“Spirituality is not a separate part of us, it is bound up with the body and the whole person, long before we enter this world. The word “spiritual” is often off-putting or misunderstood, because it is thought to be something esoteric and hard to define. But it is not, it is about coming from the heart.”
                                                                            ~ Unknown

Irritable Bowel Syndrome:

From a brief Western Physiological Perspective and a Yoga Therapy Perspective

Dear Dr Dan and Swami Sattva,

For the last few years I have been suffering from regular bouts of constipation, which occasionally turn into diarrhoea. My stomach fills like a balloon, and the cramps in my abdomen are horrendous. I’m sick and tired of feeling this way, of having no energy, and of not being able to do the things I want to do. I’ve had a myriad of tests but nothing ever shows up. I’ve been told it might be irritable bowel syndrome. Can you please tell me what is going on in my body? And what I can do about it?

Frustrated and Tired, Melbourne


Dr Dan: GP to the Masses’ Perspective

Dear F&T,
Whilst I am reticent to just assume you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), the symptoms you have described certainly fit with this condition. If you’re confident you have been appropriately diagnosed with IBS, there are several key points that will aid your understanding and also your management of this syndrome.

1) You mentioned your predominant symptom is constipation. It would therefore be beneficial to increase your intake of fibrous foods. In particular soluble fibre foods (eg rice, pasta, oatmeal), as these foods regulate the digestive tract, and stabilise intestinal contractions. They do this by absorbing excess liquid in the colon to form a thick gel which the GI muscles can move quite easily. Try to avoid non-soluble fibre foods (eg seeds, nuts, whole wheat, beans, lentils, leafy greens…), as these foods require more digestion. Also, ensure you drink enough liquids, as this enables the muscles to move the waste along the tract. It is when the muscles struggle to move waste along the tract that the cramping and bloating you have described occur. I would encourage you to get to know the types of foods that trigger abdominal cramping and agitation in you, as everyone is different...


Swami Sattva: a Yoga Therapy perspective

My learned friend, Dr Dan, has made some excellent points. The physical body is incredible in the way it regulates itself to maintain balance. But whilst Dr Dan, has described this process on a physical level, the yogic perspective can help us to explore this balance on increasingly subtle levels. From the yogic perspective, it is important to remember that what happens on a physical level (the body) creates blockages on other, subtler levels (including the mind), and vice versa. These subtler levels are non-physical parts that overlie our physical bodies. First we will explore some of these other levels so we can understand what might be going on in your body, then we’ll explore some options that will hopefully help you manage better...


Written by: Rachael Freeland

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