Use your hands
to help you
balance and to
lift the spine.2
YOGA TODAY YOGAJOURNAL.COM 63
backbends & abdominalsoutward strain so that your mind remains
quiet. Then exhale, bend your knees, and
place your feet back on the floor.FULL SAIL
Now you’re prepped and ready to practice
Full Boat Pose. If you find that your back
or legs won’t let you hold yourself up with-
out sinking in the spine, you can support
your heels on a wall or tall chair.
Start in Dandasana and again lean back
on your hands. Lift and straighten your
legs as you did in the second variation.
Now come onto your fingertips and lift
your lower back so that your entire spine
feels as though it is moving toward the
front of your body. Lift your arms and
stretch them evenly out in front of you,
parallel to the floor. Keep your palms
extended, facing each other. Stretch your
fingers forward and pull your shoulders
back and down as you lift your sternum.
Keep your knees firm and tight to help
maintain straight legs. Extend the inner
legs toward your inner heels, and spread
the balls of your feet from your big toe
toward your little toe. Without bending
your knees, work toward lifting your legs
higher so that your feet rise above the
level of your head.
Lift your chest while keeping your
chin level and your throat soft. Look
straight ahead, perhaps at your feet, as
you hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds.
Then exhale and release your legs to the
floor. Lie down on your back with your
knees bent to rest. Allow your abdomen
to release toward the back of your body
and your back to press into the floor.
Holding yourself up and lengthening
your arms, legs, abdomen, and chest in
Paripurna Navasana draws your focus
inward. Despite the effort involved, con-
necting to the stability of your core can
be calming and centering to your body,
mind, and emotions. Contact with this
center of your being is like finding silence
in the midst of a storm. Despite the many
actions involved in this pose, the result of
those actions can draw you closer to your
own source of calm stillness. ✤Marla Apt (yoganga.com) is a certified
Iyengar Yoga instructor in Los Angeles.your hands on the floor behind you to
help you feel steady and to support the
lift of your spine.
Begin in Dandasana. Lean back slightly
and place your palms a few inches behind
your hips. Lift your chest, bend your
knees, and raise your legs until your shins
are parallel to the floor. Bring your thighs
toward your torso, and move your back
ribs and shoulder blades forward. Exhale
and straighten your legs without round-
ing your back. Extend from your calves
to your heels until your toes are about as
high as your head. You’ll feel your abdo-
men working, but don’t let the front of
your body shorten. Instead, lift your navel
toward your chest and your ribs off your
abdomen. Roll your shoulders back and
gaze straight ahead.
It doesn’t take long in this pose to real-
ize that your legs have to work very hard
to remain straight and uplifted. So, just
as you do in Dandasana, find support by
pressing your thighs to the back of your
legs and extend your calves toward your
heels. Reach out through your inner heels
and broaden the soles of your feet. Use
your hands to help balance yourself with-
out tilting back. Breathe smoothly and
keep your face and throat relaxed. Let
the effort to become tall and balanced
be supported by your inner body withoutBALANCED TO THE CORE
Now that you are balancing on your but-
tocks, see that you’re not rounding your
back. Move your spine forward, toward
your front body. Pull on your bent knees
once again to lift your chest and increase
the distance between your sternum and
your navel. Without dropping your chest,
stretch your arms out in front alongside
your shins; keep them parallel to the floor,
with the palms facing each other. Notice
how your abdominal muscles engage as
you pull your thighs closer to your torso.
Don’t let your back round, but see if you
can lengthen the front of your torso more.
Even as you stretch your arms forward,
pull your shoulders back and move your
shoulder blades down and in toward your
chest. Although simultaneously engaging
and lengthening your abdomen is chal-
lenging, these actions bring your attention
toward the source of your movements and
help keep you focused. Breathe normally,
relax your throat, and look straight ahead.
You can hold the pose for 30 seconds, and
then work up to one minute. When you’re
ready, exhale and place your feet on the
floor to return to Dandasana.
ANCHORED AND STEADY
In the second variation, you’ll balance in
Navasana with straight legs while keeping