pose of the month: Natarajasana/dancer pose

Dancer's Pose is a favorite of many a yoga practitioner in a class or at home. The pose is named after Nataraja, who represents the dancing side of Lord Shiva. Dancing is a form of movement and creation, so we can think of this pose as a way to spring forth and create something special out of ourselves. Now, looking at the pose itself there are several things going on. First of all, it is a balancing posture. Second of all, it is also a backbend. Many people miss this point. And the third important aspect is hand placement- how to hold the back leg in the air. Let's take a look at these three important points.

The Mythology of Natarajasana

Natarajasana, or King Dancer Pose, is the embodiment of King Nataraja, a depiction of Shiva, the god of destruction. Shiva represents change. With birth must come death; with destruction must come rebuilding. Nataraja represents Shiva as the ever-present change in the universe.

The dance of Nataraja is known as the Ananda Tandava, which means the 'dance of bliss'. In this dance form, Lord Shiva is shown in a circular frame which depicts the cosmic fire that is responsible for both creation and transformation of everything.

There is a cobra around the neck of Nataraja, and it’s venom is a representation of the veil of illusion that prevents us from recognizing our true divine nature. Nataraja has four arms, with each arm representing different things (i) in one, he holds fire, the destructive energy with which Nataraja dances at the end of each cosmic age, cleansing sins and removing illusion; (ii) the other hand is covered with a snake in Abhaya Mudra which is a gesture of fearlessness; (iii) the third hand holds an hourglass drum and is enfolded in a damaru hasta mudra which represents the rhythm of music and universe; and (iv) the fourth-hand points towards his lifted dancing feet.

He stands on one leg atop a symbolism representing ignorance. Shiva stands above them, maintaining mastery over ignorance. By standing over the demon of ignorance, Shiva is able to have a higher gaze, or a higher level of consciousness, which allows him to rise above daily drama. Standing firm in Natarajasana helps us to see life more clearly.

Shiva’s dance is born out of a liberation from the fear of change. Dancer Pose is quite challenging. It requires a release from fear. The deep backbend and strong balance of the pose draw upon our ability to release fear and stand firm in our ability to take life as it comes. Some days we remain steady in the pose; other days, we wobble or fall. Such is life. Noticing the ebb and flow instead of fearing its consequences can truly set us free. This is the real goal behind Natarajasana.

The Balance

First things first, align your feet properly. Make sure your toes are pointing towards the top of your mat and are parallel to one another. Ground down into your standing foot and press into the standing foot’s big toe. Often, when the big toe goes, everything else goes, too! Why is this so important? Because pressing the big toe down activates the inner thigh. When the inner thigh is activated, the muscles of the central body help you balance more efficiently. Make sure to not lock out the standing knee and engage your quad. Always start with the foundation. Take the heel of the opposite foot toward your seat, reaching the arm on the same side up and back to take hold of the lifted foot.

 The Backbend

Dancers may move around a lot, but in this pose, we are actually more in a position to be poised like a bow and arrow. Inhale and lift the arm on the same side as your standing leg towards the sky along with lengthening the spine from the tailbone through the crown of the head. Exhale and extend your back foot and leg back gently pressing lifted foot into your hand, while simultaneously pulling the chest forward and bending back. In order to keep this as a backbend and not falling forward, try to fix your gaze at eye level or even slightly lifted toward the brows. Don’t look down because the body may just follow.

The Grip

As many variations of this pose there are, there are just as many ways to hold the back foot. However, there is one thing you MUST know about the grip: The shoulder must be externally rotated when you grab the inside of the ankle. Most beginners learn by holding onto the outside of the foot or ankle. In this variation, it is easier to balance, but the shoulder is internally rotated which limits the chest opening and ability to lift the leg higher. So, when you switch to holding the INSIDE of the ankle so go deeper into the pose, the shoulder joint must be externally rotated. You can also use a strap around the foot as an alternative if the hand cannot reach the foot or outside the ankle.