Half Boat Pose - Ardha Navasana
Contents
Half Boat Pose or Ardha Navasana (ard-ha NAH-VAH-sah-nah) is a wonderful pose for curing many health problems. In this pose, the body attains the shape of a boat and the balance of the body is put on the hips.
Half Boat Pose targets the abs, glutes, hip flexors, and spine. It also involves the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles. Half Boat stimulates digestive organs, and kidneys; strengthens the core, spine, and hip flexors, and also relieves stress and lethargy.
‘Ardha’ in the Sanskrit language means ‘half’ and ‘Nava’ means a ‘boat, ship or vessel’. This asana resembles the shape of a boat hence this name.
It has been observed that old people during sitting down, getting up, or walking support their backs with their hands. They do it consciously or unconsciously is another matter, but it shows that their back is weak and cannot withstand the strain.
As long as the back is strong and a person needs no support, they will feel young though advanced in age. Ardha Navasana brings life and vigor to the back muscles and enables people to gracefully and comfortably grow old.
Pose Detail
- By Type: Balancing Yoga Poses, Strengthening Yoga Poses
- Difficulty: Beginners
- Body Position: Seated Yoga Poses
- By Benefit: Yoga Poses For Digestion, Yoga Poses For Stress Relief
Step-by-Step Instructions
Benefits and Contraindications
Strengthens your abs, back, and thighs
Improves core balance and posture your
Helps to boost your focus and concentration
Improves digestion
Tones your whole body
Pregnancy or menstruation
Asthma
Insomnia
Low blood pressure
Heart problems
Low back injury
Photo poses in different angles
Modifications, Props and Tips
- For a less challenging variation, bend one knee in toward you, and hold on to the back of your thigh with that same-side hand.
- Focus on keeping the back straight rather than lifting the feet off the floor. As a beginner, one can perform it by keeping the feet and hands on the floor to add balance to the pose while keeping the back straight.
- Keep the abdomen firm but do not let the belly get puffed or thick.
- Perform Ardha Navasana sitting on a chair. This helps the spine to get support from the chair’s back, the hands can grab the seat’s edge, and the chest opens well. The chair makes the pose a lot easier by providing extra height, back support, and handgrip.
Variations
- Complete Boat Pose
- One Legged Half Boat Pose
- Elevated Boat Pose
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