Dancer Pose
Natarajasana
About This Pose
Natarajasana, named after Nataraja—Lord Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer—is a graceful yet challenging standing pose that embodies strength, flexibility, and focused awareness. This intermediate-to-advanced asana requires you to balance on one leg while creating a beautiful backbend, reaching back to hold your lifted foot. The pose symbolizes the dance of creation and destruction, inviting practitioners to find stillness within movement and cultivate both physical poise and mental concentration. Dancer Pose opens the heart and chest, stretches the entire front body, and builds tremendous leg strength and hip flexibility.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), grounding firmly through both feet
- 2
Shift your weight onto your left foot, spreading toes and activating the arch
- 3
Bend your right knee and reach back with your right hand to grasp the inside of your right ankle
- 4
Inhale and lengthen your spine, lifting your chest toward the ceiling
- 5
Extend your left arm forward, parallel to the floor, with fingers reaching
- 6
Begin to press your right foot into your hand while kicking back and up
- 7
Simultaneously hinge forward slightly from the hips, keeping chest lifted
- 8
Square your hips toward the front of your mat
- 9
Fix your gaze (drishti) on a steady point ahead for balance
- 10
Hold for 5-10 breaths, then slowly release and repeat on the other side
Alignment Cues
- Ground firmly through all four corners of the standing foot
- Keep standing leg strong with a micro-bend in the knee
- Square hips to the front—avoid letting the lifted hip rotate open
- Draw the lower belly in and up to support the spine
- Lengthen the tailbone down to prevent lumbar compression
- Lift the chest and sternum as you extend forward
- Keep shoulders relaxed and away from ears
- Reach actively through the extended arm fingertips
- Maintain a neutral neck, gazing at a fixed point
Benefits
- Strengthens the standing leg, ankle, and hip stabilizers
- Deeply stretches hip flexors, quadriceps, and psoas
- Opens the chest, shoulders, and entire front body
- Improves balance, proprioception, and coordination
- Increases spinal flexibility and mobility
- Builds core strength and stability
- Enhances mental focus and concentration
- Promotes better posture and body awareness
- Stimulates the abdominal organs
- Cultivates grace, poise, and self-confidence
Modifications
- Use a yoga strap looped around the ankle if you cannot reach your foot
- Practice near a wall, lightly touching it for balance support
- Keep the torso more upright rather than hinging forward
- Hold the foot from the outside of the ankle for easier grip
- Practice the leg lift without the backbend first to build strength
Variations
- Half Dancer (Ardha Natarajasana) - keep torso upright with less backbend
- Full Dancer with overhead grip - both hands reach back to hold the foot
- Dancer with strap - loop strap around foot and walk hands up
- Supported Dancer - use wall or chair for balance assistance
- King Dancer (full expression) - foot reaches toward or touches the head
Cautions & Contraindications
Cautions
- Avoid compressing the lower back—lengthen the tailbone down
- Keep the standing knee micro-bent to protect the joint
- Do not force the backbend; progress gradually
- Maintain squared hips to prevent pelvic tilting
- Use a wall or strap if balance is challenging
Avoid this pose if you have:
- Knee injuries or chronic knee pain
- Ankle instability or recent ankle injury
- Severe lower back pain or disc issues
- Shoulder injuries (rotator cuff, impingement)
- High blood pressure (uncontrolled)
- Pregnancy (especially later stages)
- Vertigo or inner ear disorders
- Recent hip or groin injuries
Quick Facts
Breath Cue
Inhale to lengthen the spine and lift the chest; exhale to deepen the backbend while maintaining balance.
Primary Focus
hipsSecondary Focus
Suggested Hold
30 seconds
Tags
Equipment
