Boat Pose
Navasana
Boat Pose is a seated balance in which you lift your legs and chest to make a V shape, resting on your sitting bones. People practise it to strengthen the core and hip flexors and to improve balance.
- Hold
- 3-5 slow breaths, repeated two or three times
- Breathing
- Breathe in and out smoothly through your nose. If you notice yourself holding your breath, bend your knees and start again with a calm exhale.
In Boat Pose you balance on your sitting bones with your chest lifted and your legs raised, so that your body forms a V, a little like a boat. The arms reach forward, parallel to the floor. It is a classic core pose that often appears in the middle of a practice, after standing poses and before a gentle forward bend or twist to release the abdomen.
The pose suits you if you would like to build stamina in your abdomen and the front of your hips. Focus on keeping your spine long rather than collapsing in the lower back. There is no need to straighten the legs at first: bent knees are a perfectly good way to learn the shape and still feel the work.
In this guide
How to do it, step by step
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent, your feet flat and your hands beside your hips.
- Lengthen your spine and lift your chest, as if a string were drawing the crown of your head upwards.
- Lean back slightly until you feel your core switch on, keeping your back long and not rounded.
- Lift your feet off the floor so that your shins are parallel to the floor, with your knees still bent.
- Reach your arms forward alongside your knees, with your palms facing each other.
- If it feels steady, slowly straighten your legs to make a V shape, keeping your chest open.
- Hold for a few breaths, then lower your feet and sit back down with control.
Benefits
- May help to strengthen the abdominal muscles and the deep core.
- Can build strength in the hip flexors and the muscles along the spine.
- Encourages balance and concentration.
- Can support good posture by teaching you to sit tall with a steady centre.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the lower back: bend your knees, lift your chest and lean back only as far as you can keep the spine long.
- Sinking onto the tailbone: roll slightly forward onto the front of your sitting bones.
- Gripping the neck and shoulders: relax the shoulders away from the ears and keep the gaze forward.
- Forcing straight legs: keep the knees bent until you can hold the pose with a long back.
Make it easier
- Keep the knees bent and the feet on the floor, holding the backs of your thighs with your hands.
- Hold a strap around the soles of your feet to support the legs.
- Place your hands on the floor behind your hips to take some of the load.
Go further
- Straighten the legs fully and bring the arms parallel to the floor for a longer hold.
- Try Low Boat, lowering the legs and chest halfway to the floor without touching it.
Questions people ask
How long should I hold Boat Pose?
Start with three to five slow breaths and rest in between, repeating two or three times. Come out as soon as your back begins to round. Over time you can build towards ten breaths, as long as the spine stays long and the breath stays even.
Why does my back round in Boat Pose?
This usually means the abdominal muscles or hip flexors are still getting stronger. Bend your knees, lift the chest and lean back less. Holding the backs of your thighs can also help you to keep the spine long while you build strength.
Does Boat Pose give you a flat stomach?
It strengthens the muscles of your abdomen, but no single pose changes the shape of the body on its own. Treat it as a way to build steady core strength, as part of a regular practice and a balanced lifestyle.
Be careful
Skip or modify the pose if you have a lower back injury, a neck problem or a hernia, if you are pregnant, or during menstruation if it feels uncomfortable. Take care with high blood pressure and avoid holding your breath. Stop if you feel sharp pain.
This guide is for general education and does not replace advice from a doctor. Practise gently, never into pain, and speak to a qualified professional if you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication.
