An Easy Guide to Natarajasana, or Dancer Pose Yoga
Natarajasana, or Dancer Pose Yoga, builds the muscles in the legs, helping to improve stability and balance in other standing asanas, or poses. Although this pose is difficult to master, it is worth dedicating time and effort towards perfecting this pose, as it is a great stretch for the chest, groin and thighs.
Natarajasana will bring out your inner ballet dancer - it's a graceful pose that develops proper posture, long legs and a broad chest.
Watch a clip for this yoga pose
How to do Natarajasana, or Dancer Pose Yoga, in easy steps
Step 1:
Stand in Mountain Pose (Tadasana), feet either together or slightly apart.
Step 2:
As you inhale, shift your weight onto the left side. Firmly press into the mat through your left foot, lift the thigh muscles and knee cap up. Keep your standing leg straight.
Step 3:
Bend your right knee, reach behind you with your right hand and take hold off the outside edge of your right foot or ankle. (Take the inner edge if your balance is very good).
Step 4:
Slowly lift your right heel up and back, heading away from your right buttock.
Step 5:
Stretch the right arm in front of you, raising it to around 2 o'clock. Take care not to follow with the torso and lose your balance.
Step 6:
Keep rooting through the feet, lifting through the kneecaps, strengthening the standing leg and gazing with gentle focus beyond your extended hand
Step 7:
Stay in the pose for 5 to 10 breaths, breathing steadily
Step 8:
To release, let go of the foot and release the leg and arms down on an exhalation. Come to the other side.
Yoga pose category: Standing
Level: 3
Don’t worry if you’re struggling to stay stable and balanced – there’s a reason this pose is level 3. Try placing your extended hand against a wall for added support, so that you can work on perfecting the positioning of the foot and hand.
Sanskrit words meaning:
Nata - dancer
Raja - king
Asana - pose
Yoga pose health benefits:
Like all yoga poses, Natarajasana has many health benefits. Use it to help with the following health conditions:
Detox
Balance issues
Flat feet
Anxiety
Yoga pose contraindications:
Don’t practice Natarajasana if you have any of the following health conditions:
Low blood pressure
Knee injury
Back injury
Shoulder injury
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Lucy Edge
is a yoga advocate and writer with three yoga books to her name, including the beloved travel memoir Yoga School Dropout. She writes regularly for the national press, has authored over 150 guides to types of yoga and yoga poses, discovered nearly 250 proven health benefits of yoga through her painstaking classification of 300 clinical studies, and collected more than 500 personal testimonials to the real life benefits of yoga. She is also the creator of our yoga shop – YogaClicks.Store – handpicking yoga brands that are beautifully made by yogis committed to environmental and social sustainability.
