Acidity has become a very common condition these days. However, our poor approaches and lifestyles are primarily to blame for this condition. People occasionally complain of heartburn or acid reflux, usually after a large meal, or after consuming foods that raise stomach acidity, or after laying down too quickly after eating.At times some people feel acidic immediately after waking up in the morning. A persistent acidity problem can turn out to be gastroesophageal reflux disease. In this condition, stomach acid returns to the mouth and oesophagus causing nausea and a sour taste in the mouth. This usually occurs in the morning, because there’s a long gap between dinner and breakfast the next morning.Here is an excellent morning routine that will help to reduce your acidity occurrences both in the morning and throughout the day.1. Bed Stretches – Best way to begin your day is with some good stretches while lying down in your bed. These stretches will give an excellent intra-abdominal compression that helps to improve circulation and also massage your abdomen.
Begin with Pavanamuktasana one leg at a time. Do it 3 times. Next, do it with both legs and hold for a few minutes. Now do Hastapadangusta with both legs, hold the posture for a few seconds. Do this asana 3 times.Next, Supta Kapotasana, do it 3 times each on both the legs. Lastly, lift both your legs and keep them on the wall. Stay in this position for 5 minutes. 2. Jivha Mula Shodhana – After your bed stretches, freshen up. Once you are done brushing your teeth perform this kriya. This is an excellent kriya to relieve digestive-related problems. Jivha Mula Shodhana is cleaning the root of the tongue. This cleansing affects the entire digestive and eliminatory processes. This technique is best done in the morning, as it helps a good bowel movement.Insert your index and middle fingers into the mouth and rub the tips of your fingers as far back till the root of the tongue. Continue this rubbing for two to three times till you feel the sensation of throwing up. Gargle with water.3. Drink Coriander water – Coriander is an excellent remedy for acidity problems. Coriander stimulates digestive enzymes and juices. It has a cooling effect that helps to cool the intestines and reduce acid reflux. Drinking this every morning will help to neutralize the acid present in your stomach.Boil one tablespoon of coriander seeds in 2-3 glasses of water. Let it cool overnight. The next morning filter the water and drink it.You can also have a glass of warm water with tulsi drops, this also has excellent effects in relieving acidity. 4. Take a brisk walk – After having the coriander drink, go for a walk. Walking has many health benefits. Going for a brisk of around 30 minutes can help stimulate the passage of gas through your digestive tract. Walking can help reduce excess weight which is also linked to causing gastroesophageal reflux disease and acid reflux.
5. Relax in Shavasana- Once you’re back from your brisk walk, lie down for 5 minutes in Shavasana and relax your body this will prepare you for the next step that is pranayama.6. Pranayama for acidity – Next, after you feel relaxed and rejuvenated, practice these two effective pranayamas that can give relief from acid reflux by calming the body’s stress response down. – Shitali pranayama is easy to practice and should be performed every morning if you suffer from acidity. Regular practice of Shitali will help in lowering acidity levels and ailments of the abdomen. Sit in any meditative posture with your spine erect and chin parallel to the ground. Relax your palms on your thighs and simply be in the moment. Pout your lips and stick out your tongue. Curl it so that the sides turn up and make an “o” out of it. Inhale slowly, smoothly, and fully through the ‘O’ formed by the tongue. Withdraw the tongue inside and close your mouth. Exhale through your nose. Repeat it 4-5 times.– Seetkari is another technique that has similar benefits to Shitali. Along with relieving hyperacidity in the digestive tract, it reduces emotional excitation and mental tension. To perform this pranayama, Sit in any meditative posture with your spine erect and chin parallel to the ground. Relax your palms on your thighs. Close your lips lightly and inhale deeply through your clenched teeth, creating a hissing sound. A coolness will be felt in your mouth and if the inhalation is longer it will be experienced all along till the stomach. Keeping your mouth closed, exhale through your nose. Do 10 rounds.7. Eat a Gut friendly breakfast – Finally, as part of this morning routine, make sure you have a healthy, gut-friendly breakfast. Strictly avoid highly processed foods. Instead, have oatmeal or porridge. A bowl of curd is also good for your gut and can help you avoid acidity. Add fruits like apples or bananas and some seeds like pumpkin seeds or flax seeds to your curd or oatmeal. As these are alkaline in nature, they can help to regulate the acidity levels within the body.In addition to our hectic lifestyles and wrong eating habits such as eating Rajasic and Tamasic food, mental and physical stress also play a major role in increasing acidity levels in the body. So along with following this morning routine, also follow healthy food habits, and an active lifestyle also work on staying calm and stress-free throughout the day to prevent the occurrence of acidity.Authored by: Dr Hansaji Yogendra, The Yoga Institute
