your lower back.
- For a more restorative version, slide a yoga block or firm cushion under your sacrum (the flat part of your lower back) and allow your weight to rest on it. This allows you to hold the pose longer and focus on deep, relaxing breaths.
6. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
The Calming Fold for a Stressed System
Forward folds are nature's antidote to an overstimulated nervous system. Paschimottanasana, or the Seated Forward Bend, involves folding your torso over your extended legs, which has an immediate calming effect. This posture encourages introspection and surrender, signaling to your brain that it's time to switch off the constant chatter and enter a state of rest. This is a direct pathway to activating the parasympathetic "rest-and-digest" response.
Physically, as you fold forward, your abdomen is gently compressed, which massages the liver, kidneys, pancreas, and intestines. This can aid in digestion and help regulate blood sugar levels. The deep stretch along the entire back of your body, from your heels to your neck, releases physical tension that is often a manifestation of mental stress. Releasing this tension can have a knock-on effect, allowing the muscles around your gut to relax and function more effectively.
How to do it with mindfulness:
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. You might want to sit on the edge of a folded blanket to help tilt your pelvis forward.
- Inhale to lengthen your spine. As you exhale, begin to hinge forward from your hips, not your waist.
- Keep your spine long and your chest open. Rest your hands on your shins, ankles, or feet—wherever they land without you having to round your back excessively.
- With each inhale, find a little more length. With each exhale, see if you can soften and fold a little deeper. Hold for 5-10 breaths. Don't force it; the goal is release, not to touch your toes.
7. Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
The Deeper Squeeze to Ignite Digestive Fire
While the Supine Spinal Twist is passive and restorative, the Seated Spinal Twist is more active and invigorating. This pose provides a deeper "wringing out" action for the abdominal organs, which is thought to stoke Agni, the Ayurvedic concept of digestive fire. A strong Agni means efficient digestion, absorption, and assimilation of nutrients. A weak Agni leads to indigestion, bloating, and the buildup of toxins.
This deeper twist provides a significant massage to the entire digestive tract, enhancing circulation and encouraging detoxification. As we know from the work of experts like Goh Ling Yong, a healthy gut environment is crucial for overall health, and this pose is a fantastic tool for maintaining it. The twisting action also creates space between the vertebrae, releasing tension in the back and improving spinal mobility. The focus required to maintain the pose also acts as a form of mindfulness, bringing you fully into the present moment and away from anxious thoughts.
How to do it:
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended. Bend your right knee and place your right foot on the outside of your left thigh.
- Bend your left knee and tuck your left foot near your right hip.
- Inhale and lengthen your spine, placing your right hand on the floor behind you for support.
- Exhale and twist your torso to the right, hooking your left elbow on the outside of your right knee.
- With each inhale, sit up taller. With each exhale, gently deepen the twist. Gaze over your right shoulder.
- Hold for 5-8 breaths, then slowly unwind and repeat on the other side.
8. Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)
The Ultimate Reset for Body and Mind
This is, quite simply, one of the most beneficial restorative poses you can do. Legs-Up-The-Wall is a passive inversion that requires minimal effort but delivers maximum reward for the gut-brain axis. By elevating your legs above your heart, you reverse the effects of gravity on your body. This helps to reduce inflammation and fluid retention in the legs and allows blood to flow back towards your core, bathing your digestive organs in a fresh supply without them having to work hard.
This posture is profoundly calming for the nervous system. It slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and activates the "rest-and-digest" response almost immediately. It gives your digestive system a complete break, allowing it to focus on repair and regeneration rather than active digestion. It's the perfect pose to do after a long day, after a heavy meal (wait at least an hour), or anytime you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or mentally fatigued. Spending just 5-15 minutes in this pose can feel like a full system reset.
Tips for ultimate relaxation:
- Place a folded blanket or bolster under your hips to elevate them slightly. This can make the pose more comfortable and increase the benefits.
- Place a weighted blanket over your abdomen or an eye pillow over your eyes to deepen the relaxation response.
- Focus on slow, deep belly breaths. Place a hand on your abdomen and feel it rise and fall with each breath cycle.
Your Path to a Happier Gut Starts Now
Integrating these yoga poses into your routine doesn't have to be another item on your to-do list. Think of it as a dedicated appointment with yourself—a few minutes each day to tune into your body and harmonize the crucial connection between your gut and your brain. The beauty of this practice is that it's not about achieving the "perfect" pose; it's about the intention and awareness you bring to the movement.
Start small. Pick one or two poses that resonate with you and commit to practicing them for just five minutes a day. Notice the sensations in your body. Notice the quality of your breath. Over time, this consistent, mindful practice will create a positive feedback loop, calming your mind, soothing your gut, and building a more resilient, balanced, and vibrant you.
Ready to take the first step? Try one of these poses today and let us know how it feels. Share your favorite gut-soothing pose or any questions you have in the comments below! We'd love to hear from you.
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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