Malaika Arora recommends the boat pose to connect with yourself

ooks like Malaika Arora is going to set the tone for self-love! The chhaiya chhaiya girl is indulging in yoga in order to get in touch with herself.

Malaika often shares knowledge about different yoga asanas and their benefits with her followers on social media. So, what pose does she suggest for self-love? Well, it’s the good old boat pose or navasana. 

If you actually want a flat belly, look no further than the boat pose. This yoga hold, when practised regularly, can fire up the core and help you tone up the area.

What’s more, Malaika’s latest post on navasana educates us about the various other benefits this pose has! The Bollywood beauty wrote:

“Namaste everyone! Hope you all had a great Valentine’s weekend with your loved ones.

You may also like

Muscle training exercises for beginners Watch Video

Tone your upper arms with bicep curl exercise: 5 benefits and how to do it Read Article

Let’s begin this week with a move that will help you connect with yourself. Self-love starts when you decide to give your mind and body the care it deserves.

So let’s get moving with this week’s #MalaikasMoveOfTheWeek – Navasana(Boat Pose)

This pose helps you improve confidence while building willpower, determination and self-control. It is very effective in strengthening the abdominal and core muscles. It also works the deep hip flexors and helps improve balance.”

Now, let’s learn the right way to do a boat pose from Malaika. She gave a step-wise guide on how to practice navasana:

1) Start by sitting on the mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

2) Lift your feet. Keep your knees bent for now.

Keep an idea of your risk of weight-related issues.

Check BMI

3) Your upper body will naturally fall back but your back needs to be straight.

4) Straighten your legs to a 45-degree angle. Your upper body should be as upright as possible such that it makes a V shape with the legs.

5) Straighten your arms roughly parallel to the floor.

6) Do your best to balance on the sit bones. Focus on lifting your chest to support the balance.

7) Stay for a minimum of five breaths.

8) Release your legs while exhaling. Then inhale and sit up.

Repeat this pose for at least 10 times and hold it for 10 to 15 seconds.

Follow Malaika’s lead for practising the boat asana! You might want to keep these tips handy in order to hold your navasana better:

The essence of the boat pose lies in the hold. The longer you can hold it, the earlier you will get to experience the results. The thing, however, is that it’s not that easy to maintain that hold.

So, here are some tips that will help you ace this yoga pose:

1. Don’t push yourself while doing it. You can always use some support, especially if you’re a beginner. Eventually, you will nail the pose.

2. Do deep breathing exercises for at least 10 minutes before attempting this pose. It will help you maintain your breath while you are at it.

3. Keep your core strong and engaged.

4. Focus on your breathing while you’re holding this asana. This will help you concentrate and you will be able to hold the pose for longer.

5. Do glute exercises while performing this asana because all your weight will be concentrated in that region.

Thank you for bringing us back to the basics, Malaika!