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Incorporating yoga into your workout routine can be an excellent way to provide periods of active rest to your body in between more intense workouts. It will not only help you get a breather and relax your mind but also aid in toning your muscles. Many yoga asanas are intense enough to work on your muscles and strengthen them. The Naukasana, or boat pose, is one such asana.
The Naukasana is a terrific asana if you're looking for an effective yoga pose to strengthen your core and improve your posture. This asana is named after the shape your body takes during the pose, which is that of a boat. In this blog, we'll explore the meaning of Naukasana, how to perform the pose correctly, and the many benefits it can offer.
Meaning of Naukasana
Naukasana is derived from two Sanskrit words: "Nauka," meaning "boat," and "asana," meaning "pose." This posture is a seated posture that represents the shape of a boat. It is an intermediate-level posture and requires a strong core to maintain balance.
Steps to Do Naukasana - Boat Pose
To do Naukasana, follow these simple steps:
- Step 1: Begin by lying flat on your back with your arms at your sides and your legs together.
- Step 2: As you inhale, lift your head, shoulders, and legs off the ground, keeping your arms extended and parallel to the floor.
- Step 3: Keep your toes pointed and your arms straight as you balance on your sitting bones.
- Step 4: Hold the pose for as long as you can while maintaining your balance and breathing steadily.
- Step 5: To release the pose, exhale and slowly lower your head, shoulders, and legs back down to the ground.
Repeat the pose 3-5 times, gradually increasing the amount of time you hold the pose as you build strength.
Benefits of Naukasana
There are plenty of Naukasana benefits that can improve your overall health. Let’s have a look.
Since the Naukasana pose involves balancing your body on your sitting bones, most of the load is focused on your back and core muscles. The pose requires you to engage your abdominal muscles, hip flexors, and lower back muscles. This immensely helps to tone and strengthen your core and reduce belly fat.
Naukasana can help stimulate your digestive system and relieve constipation, gas, and bloating. Blood flow to the abdomen increases, improving your digestive health and the health of your abdominal organs.
The Naukasana opens up your chest. This can help the lungs intake more air and improve your lung capacity, promoting better breathing and oxygen flow throughout your body.
The Naukasana strengthens the core and back muscles. This can aid in improving posture, straightening your spine and preventing back pain.
The Naukasana, like many other yoga poses is not just a physical pose. As you breathe, you’re required to declutter your mind and focus on your breathing. This can help calm your mind and reduce stress and anxiety.
Precautions to Keep in Mind
While Naukasana can be a great pose to add to your yoga practice, there are a few precautions to keep in mind:
- Avoid this pose if you have a neck or back injury.
- People with heart ailments, headaches, migraine or low blood pressure must not attempt the Naukasana pose.
- Pregnant women should refrain from doing boat pose yoga.
- If you feel any pain or discomfort while performing the pose, slowly release the posture and rest.
Thus, the boat pose is an effective yoga pose that can help strengthen your core, improve your posture, and promote overall health and wellness.
If you want to incorporate the Naukasana into your yoga routine, then you can easily do so with FITPASS, a comprehensive fitness app that helps you find the best yoga classes near you. Also, with our AI-led fitness assistant FITCOACH, you can get other workout routines that include weight loss, muscle toning, and much more.
