Navasana

Western Physiology

Navasana has a therapeutic effect on mental and physical health.

• Navasana improves mental health:
  • This pose helps alleviate stress (Cowen & Adams, 2005; Guner & Inanici, 2015).

• Navasana benefits the metabolism:
  • Paripurna Navasana stimulates the intestines (Guner & Inanici, 2015; Tekur et al., 2012).
  • This pose helps in improving digestion (Laxman, 2022).
  • This pose, in tandem with breathing practices and other asanas, helps to lose weight and reduce waist circumference (McDermott et al., 2014).

• Navasana stretches and strengthens the muscles:
  • This pose helps bring vigour and life to the back, especially the lower part of it. Allowing you to age comfortably and gracefully.
  • The pose helps improve the strength of the back muscles. Initially, the back cannot bear the straightening of this pose, which improves gradually with practice as the back strengthens (Guner & Inanici, 2015). This is especially beneficial for females and helps in childbearing.
  • It helps in strengthening the abdomen (Akademia & Fizycznego, 2016), hip flexor, and the legs and thigh muscles (Akademia & Fizycznego, 2016; Guner & Inanici, 2015).
  • Only 12 weeks of regular practice of this pose in combination with others improves cardiovascular endurance and muscle flexibility (Lau et al., 2015).
  • Ardha Navasana, in tandem with other poses, helps with lower back pain (Tekur et al., 2012).

• Other therapeutic effects of Navasana include but are not limited to:
  • Ardha Navasana stimulates the kidneys, thyroid and prostate glands (Guner & Inanici, 2015; Laxman, 2022; Tekur et al., 2012).
  • This pose improves pelvic blood flow (Mangala Gowri et al., 2022).
  • This pose benefits patients with diabetes mellitus and those with liver, gallbladder, or spleen disorders (Mangala Gowri et al., 2022).

Yogic Physiology

This posture builds the energy of the third chakra, manipura chakra, translated as “the city of jewels”. It is therefore considered to be helpful in affecting digestive organs, confidence, strength and resilience. It strengthens and massages Nabhi marma – a large marma point that governs digestion at the navel point. It also affects the central nadi – sushumna.

Chinese Medicine

The concentration of energy is in the middle Jiao, san jiao, between diaphragm and navel, containing the spleen and stomach organs, which govern the function of digestion and absorption of food. It also affects the central meridian line, Ren.

Contradictions and Cautions

• Individuals suffering from diarrhoea, asthma, heart problems, low blood pressure, insomnia, and headaches should avoid this pose.
• You should also avoid this pose during menstruation and pregnancy.
• In case you suffer from a neck injury, perform this pose by sitting with your back near a wall.
• While tilting your upper torso backwards, the back of your head should rest on the wall.

Preparatory Asanas

• Adho Mukha Svanasana
• Uttanasana

Follow up Asanas

• Adho Mukha Svanasana
• Baddha Konasana
• Halasana
• Salamba Sirsasana
• Utkatasana

Tips for Beginners

You can practice preparing for this pose periodically throughout your day without leaving your chair. Sit on the front edge of a seat with your knees at a right angle. Grab onto the sides of the seat with your hands and lean slightly forward. Firm your arms and lift your buttocks slightly off the seat, then raise your heels slightly off the floor (but not the balls of your feet). Let the heads of your thigh bones sink into the pull of gravity and push the top of your sternum forward and up.

Variations
Ardha Navasana (ARE-dah; ardha = half)

From Full Boat Pose, clasp your hands on the back of your head and, with an exhalation, lower the legs slightly. At the same time, round your back so that you are now resting on your sacrum (although your lower back is still off the floor). Stretch your elbows to the sides and bring the tips of your big toes in line with your eyes.

Modifications and Props

Often, it isn’t easy to straighten the raised legs. Bend your knees and loop a strap around the soles of your feet, gripping it firmly in your hands. Inhale, lean the torso back, exhale, and lift and straighten your legs, adjusting the strap to keep it taut. Push the feet firmly against the yoga strap. You may also choose to loop the belt around your upper back and feet for better alignment and support.

Deepen the Asana

Full Boat is often presented as an abdominal strengthener, which it is to a certain extent. But more importantly, this pose strengthens the deep hip flexors that attach the inner thigh bones to the front of the spine. Learn to anchor the heads of the thigh bones deep in the pelvis and lift from that anchor through the front spine. Remember that the lower front belly should never get hard.