Navasana :

Navasana :- 

Navasana is a seated yoga asana that requires core strength to hold the body in a “V” shape. As well as a range of physical benefits, it is believed to build concentration, stamina and balance.

steps :-

Begin the practice of Paripurna Navasana after few rounds of Surya Namaskar. This will help in circulating blood to the entire body.

After few rounds of Sun Salutations, start by sitting on your mat completely stretched out in Dandasana. Keeping the spine straight and legs stretched out, rotate the ankles clockwise and anticlockwise about 6 times in order to open up the calves and the knees.

Inhaling stretch the legs out completely without bending the knees, while pulling in the tummy and raising the spine upwards placing the hands on the thighs in front of you.

Slowly taking another breath, raise both the feet from the floor to about 20 degrees and take the upper torso behind throwing the chest out in front moving the weight of the body on the sitting bones.

Stay here for 2 breaths, maintaining the balance while the tummy, the quadriceps, the hamstrings, abdominal and the shoulder muscles are stretched and firm.

Slowly bringing the focus to the centre, the core, raise the legs higher tightening the inner legs to engage the adductors and raise the arms from the thighs and bring them parallel to the floor.

Maintain the balance here making sure the torso is not curved outwards and remains stretched upwards slightly inclining the torso backwards with chest thrown out in front of you.

Draw the shoulder blades back and down to help the chest go forward giving it the complete stretch.

Bring the focus to the core and watch the breathing here, as fast breathing will cause the body to lose it’s balance.

The neck stays in line with the chest, keeping the chin parallel to the floor. Arms stretched out completely without bending the elbows.

The body here takes the shape of the english letter ‘V’. One can go higher with the legs together making sure the torso remains strong and firm.

With slow rhythmic breathing, maintain the body weight at the centre and not at the hips, and remain here for about 8 breaths or as per the comfort of one’s body.

Slowly release from this pose by bending your knees and lowering the feet back to the floor and relax in Dandasana placing the hands on the floor behind you, bringing the lower back curved in with shoulder back and chest out to relax the spine.

After few breaths of relaxing, one could go back to the practice of this pose, this time taking it deeper with longer slow breaths.

Benefits :-

The asana strengthens the abdominal muscles, the legs and the lower back. Paripurna Navasana is said to relieve stress, improve digestion and aid the lower abdominal organs: kidney, intestines, and prostate for men. It can also stimulate the thyroid.It helps to improve concentration and enervates numbness in mind. It builds willpower, determination and self control. Ardha Navasana works on the upper abdominal organs: pancreas, gall bladder, spleen and liver.

Strengthens:-

Abdomen, Vertebral column, Hip flexors .

Pose type:-

Seated, Core .

Modification :-

To make this pose simple and to enjoy this pose, one can practice this with alternative ways or through a few modifications. Some of them are highlighted below.

If the legs are still to be worked at, one can bend the knees and slowly work at getting into the main posture with practice. Keeping the knees bent will also help in the slow strengthening of the hamstrings and the quadriceps.

If balancing the body is not comfortable, place the hands on the floor or place the tips of the fingers on the floor besides you. Using of yoga blocks placed besides you and placing the palms on them would also act as a great support to maintain balance.

Using of yoga straps around the feet and pulling your torso back to lean, can also work wonders to get confidence in this Boat Pose.

Placing of blankets below your hips would support the sit bones well enough to take you deeper into the pose and this can gradually help to master the real posture without support .

Bringing support for the upper back with the wall, will give the right body alignment for the pose and one can still gain the benefits with the practice of this support. But make sure you are not too far away from the wall and the wall is just a support and one must not put the entire body weight on the wall.

The most important part of Paripurna Navasana is not the lower body but the torso. Expanding the torso upwards is more important than placing emphasis on stretching the legs to the maximum. Here one can use the wall support for the feet to get the maximum stretch for the torso by placing the tips of the toes on a wall while facing the wall during the practice of this pose.

contraindication :-

Stating some of the precautions to be kept in mind while practicing Complete Boat Pose.

As the abdominal muscles are put to work, anyone with a weak digestive system should take precautions while practicing this pose. The tightening of these muscles may affect the stomach and the intestines if one is already suffering from a weak digestive system. But with proper guidance and precautions this pose can be practiced at a slow level.

The lower back is put to work here in this yoga pose, hence someone suffering from severe back issues or if someone is recovering from slip disc should avoid this pose completely.

Someone who is suffering from High blood pressure should take precautions or guidance while practicing Boat Pose, as a lot of strain would be felt at the chest and the upper body if done wrong or if there is an alignment issue.

During pregnancy there would be stress at the abdomen if this pose is practiced giving room for tightness at the lower back and legs, hence as a precautionary measure it is better to avoid this pose during pregnancy.

Since a lot of pressure is felt at the core and the lower abdomen in order to maintain this balance in this pose, it is best avoided during the menstrual cycles of women.

If there is any kind of injury at the hip, knees, ankles or neck, it is best to avoid Paripurna Navasana or Complete Boat Pose.