Navasana for a Trim Waistline

There are many asanas in this massive Yoga library to take care of the human mechanism. You always have an option when it comes to choosing a bunch of asanas as your daily routine. And today I have come up with an asana which can improve your abdominal mechanism and help you achieve a trim waistline.

Navasana (Boat Pose) is an asana which is majorly aimed at engaging your abdominal muscles, intestines and kidneys. It will also help you shed fat and trim your waistline. The term ‘Navasana’ can be translated as Boat Pose as the name Nava means boat and the ‘Asana’ means “Pose” or “Posture.”

The reason why it is called Navasana is because the whole body is bent into the shape of ‘V’ as it shifting the entire balance onto the buttocks. There are variations of this pose include Paripurna Navasana, Ardha Navasana and Ekapadanavasana.

These are also called the 3 stages of the pose as you gradually move to the toughest version of the asana.

So, let’s discuss the ways to do it.

First stage Navasana for beginners

If you are a beginner and attempting the pose for the very first time, this is the first phase you need to start with.

How to do it?

Sit sideways on the floor with your knees bent and the feet firmly pressing against the ground. Take your hands behind and press the palms against the floor. Press the palms against the ground and straighten the spine after a little adjustment. Also roll the shoulder blades back in order to give your upper body a little more stress.

Now lift your feet off the ground and there you feel an engagement of your abdominal muscles. Still with your palms on the ground, lift your legs higher and lift them until your shins are parallel to the ground. Make sure the raised legs are parallel to the ground.

Finally shifting the whole balance onto the buttocks, lift your arms and place them alongside your legs. Keep them straight with the palms facing each other. Lock the elbows to maintain the straight line.

Maintain the balance for a few seconds before you advance into the next stage of Navasana.

Ardha Navasana (Half Boat Pose)

Navasana means bending your body into a “V” shape. When you achieve a perfect “V”, it is called “Paripurna Navasana” (Full Boat Pose). But, when you stop halfway without reaching the perfect “V” shape and balance yourself there, then it is considered to be an “Ardha Navasana (Half-Boat Pose).

How to do it?

Lie flat on the ground with your legs side by side. Drive your hands towards the head and interlace them behind it. Achieve a straight line with an erect spine. Now slowly lift the shoulder blades off the ground while simultaneously raising the legs.

Lift your shoulder blades and upper back as high as possible and make sure the toes of your feet are hovered at your eyelevel. When rightly done, you will be able to form a nice arch which is far from a “V” shape.

Maintain the pose for a few seconds before you advance into the Paripurna Navasana.

Paripurna Navasana

This is the final stage in Navasanas where you will be able to achieve a perfect “V” shape. This is also the second phase of the first stage Navasana that we suggested for the beginners.

How to do this?

Sit sideways on the floor with your knees bent and the feet firmly pressing against the ground. Take your hands behind and press the palms against the floor. Press the palms against the ground and straighten the spine after a little adjustment. Also roll the shoulder blades back in order to give your upper body a little more stress.
Now lift your feet off the ground and there you feel an engagement of your abdominal muscles. Still with your palms on the ground, lift your legs higher and lift them until your shins are hovered parallel to the ground. Make sure the raised legs are parallel to the ground.

Finally shifting the whole balance onto the buttocks, lift your arms and place them alongside your legs. Keep them straight with the palms facing each other. Lock the elbows to maintain the straight line.

From here, you will be entering the full phase of Navasana or Paripurna Navasana. Drive your hands towards your thighs and hold them for a balance while you begin to straighten your legs. Raise your legs higher until your knees are completely locked.

Now take your arms back and place them alongside your legs. Make sure your legs are completely straightened up. The entire weight of your body will be kept only on your buttocks as your body is bent into the shape of a “V”. Maintain the balance for a few seconds and achieve a great balance before you finally withdraw yourself from the pose.

Ekapadanavasana

The Ekapadanavasana is a variation of Paripurna Navasana. It doesn’t have any special modifications as you are simply instructed to start the Paripurna Navasana with only one leg. Raise the single leg only when you are entering the Paripurna Navasana.

You can either place the other leg on the ground or just try to keep it in a stable hover right below the raised leg. Follow all the instructions given in the case of Paripurna Navasana.

Core benefits of Navasanas.

• Navasanas stretch your abdominal muscles and strengthen them.
• They help you treat digestion problems.
• They strengthen your spine and add flexibility.
• They stimulate your thyroid glands, intestines and kidneys.
• They stretch your hamstrings and thighs.

Note: If you have been suffering from a prolonged lower back pain or you are in the final stages of your pregnancy, then you are advised to consult a physician before begin doing the Navasanas.