This yoga pose is named after the shape it takes, the shape of the boat. Its name comes from the Sanskrit words “paripurna” which means “complete”, “whole” and the word “nava” which means "boat," and “asana”, which means "posture" or "seat.” While doing this pose the shape of the body balancing on the buttocks is thought to resemble a boat floating on the water.
India, the homeland of yoga, is a land of rivers and where are the rivers, inevitably there will be a boats crossing rivers, transporting food and assisting people on their journeys. Also along the rivers there are many holy places associated with different deities and saints. Very often there are places of pilgrimage along the river banks where people are celebrating all the riches of life: from baptising new borns to waving good bye to loved ones while they are departing from this world into a new realms of existence. Poets and philosophers are very often envisioning life in samsara (the world of senses and illusion) as the journey of a small boat across turbulent water, with God or spiritual practice as the skilful navigator who ferries us safely across. While this pose is great for working up your core muscles, try to keep in mind that in yoga, the “core” refers to more than just abs and six packs. As B.K.S. Iyengar says that “ yoga practice leads us on an inward journey from the periphery of our body to the core of our being.”
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