Come study with me on the southern coast of SRI LANKA this winter, Dec 3 - Jan 26, 2024. Daily Mysore, philosophy, asana theory, and pranayama classes. More details at www.davidgarrigues.com
Hail Navasana!- no other asana is as effective in accomplishing the difficult work of strengthening your belly and the deep muscles in your lower abdomen. By targeting your center this hated but inspiring posture strengthen the muscles that activate Mula and Uddhyana Bandhas and gives you more centralized control over your postures and movements.
The pose is named Boat because the shape resembles a V shaped boat such as a New England Dory. Your pelvis is the hull and the base of the V. Your torso forms the stern (rear) of the boat and the left diagonal line of the V. Your legs form the bow (front) of the boat and the right diagonal line of the V. And your arms are the gunnels of the boat that form the horizontal sides of the boat. Imagining your pelvic foundation as like the weighted ballast of sailboat keel helps you to feel securely anchored to the earth so that you can create lightness and extension along the diagonal spinal and legs lines.
KEYWORDS: ASHTANGA YOGA MYSORE BOAT POSE CORE STRENGTH NAVASANA ASANA KITCHEN DAVID GARRIGUES PRIMARY SERIES
