There are many postures or asana in yoga that helps to influence the physical flexibility and strength. Today, we will explore about he Boat Pose that is also referred as the Naukasana. There is detailed knowledge about the the Boat Pose along with steps and advantages of this pose. Let’s Shed some light on the Boat Pose.
What is the Boat Pose (Naukasana)
Boat Pose is also known as Navasana or Naukasana. This is the powerful yoga posture. This pose is simple yet highly beneficial pose. This asana strengthens the core, leg muscles, enhance digestion and boost metabolism.
The name of this pose, Naukasana come from the Sanskrit language where, Nauka means, “boat” and Asana means, “posture”. The final position of this pose resembles like the shape of a boat. This is reclining back bending yoga posture.
How to perform Naukasana?
This is quite challenging yoga pose at first to perform. In this pose you balancing your body weight on your sit bones. This is the balancing and Strengthening core yoga posture.
Here are step by step guidance of Boat Pose:
- Sitting by bending knees and placing your feet down.
- Keeping your feet apart from the hip width distance.
- Placing your hands on your shin bones and lifting your chest up.
- This is beginning preparation of Navasana.
- From here make your hands under your inner thighs to hold your thighs.
- Now, gently leaning your back and lifting your chest to keep your back straight.
- From here leaning your back more to balancing on between your tailbone and the sit bone.
- Then, slowly lifting your foot up with keeping your feet together to make legs stronger to hold the pose.
- Now, straightening your legs to lift them to the 45-degree angle and back keep straight by lifting your chest up.
- Extend your arms parallel to the legs.
- Balance your weight on your sit bones. Avoid rounding your back.
- Hold this posture by softly breathing.
- To release this pose slowly lower your legs, chest and arms to the starting pose and relax.
What are the Benefits of Boat Pose (Naukasana)?
There are huge benefits of practicing this asana in your daily yoga routine.
Here are some of the benefits of Boat Pose:
- Strengthen the Core: This pose engages the core muscles including abdominis, tranverse abdominis, and external and internal oblique. Holding this posture improves the strength and balance of the core muscles.
- Toning the Leg Muscles: Raising the legs off the ground in this asana helps to build the strength to the leg muscles. It tones the legs, inner thighs, and hamstrings.
- Enhance Digestion: While performing this asana, it will massage the internal organs like liver, kidneys and intestines. It stimulates the digestive function of the body and enhance your digestion.
- Stimulates the Thyroid Gland: The neck is extended backward in this asana. It will help to stimulates the thyroid gland. A healthy thyroid gland helps to regulates the metabolism, heart rate, mood and immunity.
- Reduce Stress and tension: This pose bring inner awareness when you balancing your body in boat pose. This is calming effect in the mind and helps to relieves the tension and stress.
- Boost Metabolism: By performing this asana, it will squeeze and stretches the abdominal organs. This will helpful for boosting the metabolism.
- Reduce the Respiratory Disorders: Deep breathing in this pose, help to enhance the lung capacity. It will stimulate the oxygen supply in our body. It will help to alleviate the respiratory issues.
- Relieves Menstrual Discomfort: This pose relaxes the pelvic area and release the pain in lower back and hip tightness. This will provide a relief in menstrual cramps also.
- Improves the Circulation: The inversion position in this asana enhances the blood flow towards abdomen and torso. It also improves the circulation of blood in the legs also.
