Benefit of apana mudra in irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the stomach and intestines. In Ayurveda, there are five major life forces (vayus), namely samana, apana, prana, vyana and udana. Out of these, samana is responsible for digestion and balancing apana and prana. IBS is characterized by an imbalance in apana which results in an imbalance in abdominal contractility and result in diarrhoea or constipation. Kavuri et al. conducted a study in 2022 showing that the practice of apana mudra helps in controlling excretory functions and may normalize diarrhoea or constipation, which may help manage IBS!
