Boat Pose: Set Sail For a Stronger Upper Body and Lower Belly

Boat Pose is well-known for increasing core strength and toning the abdominals. It gets its name from the Sanskrit words, Navasana (NAV-AAHS-uh-nuh). Nava means boat, and asana means posture.

• Strengthens and tones the back, abdominals, arms, and hip flexors
• Stretches hamstrings 
• Improves digestion 
• Relieves stress 
• Stimulates thyroid, prostate, kidneys, and intestines 
• Increased body awareness

Do not practice this yoga pose if you have any of the following conditions:

• Low blood pressure
• Heart problems
• Asthma uncontrolled by medication
• Severe headache or migraine 
• Spinal disorders, current or in the recent past
• Neck injuries
• Pregnant women
• Women who are on the first two days of their menstrual cycle
• Diarrhea

• Seated Forward Bend
• Standing Forward Bend
• Downward Facing Dog
• Cobra Pose
• Triangle Pose
• Warrior Pose
• Sun Salutations

1. Lie on your back with your legs and feet together and arms by your sides, palms facing upward.
   *You can also begin this posture in a seated position with the legs outstretched*

2. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, lift your chest, legs, and arms off of the ground, stretching your arms toward your feet, parallel to the floor. See if you can position your thighs at a 45-degree angle to the floor, sitting in a V-shape or an upside-down capital A.  

3. Contract your abdominal muscles and find a balancing point around the base of your spine and sit bones. Keep breathing deeply while maintaining the pose.

4. Hold this posture for 10-20 seconds. As you practice, you can gradually increase the time to 1 minute. 

5. On an exhale, release your arms, and legs, and head back down to the floor. You can relax here with your legs straight or bend your knees to your abdominal muscles and chest giving your knees a hug for a few breaths. 

To modify: Feel free to keep the knees bent. If needed, hold onto the back of your knees for extra support and balance.

For an added challenge: Try doing ‘boat crunches.’ On an exhale, lower your legs and arms so they are just hovering above the ground, and then come back up into the Boat on the inhale. This is one repetition. Complete 5-10 repetitions and then rest flat on the ground or hug your knees into your chest.

• Plow Pose
• Corpse Pose

If you want to get the most out of your yoga practice, add Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, also known as SKY Breath Meditation. Breathing, meditation, and yoga, when practiced regularly, supercharge the life benefits that yoga offers.

SKY practitioners report:

• Greater mental focus
• Healthier blood pressure
• Enhanced deep sleep
• Increased joy and optimism
• Decreased stress, anxiety, and depression

Register for the Art of Living Part 1 course to learn SKY today!