New York garbage removal union goes on strike and in the matter of hours the news are all over CNN and ABC, reported as a national emergency situation.

You forget to take the garbage out to curb and not only you feel like an unfit human being, but you are absolutely sure there are some foul odors lurking in your kitchen or garage until the next garbage day.

Your body struggles to remove toxic wastes, and you take it rather matter - of - factly: "It just the way I am. I only need to go once or twice a week. My Gramma was like that, too." Really? Seriously? Do you really believe that?

Let me make it abundantly clear - your body is created to operate like a well - maintained inventory - first in, first out. You don't eat once or twice a week, do you?

So, is fiber the answer to your elimination dilemma? Should you drink more water? Eat that yogurt you saw on TV? Change your diet? Be more active? Add some supplements?

Chances are, if you are prone to chronic constipation and going feels like hard work, you have tried all of the above with only marginal success. By now you almost certainly know that the answer is not as simple - if it was, you and many others would've gotten it by now.

Let's look at constipation from a holistic perspective. Before we delve in, though, here are 5 warning flags that should warrant a visit to your family doc:

1. If you suddenly develop constipation
2. If there's bleeding
3. If you are over 55
4. If you are loosing weight and have low back pain
5. If there was a change in meds, particularly pain meds and especially opiates.

So, as usual and as I promised, we'll look at chronic elimination problem from 3 different perspectives - holographic vision, if you wish:

iLIVE:  How can changes in diet and lifestyle support you quest for smoother moves?

iMOVE: Ok, I know this sounds like I am mocking you - I promise you, I am not! In this section we'll look at a couple of different things: number one - the role of yoga practice in eliminating constipation. We'll also revisit the matters of the pelvic floor - specifically, improving the muscle tone down there where " the sun doesn't shine" and creating healthier bathroom habits. Excited yet?

iAM: What does meditation and healthy emotional life have to do with elimination? Read on, you will find out!

Shall we?

iLIVE: In Ayurvedic definition of Perfect Health smooth elimination is prominently placed third, only after balanced dosha ( or body - mind personality) and healthy digestion. In the toolbox of Ayurvedic practitioner, herbalized enemas are the first line of treatment for a multitude of acute and chronic disorders, from tension headaches and arthritis, to cancers and all sorts of inflammatory conditions. Eliminating stored toxicity awakens body's own healing potential.
According to Ayurveda, chronic constipation is an imbalance in the Vata dosha - part of your constitution responsible for all movement in the body. Adjusting your diet is the easiest and simplest way to balance Vata dosha.

Try this:

1.Eliminate all raw foods, especially green leafy salads. Cook all your veggies and even fruit. Lightly steaming them preserves all the nutrients, yet eliminates strain on your digestive system.

2.Eliminate dry airy foods, such as popcorn, crackers and such.

3. Eliminate all cold, icy drinks.

4. Include more healthy oils in your diet.

5. Include moist, warming, nourishing foods, such as soups and stews, in your diet.

6. Be sure to eat at regular times throughout your day to help balance your digestion.

Yep, I know this sounds outlandish, downright wrong and against everything you have heard on TV, radio and read in the magazines. This diet is definitely not Dr. Oz approved. But really, what do you have to loose (well, we both know what it is)? Try this diet for a week or two and see if it makes a difference. You might be pleasantly surprised to learn that sticking to this diet over winter months dramatically reduces the number of colds you get. To learn more about Ayurvedic nutrition, check out Digestive Health Workshop at the end of March. We'll be talking about food sensitivities and their link to fibromyalgia and other chronic conditions.  Would like a more personalized approach to your diet? Come for one--on-one, let's figure things out.

As far as supplements go, Triphala is my favorite go - to tonic for all digestive problems. It balances all three doshas, improves elimination (without being a stimulant), purifies the liver and improves the flow of bile. Win - win -win! Triphala can be taken for up to 3 month and in cases of chronic constipation it works well with psyllium fiber.

Here is the magic formula:

Take 4 capsules of triphala (or a teaspoon in a cup of hot water - my personal preference) about an hour before bed.

Take 1 tsp of psyllium fiber in a large glass of water at least 30 minutes before breakfast in the morning. Be careful with fiber: if you are not drinking enough water, adding fiber might end up constipating you even more. Drink your water and lots of it - your colon processes 15 to 20 liters a day. No joke!

 

Check out constipation - helpful teas from Four Corners Tea. I just posted them here.

iMOVE: Move! Walk, run, swim, ski - just keep moving!

As far as yoga practice goes, twists and back bends are especially helpful for constipation. Practice the bridge pose and some seated twists every day to improve the health of your bowels. I usually add one or two bowel release poses to every yoga class I teach - come check it out.

Now, when it comes to your pelvic floor, latest research shows that poor sphincter tone very often accompanies chronic constipation problem. What does that mean?

Well, chances are the things are super tight down there. Have you told yourself to just " suck it up?" Hmmm, might not be such a good idea. Chronic pelvic floor tension will not only exacerbate the problem of constipation. As we also discovered last month, it is a huge contributing factor in on-going bladder irritation, as well as low back pain and all sorts of digestive disorders. But there's more!

As the foundation support of all of your digestive organs, pelvic floor is largely responsible for your core stability. If the tonus of your pelvic floor is compromised, your stability suffers. Then what happens? Full body tension becomes your primary stabilization mechanism. Ringing any bells?

We are talking about this and other important principles of healthy core and pelvic floor health at Essential Core Workshop in March. Please join us and invite your friends - women (and men, too) need to know this!

iAM: Your stress levels and the health of your bowels are not as disconnected as you might think. What happens to your muscles when you are stressed? Can you feel your shoulders hugging your ears even as you think about the last stressful event? Guess what? Your colon is a super complex organ with unique muscle coating. These muscles will respond to stress the very same way your shoulders just did.

Delving deeper: the quality of your breath has a direct influence on the health of your digestive system. Here is how: in relaxed breathing all your internal organs (including your bowels) are being kneaded and massaged by the upward and downward movement of your diaphragm. This constant motion assists in all digestive processes, including elimination. Under stress your breathing becomes shallow, not only creating tension in the upper body - think neck and shoulders, but also affecting everything below the belt, including your elimination. Chronic stress creates chronic tension and chronic restrictions in breathing, precipitating on-going digestive system malfunction amongst other things. Check out Organic Breath Workshop on March 10^th  - we'll be talking about this and many other breath - related topics. Healthy breathing is at the very core of your being. You cannot build better health without learning how to breathe better!

There's more: latest research shows that your digestive system literally has the mind of it's own. You might be familiar with it as your " gut feeling" or " butterflies in your stomach". Your emotional state has, in fact, everything to do with your digestive system function and vice versa.  There's much conversation we can have about emotion - digestion link, but the moral of the story is: learn how to manage your stress before it manages you and your health!

 

Phew! Yet again, this turned out to be a very long post.  Please remember that these are just very general suggestions for what might be a very complicated problem. Talk to your doctor, use your common sense and if you are ready to look at your health from a holistic perspective, schedule a one - on - one.

The floor is now open to questions, suggestions and of course, conversation on Facebook. Looking forward to hearing from you!

 

See you in the class and on the mat.

 

With lots of love,

Julia