Yoga doesn't have to be origami of the body where you fold yourself into ridiculous poses and then balance on your head to relax. You aren't expected to be a contortionist when it comes to basic stretching, breathing and strengthening your core (abdomen, thighs, hips, butt).

A strong core means a strong digestive tract, so exercises such as yoga, sit-ups, aerobics and swimming are the most beneficial. Exercises and activities that involve bending at the waist will generally strengthen the digestive system.

Yoga poses increase blood flow to your digestive tract and stimulate the intestinal action known as peristalsis so digestion is more efficient. Yoga also calms you, which in turn relaxes your digestive system and leads to more effective elimination.

Forward bends increase the space in the abdomen and facilitate the release of entrapped gases. These activities heat the front of the body and cool the back of the body. Try:

1. Standing and folding your upper body forward as if you were touching your toes, knees slightly bent, arms either to the floor (head upside down at this point) or wrapped gently around your legs OR
2. If this is too uncomfortable, try kneeling and bringing your head forward to the floor with your chest to your knees OR
3. If you have trouble bending over, try lying on your back with your knees to your chest.

Sitting or lying in this position for 5 minutes a day can help some people’s digestive tracts become regular again. Most people need to do more activity than that, but if you can’t do anything else, these things will help.

Your best bet is to attend a class to learn the proper form and talk with the instructor about your limitations and health concerns. Next to that, get a video for beginners that has two different versions of the poses (modified & advanced) so that you can try the easier version of the pose if the advanced one is too difficult.

For now, take a look at www.abc-of-yoga.com. It offers pictures, step by step explanations and animated images to show you how to do the poses. For stomachs and digestion, check out:

1. Cat Pose
2. Wind Relieving Pose (don't worry about lifting your head all the way up)
3. Half Spinal Twist
4. Hero Pose
5. Corpse Pose
6. Cobra

Remember, the whole point of yoga is to breathe slowly and deeply, gently stretch your body, circulate the blood and to relax.

Do some research on your own. Is it right for you? Are there any health concerns to take into account (e.g. hernia, pregnancy) before you do yoga?

I plan to give this basic yoga thing a go. I'll be researching dvds. If I find something really great, I'll let you know.