Standing / Balance
Dancer Pose
Naṭarājāsanaनटराजासन· nut-ah-rah-JAH-suh-nuhlord of the dance posture (naṭarāja = the dancing Shiva)
Dancer Pose (Natarajasana) is a standing balance and backbend in which you balance on one leg while holding the opposite foot behind you and reaching forward. It builds balance, focus and leg strength while opening the chest, shoulders and hip flexors.
Step by step
- 1
Ground and focus
Stand tall and shift the weight onto the left foot, spreading the toes and fixing the gaze on a still point ahead to steady the balance.
- 2
Catch the foot
Bend the right knee and take hold of the inner right foot or ankle behind you with the right hand. Keep the standing leg strong and the hips level.
- 3
Kick and reach
Press the lifted foot back into the hand to raise it up and behind you, letting the chest lift and reaching the left arm forward. Move gradually — the kick creates the shape, not pulling the foot.
- 4
Release and switch
Come out slowly with control, return to standing, and repeat on the other side.
Benefits
- Builds balance, focus and concentration
- Strengthens the legs, ankles and back
- Opens the chest, shoulders and hip flexors
- Improves posture and poise
Common mistakes
- Pulling on the foot instead of kicking back into the hand
- Letting the standing knee collapse or the hip open out
- Losing the gaze and rushing the shape
- Compressing the lower back rather than lengthening
Modifications & variations
- Hold a strap around the lifted foot instead of catching it directly
- Keep the reach modest and stay upright rather than deep
- Use a wall or chair for support
Related poses
Video transcriptIn this session, Yoga & You Teaching Faculty guides practitioners through Natarajasana on both legs, followed by a counter forward bend and balance tips.
Hello and welcome to Yoga & You, welcome to One Physics One Yoga Studio. Today we will continue on the series of balancing postures. Today we will see one of the balancing postures which is called as a Natarajasana.
This is also a single leg balancing posture. Here again, what you need to do, you have to shift the weight towards one leg, move your weight forward, hold the other leg, hold your feet, make sure your chest is there itself, push your feet up and stretch the arm and front. Keep your focus on a point in front, you'll have a tendency to lean forward, do not do that, keep your chin up, maintain it there, stick on to your breathing.
Slowly bring the leg down. Same way you shift the weight to the other leg, keep your focus on a point in front, hold the leg, make sure your knee is behind you, push the feet up nicely, keep your chest there itself and stretch your arm and front. Stay with your breathing, keep pushing your feet up. Do not bend your elbow, back leg, back elbow should never bend, keep pushing it up. Slowly bring it back down.
Ideally after doing a Natarajasana posture it is always good to do a forward bend because this is a bit of a backward bend is happening there. So to relieve your tension around your backward bend you can just do a Padahastasana position where you extend your arm and exhale and go down three. Stay there for at least five breaths and come back to standing position, relax.
Ideally when you start practicing Vrukshasana, Natarajasana or any balancing posture, keep the point of focus a bit near to you. Don't keep it too far off because you will not be able to concentrate clearly and that concentrating point helps you to balance better. This is one important point. Second thing is always take time to go into the posture. Do not rush into the posture immediately. You have to take your time to shift your weight to the other leg. Take the time, feel the whole weight onto the other leg and then go to the posture.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I balance in Dancer Pose?
- Fix your gaze on a still point, root down through the standing foot and spread the toes, and keep the standing leg strong. Move slowly — steadiness comes from a calm breath and a strong base, not from forcing the shape.
- Should I pull my foot up in Dancer Pose?
- No — press the foot back into your hand rather than pulling the foot toward you. The active 'kick' lifts the leg and opens the chest safely, while pulling can strain the knee and lower back.
References
- Patanjali's Yoga Sutras 2.46, 'sthira sukham asanam' — steady, comfortable posture · Classical text — The principle of steadiness in balancing postures.