For Beginners: Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana)

This posture teaches us important life skills—such as how to embrace difficulty—as it strengthens our abs.

By Claudia Cummins

These introductory versions of Boat Pose may be enough of a challenge for your belly, back, and legs for now. If so, rest on your back in Savasana (Corpse Pose) and let the energy you’ve built melt away any inner tension, leaving you bright and invigorated. As you rest, enjoy the sensations of warmth and vitality percolating from the core of your body outward through your fingers and toes.

Set Sail
When you've mastered the previous postures and are ready for an even bigger challenge, move into Navasana with the arms outstretched in front of you. Lift the feet off the ground and stretch out the legs, reaching the hands forward with the palms facing each other, arms parallel to the ground. At the same time, lift and spread the collarbones while releasing the shoulder blades downward. Reach skyward through the crown of the head. Be mindful not to fall backward as you do this; continue looking optimistically forward and upward.

Pause here to enjoy the balance of opposites Paripurna Navasana offers. While settling the pelvis forward onto the sitting bones, you are also reclining into the strong support of the back body. While you're firmly rooted in the earth, your spirit is soaring upward. And while drawing energy into your core, you are at the same time reaching outward through the arms and legs.

Use a strong and steady breath to help you. Each time you breathe in, quiet your gaze and draw your attention inward. Each time you breathe out, energetically extend from the core of your body. Imagine you are exhaling through your fingers, toes, tailbone, and crown, and let that image fill you with enough substance and support to continue floating in Boat Pose for just a few more moments.

Don't force the action—come out of the pose whenever you feel the body sinking into strain. At the same time, encourage yourself to remain big, bold, and bright in spirit. Let this be a moment in which you build the strength and stamina that will carry you through every wave of challenge life may toss your way.

Claudia Cummins teaches yoga in central Ohio. A selection of her essays can be found on her Web site, www.claudiacummins.com.

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