Navasana – Boat pose
Erin and Naomi have combined forces to inspire you onto your mat with beautifully illustrated yoga poses you can practise at home. This week’s pose and illustration Navasana – Boat pose, is based on our third chakra, the solar plexus chakra (otherwise known as Manipura chakra). Its colour is yellow.
Manipura is the third energy centre along the spinal column and is located around the solar plexus area. This chakra is strongly linked with our self worth, confidence and personal power.
When this chakra is in balance we have a steady sense of self. We move through life with purpose, discipline and strong boundaries. When out of balance we feel unsure of ourselves, powerless, easily influenced and weak willed.
Navasana or boat pose, builds strength through our core muscles building on the idea of creating a strong sense of self.
This pose is great for beginners, as you can work with the knees bent or it can be taken with straight legs for the more advanced yogi.
Beginners may try breathing in the pose for 4-8 breaths, more advanced yogis can try 12-16 breaths.
Navasana – Boat pose
Step 1
Sit on your mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Feel a lift from the crown of your head, elongating the spine. Start to draw your pelvic floor up and your belly button back, engaging your abdominals.
Step 2
Holding the back of your thighs with your hands start to lean yourself back until you are balancing on your sitting bones. As you do this you should feel your abdominals switch on to help you balance.
Step
On your next inhale breath, slowly begin to float your feet off the ground, taking it slow as you find you balance. Be conscious of not collapsing into your lower back, bring your heels in line with your knees and release your hands forward next to your legs.
Step 4
If you feel supported here and are looking for more of a challenge you can begin to straighten your legs. Aim to create length in the spine, supporting yourself by drawing the abdominals back.
Step 5
Taking steady inhales and exhales through the nose. Breath here for as long as feels challenging to you. When you’re ready exhale to come out of the pose.
Repeat twice more seeing if you can increase the number of breaths you stay in the posture for.
A little bit more about Naomi and Erin.
We Heart Living – Naomi Constantino
Naomi has been teaching for over 10 years, originally training as a dancer and working on stage, TV and film.
It was through the emotional ups and downs of life and physical injury that Naomi discovered yoga and the transformational quality it can have on mind, body and spirit.
Naomi shares her passion and understanding of working with the physical body as a gateway to healing through her teaching and writing.
We Heart Living – Erin Petson
With a pale face like a Bronte heroine and delicate hands, Erin Petson draws like a botanist on a light box, illuminating a sleeve, a hem or a wisp of hair with a nuanced precision that swiftly blurs into abstraction.
Having worked with Dior, Selfridges, Vogue, Victoria Beckham, Swarovski, Diane Von Furstenberg, Moncler, Lancome, The New York Times, The Guardian, Elle, Harvey Nichols, and Penguin, Petson’s story is a modern day fable of drawing your dreams on the sky and making them all come true, one by one.