Step by step
- Sit with your knees bent, feet on the floor. Place your hands behind your knees, lift the chest, engaging the back muscles as you inhale
- Engage your inner thighs and draw your lower belly in and up
- Tip back on the back of your sitting bones and lift your feet up to about knee height, toes spread out
- Bring your arms parallel to the floor
- To go further, straighten your legs
- Stay for 2-5 breaths, work up to 10 breaths
- To come out of the pose, on an exhalation bring your feet down, and sit with a straight spine, holding on to your legs for a couple of breaths
Beginners’ tips
- To draw your lower belly in and up, imagine zipping up a tight pair of jeans then closing the button
- You can keep your hands behind the knees instead of bringing your arms parallel.
- Try placing a block between your thighs to engage the inner thighs.
- For the full Boat Pose you can start with a strap around the soles of your feet to help straighten your legs. You can also hold the pose for longer with this support.
Benefits
- Strengthens core, hip flexors and spine
- Improves digestion
Watch out for
- Focus equally on keeping your lower belly and your back muscles engaged
- Pay attention to keeping the chest open so you don’t round in your shoulders and upper back
- Keep breathing through the challenge
Variations
- Test your balance – Once you come into the pose start to rock your boat, waving your arms and legs from side to side. Smile!
- Try some variations with a block, holding it with a block between your thighs, or holding a block between your hands and then raising your arms for an extra challenge.
