Yoga for gastritis: gentle poses and cooling breath for an irritated stomach

Your gastritis yoga plan

Thunderbolt PoseVajrasana BeginnerSeated Easy PoseSukhasana BeginnerSeated Cat PoseMarjaryasana BeginnerProne and kneeling Cow PoseBitilasana BeginnerProne and kneeling Reclining Bound Angle PoseSupta Baddha Konasana BeginnerSupine Bridge PoseSetu Bandhasana BeginnerSupine Mountain PoseTadasana BeginnerStanding Corpse PoseSavasana BeginnerSupine

More poses that help with gastritis

Add these once the session above feels easy, or swap one in when a pose does not suit you.

Hare PoseShashankasana BeginnerSeated Supine Spinal TwistSupta Matsyendrasana BeginnerSupine Wind-Relieving PosePavanamuktasana BeginnerSupine Crocodile PoseMakarasana BeginnerProne and kneeling

Traditional practice: Used in classical yoga therapy; few clinical trials so far.

Yoga for gastritis is about calming, not working hard: soft poses, cooling breathing and good timing around meals. Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining, and the NHS lists H. pylori infection, anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin, too much alcohol and severe stress or illness among its causes. Yoga does not treat any of those causes, so the plan below works alongside the tests and medicine your doctor recommends.

What yoga can and cannot do for gastritis

Gastritis causes a burning or gnawing pain in the upper belly, indigestion, bloating, nausea and feeling full quickly. These are the realistic ways yoga may help:

• Less stress. Stress can make stomach pain and indigestion feel worse, and slow breathing with long rests calms the stress response.
• Better meal habits. A regular practice routine tends to bring regular, calmer meals, and sitting in Vajrasana after eating is a gentle habit.
• Relief from tension. A tight, braced belly makes discomfort worse; soft poses teach you to let it go.

What yoga cannot do: kill H. pylori, heal erosions in the stomach lining or replace acid-reducing medicine. Does yoga reduce inflammation? Some studies show yoga lowers markers of stress and general inflammation, but there is no proof that yoga is a treatment for stomach inflammation; it can only ease symptoms such as tension and bloating. How do you calm gastritis inflammation, then? The way to reduce and heal stomach inflammation is to treat its cause with your doctor; there is no proven way to treat stomach inflammation naturally.

Many people in India call gastritis, gas and acidity together a "gastric problem". Yoga for a gastric problem follows the same gentle rules as this page, and the yoga poses for a gastric problem are the ones below.

Is yoga good for gastritis? The evidence

The evidence level for this page is traditional. There are no clinical trials of yoga for chronic gastritis, acute gastritis, erosive gastritis or antral gastritis. A 2023 review of yoga therapy for functional dyspepsia (a similar upper-stomach condition with burning and fullness) found only one study that included such patients, and could only describe how yoga might help through the gut-brain link and stress. So is yoga good for gastritis? It is a safe, gentle add-on for most people when done on an empty stomach and without strain, not a treatment.

Yoga asanas for gastritis, one by one

These yoga asanas for gastritis are the poses in your guided session above: gentle yoga exercises for gastritis and yoga poses for stomach pain that do not squeeze the belly. Practise 2–3 hours after a main meal, move slowly and stop anything that increases burning.

Thunderbolt pose (Vajrasana): the after-meal pose

Kneel and sit back on your heels in Vajrasana, spine tall, hands on thighs. This is the one pose traditionally done straight after meals, for 5–10 minutes, and the classic yoga pose for indigestion and good digestion. Sitting upright rather than slumping or lying down helps keep acid where it belongs. Put a cushion between heels and buttocks if your knees complain.

Easy pose (Sukhasana): for breathing

Sit cross-legged in Sukhasana on a cushion for the breathing practice below. Keep the belly soft.

Cat and cow (Marjaryasana–Bitilasana)

On hands and knees, round the back as you breathe out in cat pose and lift the chest gently as you breathe in for cow pose. Small, slow movement only; it is one of the gentlest yoga moves for gastritis, warming and soothing without squeezing the belly.

Reclining bound angle pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Lie back with the soles of the feet together and cushions under the knees in Supta Baddha Konasana. Put a pillow under your upper back so your chest is higher than your belly, which matters with acid reflux. It is a restful yoga to settle the stomach when it feels upset.

Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana)

Lift the hips a little in Setu Bandhasana. Keep it low and short, and skip it if it brings on burning or reflux.

Mountain pose (Tadasana) and Savasana

Stand tall and breathe in Tadasana, then rest in Savasana with a pillow under the head and knees. Five quiet minutes may do more for a stress-sensitive stomach than any pose.

