Love Your Liver

I’m kind of obsessed with the liver right now, one of the most amazing organs in the human body. Did you know that the liver is the only organ that can regenerate? Yes, only 10% of healthy liver tissue is required for the liver to grow back to full size. Amazing! 

The liver is an important pitta-dominant organ. Read more about pitta and how to live in a more healthy way this summer in last week’s blog post called “Cool the Inner Heat.” 

The liver is located on the right side of the abdomen just under the diaphragm. Ayurveda teaches that the liver is a hot organ and the emotional seat of anger in the body. Physically, the liver filters and recycles the blood, stores important nutrients, maintains healthy blood sugar levels, and removes harmful substances from the body. 

Yoga posture practice is very good for the liver, and you might enjoy prioritizing some of these things this summer or anytime you feel your liver may be compromised.

• Side bending poses, especially when bending to the left, stretch the fascial connections around the liver on the right side of the body. Examples are standing half moon, seated side bends, and—my personal favorite—lying down on the left side over a rolled blanket or bolster for a minute or two.

• Twisting poses take advantage of squeeze and soak, where we squeeze out the juices from the internal organs then allow the fluids to rush back in as we release the twist. All twists are good whether standing, seated or lying down.

• Yin yoga for the liver meridian works a lot more than just the liver itself by bringing healing energy to the whole energy line of which the liver is a part. Yin poses are held for 3-5 minutes while creating a gentle stretch into the connective tissues and joints, rather than the muscles. (This is a specialized form of yoga and you may need to receive instruction from a certified teacher to do it most effectively.) Best poses are Butterfly, Frog, Dragonfly, Shoelace, Square, Deer and Dragons.

May you enjoy the summer season! Always remember that a happy healthy summer relies on a happy healthy liver.