Day 5 of the #wildlove30days yoga challenge!
Boat pose, the posture that everyone loves to hate even faithful Ashtangis may be willing to skip one of these in their practice! BUT we don't skip it, we don't avoid it and we certainly need to face it head on. As boat pose is a core posture it connects to the Solar Plexus chakra. This energy is all about motivation, will power, inner strength and facing problems head on, sound familiar? Core strength not only makes our body incredible strong it also organises the mind into a place of structure, strength and a powerful productive mindset.
Boat Pose - Navasana
1. Starting from seated with the knees bent gently hug the fingers under the outer knees.
2. As you inhale lift the heart and lengthen through the waist & spine, as you exhale draw the belly in and away from the thighs. Press the back of the head back to encourage a little lightness within the feet!
3. Layer one, keep the core engaged and lift one foot, lower down, lift the other and lower down. Alternating without leaning or sinking into the lower spine.
4. Layer two, bring the arms closer towards the upper body, feet are down on the floor but you lift the ribcage up and away from the pelvis.
5. Layer three, bring the shins parallel to the ceiling, hug the inner thighs together & lift the heart away from the pelvis, be mindful to hug the lower ribs IN.
6. As your strength and confidence builds, explore by releasing the hands, without sinking into the lower back! When you feel ready, lengthen the legs, core tight, either hold with the hands or let go!
7. Once you find a happy variation you can maintain I would like you to stay here for 10 breaths upto 1 minute, this isn't about the amount of time, this is about the quality of your awareness, your alignment and commitment!
If we think of exploring this posture with layers this is where we build strength and CONTROL. This posture is all about strength from within, not just throwing yourself up there and hoping for the best! When working with the core engagement you're not bracing the belly (coughing, laughing muscles) you're slowly pulling the belly button and pelvic floor in and up. This takes time to get used to, especially having to breathe at the same time! Take it slow, don't over think the posture. Practice, practice, practice.
+ Strengthens abdominals, hip flexors, and spine.
+ Stimulates kidneys, prostate, thyroid and intestines.
+ Builds stamina and focus.
+ Relieves stress.
+ Improves digestion.
✨ Take a photo of your posture and share it on Facebook/Instagram with the tag @wildlove_yoga #wildlove30days
Have fun and enjoy!
V x
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