Benefits

• Strengthens your hips, thighs and abdominal muscles.
• Develops focus and concentration.
• Improves balance and coordination.
• Improves digestion.
• Stimulates your kidneys, thyroid and prostate glands.

Cautions

• Low back injuries or concerns
• Late term pregnancy and obesity (issues with balancing)
• Headache
• Medical conditions that affect balance
• Diarrhea
• Heart problems
• Low blood pressure
• Menstruation

Steps

Navasana (nah-VAHS-anna)

nava = boat

1. From sitting, place your feet and knees together as you bend your knees.
2. As you hold the back of your knees or thighs, lengthen your spine creating space through your low back and abdomen. Lean slightly back without collapsing into the abdomen and find the back edge of your sit-bones.
3. Maintaining your gaze on a focal point, inhale and lift your feet a few inches off the ground balancing on the sit bones. Continue to breath as you discover your balance.
4. Keeping the spine tall, slowly raise the heels to the height of your knees. Keep your knees bent as you feel how this variation is for your lower back.
5. If the spine easily stays tall and the back is comfortable, slowly release your legs reaching your arms forward. Keep your chest open and broad. If the unsupported version feels strong and steady, slowly lengthen your legs diagonally up without rounding into the low back
6. To exit, take one final inhale, and then exhale lowering your feet softly to the ground. Cross your legs, take a few slow breaths and sit with stillness feeling the energy of boat.

Modifications

• For easier variation, keep your knees bent and hold onto the back of your knees.
• For extended leg variation, lengthen legs as you hold onto the back of your knees or thighs.