Breathing in yoga for gastritis: cooling and calming

• Sheetali (cooling breath): breathe in through a rolled tongue (or through the teeth, Sheetkari) and out through the nose. It is traditionally used for "heat" in the body, including a burning stomach. Skip it in cold weather or if you have asthma.
• Bhramari (humming bee breath): a long, soft hum on each out-breath; calming before meals and at bedtime.
• Anulom Vilom: slow alternate nostril breathing for 5 minutes a day.

Avoid Kapalbhati, Bhastrika and Agnisar Kriya with a burning stomach. The strong, repeated belly pumping can make pain and reflux worse.

How to soothe gastritis pain: a 5-minute routine

When you need quick relief for gastritis pain or want to calm down gastritis discomfort, try this (it may ease gastritis pain; it is not a treatment):

1. Sit upright in a chair or Vajrasana; loosen any tight belt.
2. Rest one hand on your upper belly and breathe slowly through the nose, making the out-breath longer.
3. Do 8–10 rounds of Sheetali or Bhramari.
4. Sip a little plain water at room temperature.
5. If lying down, raise your head and chest on pillows.

The same steps help relieve gastritis pain at night. This is a gentle way to relieve the burning sensation in the stomach and the tension around it, but it is not instant relief for stomach burning; there is no reliable way to calm gastritis immediately at home, and frequent pain needs a proper diagnosis. Chair yoga for the stomach works well for this routine at a desk or for older adults: see chair yoga.

Yoga for gastritis with acidity, bloating and gas

Gastritis often comes with acid reflux and wind. For yoga for gastritis and acidity, follow the timing rules above and see our yoga for acidity page. For yoga for bloating and gas relief, knee hugs and a soft lying twist help trapped wind and stomach bloating, but save them for days without burning; see yoga for bloating. For wider stomach issues, yoga for digestion has a longer plan for digestive health. Regular yoga may help digestion and gut health in general; the best yoga for stomach problems is gentle, regular and done on an empty stomach.

Managing gastritis at home

How to heal gastritis depends on the cause, so a doctor's diagnosis comes first. Treating gastritis at home means supporting that treatment, and gastritis relief at home starts with these NHS tips:

• Cut down on caffeine (tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks).
• Avoid acidic, fizzy, spicy or fatty food and drink if they trigger you.
• Do not eat in the 3–4 hours before bed.
• Stop alcohol and smoking.
• Talk to your doctor if you take ibuprofen or aspirin regularly.
• Lose weight if you are overweight.

Add eating smaller, slower meals, and regular stress care such as yoga, breathing or Yoga Nidra. These at home remedies for gastritis help you cope with gastritis and control flare-ups. Holistic remedies for gastritis, such as herbs, are not proven and some can irritate the stomach, so check with your doctor.

Can you reverse or fix gastritis? Healing time for gastritis

Many cases improve once the cause is dealt with, for example after H. pylori is treated with antibiotics or a painkiller is stopped. Healing time for gastritis varies from days to months depending on the cause and how severe it is. Untreated gastritis can lead to a stomach ulcer, which is why you should not rely on home care alone.

Is exercise good for gastritis?

Gentle to moderate exercise, such as walking and calm yoga, is fine for most people with gastritis and may help by easing stress and supporting a healthy weight. Avoid hard, jolting workouts, heavy lifting and strong ab exercises soon after eating or during a flare, as they can push acid up and worsen pain. Exercise does not heal the stomach lining; does exercise help gastritis directly? There is no good evidence either way.

Yoga for gastritis: what to avoid, and when to see a doctor

Avoid practising on a full stomach, strong twists and belly-down backbends (such as Bow pose) during a flare, head-down poses if you have reflux, and hot yoga. Yoga poses on your stomach (lying face down) press on the upper belly, so skip them when it hurts. Yoga for gastritis pain should always feel soothing; stop anything that makes it worse.

See a doctor if stomach pain or indigestion lasts more than a week or keeps coming back. Get urgent help if you vomit blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, pass black, sticky stools, have sudden severe belly or chest pain, lose weight without trying, find it hard to swallow, or keep vomiting. Pain that wakes you at night also needs checking.

Start your yoga for gastritis session

Play the guided 3D session on this page on an empty stomach. The figure demonstrates each pose, the voice guides you in your language, and the saffron ring helps you slow your breath. Choose "shorter" holds on sore days. More routines are on our guided sessions page.

Research behind this plan

1. NHS — Gastritis: causes (H. pylori, painkillers, alcohol, stress), self-care and urgent warning signs
2. Setia 2023, J Gastrointestin Liver Dis — narrative review: yoga may act on gut-brain and stress pathways in functional dyspepsia, but almost no clinical studies exist

Medical note: yoga supports treatment; it does not replace it. Keep taking prescribed medicine and talk to your doctor before you start, especially with heart disease, uncontrolled blood pressure, recent surgery, pregnancy, epilepsy or severe pain. Read our medical disclaimer.