The other day, my pal, who shall remain nameless, was struggling with a bout of trapped wind. He'd gone to town on the baked beans, got all bloated, and was struggling to pass gas.
Luckily, his dream of a housemate is a genius yogi who knew just what to do and showed him a pose to do that would allow him to trump. Lo and behold, it worked. There's a video and everything. See below. FYI he's handsome and charming normally.
Intrigued, I spoke to qualified yoga instructor Kat De Noum who edits LotsofYoga.com about farty yoga poses and she confirmed that there's plenty to work with. 'There are many yoga poses that make you want to fart or release one that's been trapped.' She says. 'The relaxing properties of yoga help all body parts (including bowels and intestines) completely relax, therefore releasing air. To put it nicely.'
Debrief 11 Yoga Poses To help You Fart
1 of 111. Wind Relieving Pose
'First and foremost of the fart-inducing poses' says Kat. 'We have one that is specifically designed for the task and is aptly named, Wind (or Gas) Relieving Pose.' In Sanskrit, it's called 'Pawanmuktasana'.
2 of 112. Wind Relieving Pose With Knees Tucked In
Alternatively, Kat says. You can do this with both knees tucked in for 'maximum effect.'
3 of 113. Seated Forward Bend
'I've had someone who let a thundering one out when I was adjusting them in Seated Forward Bend' Says Kat. 'I didn't think this was exactly a typical farting posture, but apparently moving forward and putting pressure on the gut while you reach for the toes is enough to guide the trapped air out in the right direction. This can also happen in Standing Forward Bend (Utanasana).'
4 of 114. Happy Baby Pose
'Any pose which opens up the cheeks and nether-regions is likely to get a toot or two.' Says Kat. She recommends the Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana).
5 of 115. Child's Pose with knees spread wide
In the same vein, Kat recommends this one (Balasana)
6 of 116. Wide-Legged Forward Bend
Aaand this one. Also known as Prasarita Padottanasana.
7 of 117. Sage Marichi Pose
'For those who are struggling to get the wind out, the gut might need a little nudging into action.' Says Kat. 'There are a few poses which can help get the intestines moving. Yoga twists are a big help, as they tend to massage the intestines helping any trapped air find its way out (it might even come up the other way and make you burp).' Try this one. Also known as 'Marichyasana C'
8 of 118. Noose Pose
Another 'twist' Kat recommends is the noose pose, or 'Padmasana'.
9 of 119. Crow Pose
'Any pose which brings you difficulty and you find yourself red-faced, sweating and struggling in can make you fart from the pressure alone.' Says Kat. She says the crow pose (Bakasana) is a popular culprit.
10 of 1110. One Legged Sage Pose
Another super hard one is this, also known as 'Koundinyasana'.
11 of 1111. Corpse Pose
'And finally' says Kat, 'sometimes in order to let rip, you just need to let go. Ultimate letting-go pose is this (savasana).'
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.