Boat PoseNAVASANABOAT POSE Our bodies are intelligent and adaptive, often finding ways to compensate when certain muscles are underused. Over time, these patterns can create imbalances, leaving some muscles overdeveloped and others neglected. In yoga, one area often...
Boat Pose
Boat Pose
NAVASANA
BOAT POSE
Our bodies are intelligent and adaptive, often finding ways to compensate when certain muscles are underused. Over time, these patterns can create imbalances, leaving some muscles overdeveloped and others neglected. In yoga, one area often overlooked are the hip flexors. Without targeted activation, we may rely too heavily on surrounding muscle groups, throwing off balance and stability in poses like Boat Pose. Matt reminds us that intentional engagement not only builds strength but also primes the nervous system to recruit these muscles more effectively. By focusing on the hip flexors, we create healthier support around the hip joint and cultivate a more balanced practice overall. In this class, Matt layers simple yet powerful drills designed to awaken this vital muscle group.
CHROMATIC LEVEL 1 TRAINING
CHROMATIC LEVEL 1 REGISTRATION
- 30 hours in person with Matt
- Short Online pre-training to maximize in person time together
- Become a Certified Chromatic Yoga Teacher
- Revolutionize your teaching skills
- Gain the strength of the global collective
- All Yoga Teachers get continued ed hours with Yoga Alliance
- Certified Chromatic Teacher’s attending this event will get continued Ed hours toward their next level within Chromatic Yoga
- Chromatic Yoga does not adhere to dogmatic alignment principals, instead you will learn to make deliberate alignment based on intention.
- Residential training – you will book your stay at the Hotel and Spa, close to multiple international Airports
- Location: Our Farm in Connecticut
HIP FLEXOR & ADDUCTOR ACTIVATION
Matt begins with a drill designed to fire up the hip flexors and adductors. With the left leg lifted, the right hand presses into the opposite knee, while the knee resists toward the opposite shoulder. This constant pressure ensures activation of the targeted muscles. Meanwhile, the right leg bends and straightens or stays fully extended if accessible for added intensity. After five to seven rounds, fatigue may set in, confirming that the hip flexors are truly at work. This activation builds the foundation for Boat Pose by reinforcing the muscles responsible for keeping the legs lifted and the torso steady.
WATCH THE VIDEO
BOAT POSE: HONE IN ON HIP FLEXOR STRENGTH
HALF BOAT & EXTENSIONS
From here, Matt layers Half Boat Pose with leg extensions. We scoop the tailbone under, connecting the sacrum with the floor while avoiding collapse in the mid-back. He describes shaping the torso like a “bowl” holding water, engaging the abdominals and psoas for stability. The goal is to maintain a rounded spine and lifted torso while extending the legs low, then returning to shins parallel with the floor. Once this foundation is set, Matt adds alternating leg lifts: extending one leg upward toward the face while keeping the other bent, then switching sides. Feet remain flexed, the breath steady, and the spine rounded. These progressions refine the coordination between hip flexors and core, showing us that strength and precision, not momentum are what ultimately carry Boat Pose.
200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING
GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE
- Deepen your yoga practice
- Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
- Learn foundational class structures and templates
- Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
- Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
- Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program
COMPACT BOAT VARIATION
Finally, Matt introduces a compact Boat Pose, challenging us to rely fully on hip flexor strength. With knees drawn tightly into the chest, we lean back and release the feet, noticing that the legs “stick” to the torso through muscular engagement rather than hand support. Minimal use of the hands for balance prevents overreliance on the arms. From here, shins can extend slightly upward to shoulder height or ankles closer to face height. This compact variation, practiced repeatedly, builds endurance and deepens our awareness of how the hip flexors sustain the posture.
300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING
GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER
Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!
- Get 500 hour certified
- Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
- Expand your teaching skills
- Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
- Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
- Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang
INTENTIONAL LAYERS
The evolution of Boat Pose isn’t about pushing to extremes, it’s about layering actions with awareness and intention. As always in the Chromatic approach to yoga, each drill Matt offers builds upon the last, creating a system where we can progressively awaken and refine the hip flexors. Over time, this focus leads to greater balance and resilience across the body, lessening reliance on compensation from overused muscles. When we approach Boat Pose with patience and precision, we’re not just strengthening a posture while we’re re-patterning how our bodies move. By honing in on the hip flexors and layering technique step by step, we cultivate strength, integration, and a practice that supports us far beyond the mat.
Learn how to layer drills and techniques with precision in Matt’s upcoming in person Chromatic Global Level 1 – 30 Hour Training .
The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date
The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date
Article by Trish Curling
Video Extracted From: Hip Mobility Immersion
ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE
- Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
- Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
- Appropriate for both teachers and students
- Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
- Demystify yoga poses and transitions
- Release aches and pains
- Learn how to avoid common injuries
- Caters to all levels with modifications and props
- 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
- 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
- Lifetime access
Continue Learning
Boat Pose
read more
Scorpion Pose Evolution
Scorpion Pose EvolutionVRISCHIKASANASCORPION POSE EVOLUTION Scorpion Pose, whether practiced in Pincha Mayurasana or in a handstand, blends a backbend with inversion control. It calls for deep opening through the front body, from rib cage to hip flexors and...
Side Crow Strategy
Side Crow StrategyPARSVA BAKASANASIDE CROW STRATEGY When we step onto the yoga mat with a strategy, we open ourselves up to a practice that’s both intelligent and transformational. Side Crow is one of those postures that calls for a clear plan, one that breaks down...
Build Towards A Bind
Build Towards A BindMOBILITYBUILD TOWARDS A BIND I remember watching a clip on Matt’s Instagram years ago, breaking down how to achieve the bind in Side Angle. At the time, I was chasing the bind the only way I knew how—by trying to get “more open.” I thought the key...
Strong Hands For Handstand
Strong Hands For HandstandSTABILITYSTRONG HANDS FOR HANDSTAND When it comes to building strength for handstand, it starts at the base: our hands. Developing strong hands means targeting the wrist flexors, the very muscles that help create a trustworthy foundation....
Handstand Actions
Handstand ActionsLEAN, GRIP, PUSHHANDSTAND ACTIONS Handstand isn’t something we conquer in a single class, it’s a layered process that demands repetition and refinement. There are certain key handstand actions that are non-negotiable: lifting the shoulders up to the...
THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK
When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to
- the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
- exclusive online course discounts
- exclusive blogs and videos
