Need to toot during yoga? Let it rip!
12-6-2026
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Breaking wind, passing gas, cutting the cheese – there’s no shortage of words for those bottom burps. But why does the urge to let one rip always arise during yoga? An explanation.
Yoga is remarkably good at squeezing air out of you at the most inopportune moment. Just the other day, a resounding «Toooot» rang out in my yoga class. First, awkward silence. Then back to the flow.
The cause of this flatulence isn’t what I’d call glamorous: many asanas either compress or relax the abdominal area. Twisting poses in particular – like Crocodile or the seated spinal twist – really wring out your belly. Knee-to-chest poses also increase pressure on the intestines.
There’s even a pose called Wind-Relieving Pose, or Pavanamuktasana. In Pavanamuktasana, you lie on your back, draw both knees to your chest and lift your head towards your knees.
Anyone who isn’t fighting their sphincter by this point – let them cast the first loo roll!
Relaxation encourages farts
Deep breathing and relaxation cause your body to let go of things it normally holds on to – intestinal gas included. We’ve all been there: feeling totally bloated all day long, but the moment you sink into your sofa, the symphony starts. Toooot, prrrt, pooot!
Farting is completely normal. Every person passes around a litre of air per day, spread across roughly 30 toots. Digesting a single meal, Homo sapiens produces around 1.5 litres of gas. And that needs to go somewhere. Some of it we breathe out – and the rest comes out the other end. Men fart a tad more and a tad louder than women.
Constantly holding in your farts can result in stomach ache. And I, for one, would never be able to properly relax during yoga if I were constantly thinking: «Whatever you do, don’t fart, don’t fart, don’t fart…»
Source: Pixabay
That’s why I’m making a case for the legalisation of toots! If you need to fart during yoga, don’t be ashamed. As for everyone else – please, please keep pretending nothing happened.
Header image: Unsplash
Anika Schulz
Teamleader Editorial
Anika.Schulz@galaxus.deAs a child, I was socialised with Mario Kart on SNES before ending up in journalism after graduating from high school. As a team leader at Galaxus, I'm responsible for news. I'm also a trekkie and an engineer.
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This is a subjective opinion of the editorial team. It doesn't necessarily reflect the position of the company.
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