The Benefits of Yoga for Liver Disease

For those living with liver disease, it can feel as if you’ve tried everything to address the long list of symptoms that come along with this diagnosis. Whether you’re dealing with nausea, chronic pain, fatigue, brain fog, or inflammation, there have likely been times where you’ve felt defeated by your illness. But don’t lose hope, because there are lifestyle changes that can significantly improve many of the symptoms of liver disease. The benefits of yoga for liver disease can show you how to find relief from pain, fatigue, stress, and anxiety. 

A Little Yoga Every Day

One vital change you can make is to incorporate yoga into your daily routine, even if it’s just for 10 minutes a day. With a focus on healing the mind, body, and spirit, yoga offers many medicinal benefits to those who practice it regularly. The meditative exercise can help reduce both the physical and mental anguishes of liver disease in the following ways:
Relief from chronic pain.

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Relief from Pain

Endorphins are our body’s natural pain relievers. In fact, prescription opioids function by
mimicking our natural endorphins and binding to the same receptors in our brains. Yoga
stimulates the pituitary gland and causes a release of endorphins into our bloodstream. The endorphins bind to specialized receptors throughout the nervous system to block the
transmission of pain sensations to the brain. Many living with liver disease experience pressure or pain located on the right abdomen under the rib cage – this is due to pressure on the diaphragm and can be greatly improved by yoga.
Recommended Poses for Pain Relief: King Pigeon (advanced) or the Upward Bow
(intermediate) will directly stimulate the pituitary gland and induce the release of
endorphins resulting in pain relief and improved moods.

Relief from fatigue and lethargy

Numerous studies have been conducted with chronic fatigue sufferers and have found that yoga is largely impactful in diminishing fatigue. While it is not fully understood, one reason yoga improves chronic fatigue is an increase in blood flow throughout the body. The improved circulation and blood flow combats fatigue and improves focus and awareness. This can leave you energized and ready to take on the day.Studies show that yoga also improves the quality of sleep you receive. Poor sleep is an issue that many of us suffer from and, when combined with liver disease, will make symptoms like fatigue far worse and even dangerous.
Recommended Poses for Fatigue and Lethargy: Poses like the Shoulder Stand will
increase blood flow to your upper body, while the Plow Pose will increase blood flow to
the brain. This increased blood flow allows you to feel energized without leaving you
jittery and crashing later.

Relief from stress and anxiety

While anxiety might not have been disclosed by your doctor, we all know it is a serious symptom of liver disease. The body’s main stress hormone, cortisol, is produced by the adrenal glands. High levels of cortisol have been linked with anxiety, major depression, memory loss, osteoporosis, as well as high blood pressure. Aside from the overproduction of the stress hormone, an overworked adrenal gland will cause lethargy, weight gain, and disrupted sleep – all of which, in turn, feed into stress and anxiety.
Recommended Poses for stress and anxiety: The Corpse Pose is aimed toward
restoration and relaxation by aiding the adrenal glands. The pose will allow your body to
regulate the proper amount of cortisol and prevent excessive amounts of stress and
anxiety through your day. While each yoga pose targets a specific area of the mind, body, and soul, all poses carry the power to heal.

The benefits of yoga for liver disease are many! Each person’s situation is unique. We recommend that you tailor your yoga routine to promote the type of healing that you require. With daily poses that stimulate the body’s natural defenses and promote internal homeostasis, yoga has the power to significantly improve some of the worst symptoms of liver disease. While we don’t recommend that you rely only on yoga, but combine it with your doctor’s recommendations and other important lifestyle changes. Yoga has the power to significantly improve both your physical and mental wellbeing.

This was written by my friend and fellow yogini Stephanie James. Thanks Stephanie! For modified versions of poses, check out my youtube channel here.