August is the month that completes my year-long movement challenges!
Since September 2025, I have highlighted 12 yoga poses with variations, adding on a functional movement component to increase awareness around how we move our bodies daily to get things done. The combination of creating movements that flow together bring adaption and choice into day to day activities. As a weekly yoga teacher, these poses and movements have provided a base for me to build from. I enjoy changing up a yoga flow often but having a foundation to grow from has been insightful. Each week can bring new perspectives which adds so much to the yoga experience. As I grow with my practice, I find movements that engage my brain as well as my body have the most sustaining power.
For August, I'm focusing on Boat pose Navasana and the functional movement of core strength. This yoga pose is a core strengthening pose, so I've added in different ways to functionally build core strength using a chair and a yoga block. Core engagement is te foundation of functional movement as we move from center outwards, allowing enhanced range of motion in multiple planes of the body. In functional movement, the core acts as a 3D cylinder balancing intra abdominal pressure and muscular engagement. Key areas of awareness are the diaphragm (dome shaped muscle that sits under the base of the chest below the lungs and heart), the pelvic floor, the transverse abdominis (TVA), and the back of the body including the paraspinal muscles.
Navasana is the Sanskrit word for Boat pose, it represents the spiritual journey of moving towards wisdom and enlightenment. Your body is the vessel (boat), your mind is the sail, and the breath is the current. This pose activates the solar plexus or celiac plexus, which is a dense network of nerves located in the upper abdomen, behind the stomach, and wrapped around the aorta. This nerve network is the central processing area of the internal organs that regulate digestion, heart rate, and the body's "fight-or-flight" stress response. Energetically, it is known as the Manipura chakra, visually symbolized as a downward pointing triangle enclosed by a 10 petaled yellow lotus, that represents self-esteem, confidence, willpower, determination, and inner strength. Boat pose mentally and physically challenges stability, balance, posture, and the navigation of life's sometimes turbulent waters.
The videos below show accessible variations for building core strength with a chair, yoga blocks, and a band. These variations can progress into Supported Boat Pose.
My previous 'Movement Challenges' start here. This collection of yoga poses and functional movements provide inspiration for a short, daily, mobility routine.
Wednesday Chair Yoga (10a-10:45a) at the Melrose YMCA.
I'll be subbing Mindful Yoga Flow on Thursday 8/13 and 8/27 (5:30p-6:25p) at the Melrose YMCA.
Thursday Mat Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) + Chair Yoga (10:00a-10:45a) at the Milano Senior Center.
FREE yoga videos on YouTube
FREE guided meditations on Insight Timer
For the month of July, my family traveled to beautiful Jackson Hole, Wyoming where we had a 360 - degree view of the Teton Range, Jackson Hole Valley, and the surrounding mountain ranges including Gros Ventre. I'm sharing photos from our trip, which began with a gorgeous rainbow welcoming us after a light rain, the Grand Teton National Park, misty mountain tops, and the waxing crescent moon.
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