Pose of the Month: Natarajasana – Lord of the Dance, or Dancer, Pose

Feb 13

By Sara CrosbyHello friends! I am so excited to offer Natarajasana as this month’s Pose of the Month!But in addition to making for a pretty picture, this deep heart-opening balance is wonderfully beneficial to the bodyIt opens the chest and shoulders, stretches the thighs, groin and abdomen, strengthens the legs and ankles and improves balance and focus. And it feels great, the way a true heart opener should!And while the full, open heart version of the asana may be a challenge, there are many kramas, or stages, you can embody along the way.To begin, ground down through your standing foot, and draw the other knee to the chest to open the hip flexor. Then point that knee down towards the ground and hold the foot in the palm of the same hand. Press up through the thigh and away through the foot.Then lift up through the opposite side body, to achieve the desired heart opening of the shape.Feel free to use straps (or scarves) around that lifted foot to play with different arm variations and deepen the backbend and shoulder opening.To work towards the “flipped grip” of the full pose, bend the supporting knee and instead of reaching down for the foot, let your hand - palm face up like you were holding a tray - reach back and then try and place the foot in the hand. Make sure your fingers reach towards your big toe and your thumb towards your pinky toe and the ball of your foot. Work on straightening the supporting leg and trying to lift that elbow away from the body and parallel to the ground.Once you’ve found the shoulder flexibility required here, continue to lift that elbow up towards the sky. The opposite hand can reach for that elbow and help draw it in towards the head. It will eventually reach to hold that lifted foot as well. Key factors here are flexibility in the shoulder girdle, balance (though feel free to work with the wall or a partner as you become familiar with the shape) and the individual mechanics of hand and foot placement. And the latter just takes practice and patience.TIP...If you can get into an aerial yoga class, this shape is much more easily found in the suspended, inverted version. Here you have gravity on your side and you can work out the “flipped grip” with a lot less struggle. Plus hanging upside down is always fun!I love the combination of backbend, balance and strength found in Natarajasana. The lift required through the supporting side and the necessary engagement of the core muscles make it almost impossible to dump any weight into the low spine, which can be a struggle with other deep backbends. And I love how all the different kramas are not just steps towards a finished pose, but beautiful expressions of balance and grace that stand on their own.So channel your inner Shiva and open your heart in your own unique dance with the cosmos.