When was the last time you thought about your liver?

It’s working hard for you everyday!

The liver weighs about three pounds and is the second largest organ in the body, after the skin. The liver has hundreds of functions including aiding in digestion, hormone regulation, blood sugar regulation and filtering of chemicals, drugs and alcohol.

Let’s show our liver some love with these simple steps:

1. Drink lemon water each morning.

Quick and easy, yet effective. Just squeeze the juice from half a lemon into eight to 12 ounces of room temperature water, and drink! If you want to get fancy, you can use hot water.

2. Limit alcohol.

If alcohol is part of your lifestyle, then try cutting in your intake in half. You can easily do this by alternating your usual alcoholic beverage, with a glass of water. You’ll feel better in the morning too!

3. Increase liver chi by practicing yoga.

The liver meridian starts in the big toes, and runs up the inner seams of the legs. You can energize this area with yoga poses that target stretching in this area.

Upavistha Konasana (Seated Angle Pose):

From a seated position, extend the legs forward and then out to the sides a comfortable distance. Keep the spine long and extended as you bend forward at the hips. Remembering to keep the spine long as the priority and only hinging forward an amount that allows the spine to continue to lengthen.

Baddha Konasana (Butterfly Pose):
From a seated position, bring the soles of the feet together to touch. Allow the hips to widen as the knees lower toward the ground.

4. Chill out.

We all know that stress plays a major role in many diseases, disorders and discomforts. Your overall health will benefit greatly from integrating relaxation techniques into your routine.

Vaparita Karani (Inverted Lake Pose):

Laying on the ground, place your calves onto a chair or couch. Commit to spending three to five minutes in this pose.

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Relephant read: 

Yoga Poses for a Gentle Detox.

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Author: Carole Westerman

Apprentice Editor: Keeley Milne

Photo: courtesy of the author