Home Blogs Full Boat Pose And Its Health Benefits

Full Boat Pose And Its Health Benefits

The Full Boat Pose is a rather difficult pose that can be mastered in time. The asana is so named because, when the practitioner is able to pull it off and hold the pose, it actually resembles a boat. Furthermore, as you learn to rock back and forth on your fulcrum you will resemble a boat on the seas.

Steps For Full Boat Pose

• Start the pose sitting on your Mat, your legs stretched out in front. Push your hands on to your Mat gently behind your hips. Your fingers should point toward your feet; now stiffen your arms. Lean back slightly and as you do this see that your back isn't arching. Continue to stretch the front of your body, sitting comfortably on your sit bones and tailbone.
• With an exhalation, bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor. Now your thighs will be at around 45-50 degrees angle to the floor. Stretch your tailbone into your mat and raise your pelvis toward the navel. If you can, slowly straighten your knees and raise the tips of your toes a little above eye level. If you can't do this let your knees remain bent, but try to keep your shins parallel to the floor.
• Lengthen your arms beside your legs, parallel to each other and to the floor. Spread out your shoulder blades and stretch out strongly through your fingers. If you can't do this, place your hands on the floor alongside your hips or keep hold of the back of your thighs.
• Your lower belly should be firm and relatively flat, but don’t let it harden. Press your sit bones down into the floor to help you anchor the pose. Tip your chin a little toward forward such that the base of your skull tilts lightly away from the back of your neck. Keep breathing normally.
• In the beginning, you may retain the pose for 10-15 seconds. Over a period of time you will be able to increase to a minute and more.
• To come out of the pose, with an exhalation, release your legs and sit straight on with an inhalation.

Benefits of Full Boat Pose

• It stimulates the thyroid, kidneys, intestines and prostate glands
• It helps relieve stress and improve digestion

Contraindications

• The Full Boat Pose is best avoided during bouts of asthma, diarrhea, headache and during menstruation and pregnancy
• Likewise, it is best avoided by those suffering from insomnia, low blood pressure, and heart problems
• If you have a neck injury, take the support of a wall when doing this pose. As you tilt your body backwards, you should lean into and rest your head on the wall.

• RSS Feeds -
• All posts
• All comments