When I signed up for Yoga Therapy for Digestive Issues: The Gut Link, I’ll be honest – I was curious, but slightly unsure how much I’d enjoy the biomedical side of things.
I’m not from a medical background, and the idea of diving into anatomy, physiology, and gut disorders felt like it might be heavy going.
But what struck me immediately was how human it all felt.
Even the more clinical elements were always brought back to real people – how someone presents, what they’re living with, how we might work with them as Yoga Therapists. It never felt abstract or overly technical. It felt relevant and deeply relatable, which probably shouldn’t have been so surprising, given that digestion is something we’re all in relationship with, all the time.
As the week went on, I found myself completely absorbed in Montserrat and Caroline’s teachings. There was so much “food for thought” that I’m fairly sure my metabolism got a boost just from the learning alone – which, in itself, felt like a pretty convincing demonstration of the gut–brain connection in action.
Here are ten takeaways that have stayed with me and shifted how I think about both digestion and how it relates to the practice of yoga and Yoga Therapy.
1. Digestion doesn’t happen in a stressed body
This was the biggest shift for me and the thread that runs through everything else.
Digestion isn’t just about what we eat – it’s about the state we’re in when we eat. The parasympathetic nervous system – the “rest and digest” state – is essential for enzyme release, gut motility, and nutrient absorption.
Without that state, the body quite literally deprioritises digestion. Even something as simple as swallowing can become difficult when we’re anxious or rushed.
It made me realise how often we expect the body to digest in conditions it simply isn’t designed for. Which means that supporting digestion isn’t just about food choices. It starts with shifting the state we’re in. And that’s where yoga can be so helpful because it gives us the tools to consciously shift from one state into another.
2. The gut isn’t just an organ – it’s a communication hub
One of the reasons this all matters is because the gut is far more intelligent than we tend to think.
It contains over 100 million nerve cells and forms part of the enteric nervous system – often referred to as the ‘second brain’.
This system is in constant, two-way communication with the brain, influencing not just digestion, but mood, sleep, pain perception, and even decision-making.
So when someone experiences digestive symptoms alongside anxiety or low mood, it’s not a coincidence; it’s connected.
3. IBS makes a lot more sense through the gut–brain connection
This was one of the most striking applications of that theory.
IBS is often described as a functional disorder, meaning there’s no clear structural cause. But what is present is dysregulation across the gut–brain axis, often linked with stress, emotional history, and nervous system sensitivity.
The concept of visceral hypersensitivity – where the gut becomes more sensitive to sensation and pain – helped make sense of why symptoms can feel so intense, even without visible pathology.
Seen this way, IBS isn’t mysterious. It’s a nervous system story as much as a digestive one.
See our short course: Yoga Therapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
4. Digestion starts before the first bite
Another subtle but powerful shift.
Digestion doesn’t begin in the stomach – it begins with anticipation. The sight, smell, and even thought of food activate digestive processes before we’ve eaten anything.
This made me reflect on how often we eat in a completely disconnected way: rushing, distracted, or already stressed.
We’re asking the body to digest without ever really preparing it to do so.
5. The diaphragm plays a central role in digestion
This was one of those “I won’t unsee this now” moments.
The diaphragm isn’t just a breathing muscle. It sits directly above the digestive organs and supports peristalsis, circulation, and vagal tone.
Every breath creates a gentle massaging effect through the abdominal organs. But when the diaphragm is restricted – through stress, posture, or habitual tension – that movement is reduced.
Which means breathing patterns are directly influencing digestive function, moment to moment.
6. Elimination is governed by safety, not just biology
This insight brought everything back to the nervous system again, but in a very tangible way.
Elimination relies on both automatic and voluntary control, and the body will only “let go” when it feels safe.
That’s why so many people can only go to the toilet in familiar environments, or struggle when travelling or under pressure.
It’s not just habit. It’s a reflection of how the nervous system regulates even the most basic functions.
7. The microbiome reflects your whole life, not just your diet
We often talk about gut health in terms of food.
But the microbiome – the trillions of microorganisms living in the gut – is shaped by far more than that: birth method, geography, stress, sleep, medication, lifestyle, even travel.
It’s also involved in producing neurotransmitters such as serotonin, linking it directly to mood and emotional regulation.
So gut health can’t be reduced to a list of “good” and “bad” foods. It’s a reflection of the whole system.
8. Sometimes the most important question is the one we don’t ask out loud
One of the most meaningful shifts for me was in how we approach enquiry.
In Yoga Therapy, we’re not interrogating symptoms or trying to diagnose. There’s a quieter line of curiosity running underneath:
What has this person experienced?
Because symptoms often make more sense when seen in the context of someone’s life – their stress, environment, relationships, and history.
That shift alone changes the entire tone of the work.
9. You can’t force digestion – but you can support it
This feels like a core principle of Yoga Therapy more broadly.
We’re not trying to fix or override the body. We’re working with the systems that support it – breath, movement, rest, and awareness – to create the conditions for regulation.
In that sense, the work is indirect. But it’s also where the real change happens.
10. Small practices can have a profound impact
And perhaps the most reassuring takeaway of all.
It’s not about complex protocols or perfect routines. Even short interventions – a few minutes of breath, a moment of pause before eating, avoiding external stimulations while you eat – can change the state of the nervous system.
And when the state changes, digestion often follows.
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I didn’t expect a module on digestion to change how I think about practice more broadly, but it has.
It’s made me more aware of the conditions I create – for myself and for others. More aware of how state shapes everything. And more aware of how much the body already knows how to do, when it feels safe enough to do it.
And that, for me, has been the most valuable takeaway of all.
