dancer pose / natarajasana

a one legged, standing, back bending, heart opening asana, promoting clarity and concentration. nata:dancer raja:king asana:pose.

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how to:

  • stand up straight with feet together, arms by side

  • bend right leg, heel to glute

  • rotate right palm towards foot, reach for outer edge of right foot

  • extend left arm straight out in front of chest, typically with palm down

  • ignite glute, kick foot into hand, send right foot up and back

  • shift torso and left shoulder further forward to increase range of motion

  • repeat on the other side, and practice often to access advanced variations

Illustration from, “Yoga Anatomy, Second Edition” by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews

Illustration from, “Yoga Anatomy, Second Edition” by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews

physical benefits: strengthens arch of the foot, quads, and glutes, stretches the shoulders, chest, and groin.

origin: King Nataraja, or Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate, responsible for destruction. Sounds gnarly, right? Death, or destruction rather, is a necessary step in the path to rebirth. Not happy with yourself? Find the barrier preventing happiness, and destroy it…bad attitudes, jobs that don’t serve your strengths and interests, clutter, ignorance, ego, etc…you have the power to change, albeit scary at times.

But what does dancer pose have to do with destruction? Great question! Shiva is often pictured dancing with one leg lifted (weird, so same), on top of a dwarf representing ignorance (not so same), with a collar of venomous cobras (where do I get one?). The energy from Shiva’s super cool moves sustains the cosmos, and when the dance is done, the universe will end and a new one will begin. Life is transitory. Far out.

Major elements of this pose include balancing and back bending. Balancing can evoke fear of falling, and back bending can evoke fear of the unknown. This pose requires concentration, to stabilize your supporting foot, once you find your balance you have conquered fear / ignorance. Back bends are heart openers, and in this pose especially, your heart is open and moving forward; the destruction and conquering of the fear allows you to move forward in your path with eager openness to the unknown. This concentration, or meditation, analyzes what you need to do, and how to position yourself for rebirth. To me, the pose represents celebrating proactive goal setting, and change.

Shiva has some pretty cool love stories too, so if you’re in need of some romance, check it out.




Lydia Binford