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The King Dancer Pose (Natarajasana) is one of yoga's more advanced poses. It's a deep backbend that requires strong balance, intense back bending and open shoulders, along with patience and persistence.
The pose is named after the Nataraja avatar of Lord Shiva, who's considered the God of destruction in Hinduism. The Nataraja form of Lord Shiva represents the ever-present change in the universe.
Before attempting the Natarajasana, stretch your shoulders, chest, hips, and inner thighs in the same manner in which they will be challenged in this pose.
Balancing poses like Vrksasana (Tree Pose) and stretches like Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose) also help get you prepared for Natarajasana.
King Dancer Pose (Natarajasana) in Yoga: Technique and Correct Form
Here's how you should perform the Natarajasana:
- Start off with the Mountain Pose (Tadasana), with your weight equally distributed in both feet.
- Shift your weight onto your right foot. Bend your left knee such that you are lifting your left foot off the floor. Your left knee should stay aligned with your midline throughout this pose.
- Catch hold of the instep of your left foot with your left hand. Your thumb should be resting on the sole of your foot and pointing in the direction of your toes.
- Your right arm should be lifted straight up towards the ceiling.
- Continue lifting your left leg behind you slowly as you bring your torso forward as a counterbalance. Your left knee should remain aligned with your body and not splay out to the side. Stabilise yourself by moving your right arm forward.
- At this point, you need to kick your left foot strongly into your left hand to lift the leg higher and deepen the backbend. Your left toes should be active.
- Your gaze (Drishti) needs to be fixed on something that doesn't move so that you don’t lose your balance.
- Hold the pose for five to ten breaths.
- Slowly lower your left leg to come back in line with your right. Repeat the pose with the opposite leg.
Tips for Beginners
When lifting the leg, beginners tend to cramp the back of their thighs. To avoid that, the ankle of your raised foot must be kept flexed by drawing the top of your foot towards the shin.
If you're a beginner, you may position yourself near a wall or chair for support so that you can reach out with your hand for balance if you need to.
Some preparatory yoga poses that you can attempt before trying the Natarajasana are:
- Anjenayasana (Low Lunge)
- Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
- Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
- Virasana (Hero Pose)
- Virbhadrasana (Warrior III Pose)
- Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose)
Some counter poses are:
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
- Balasana (Child's Pose).
Benefits of King Dancer Pose or Natarajasana
- The King Dancer Pose helps strengthen the legs, stretch the shoulders and improve balance and core strength.
- For people who sit too long at their job, this pose is extremely beneficial, as it opens the hip flexors (psoas muscles) and helps counter tight hips.
- The pose can also help you cultivate patience, persistence and focus. If you are an athlete or sportsperson, this pose offers the benefits of cultivating your concentration along with your balance and core strength.
- Natarajasana is beneficial in improving postural awareness, body awareness and proprioception (sense of your body's position and movement in space). It can also boost your energy and fight fatigue.
- Muscles from the entire body are utilised and strengthened in this pose. Your core and back muscles, chest and shoulder muscles, hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, shins and ankles are all used in the pose.
Common Mistakes
#1 Not warming up
Although this is an intermediate-level yoga pose, there is a risk of injury if you don’t warm up properly before performing it. Take your time to warm up with Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) and Tree Pose so that you are ready to perform the Natarajasana.
#2 Hyperextending your standing knee
To avoid that, you can bend your standing knee ever so slightly to engage the quadricep muscle and protect your knee.
#3 Thumb pointing inwards
This is an common mistake, as it feels natural to hold your foot this way. You need to rotate your thumb out, holding the inside of your foot, though.
This small detail will give you a deep shoulder opening and a better chest opening.
#4 Hips not square
In the Natarajasana, your hips need to be squared and facing forward. That keeps the knee in line and helps you maintain your form.
Lastly, while performing any yoga pose, you should be mindful and focused on every move, trying to understand how the various parts of your body are reacting to the motions.
Focus on your breath, and try to relax your mind. Mindfulness will take your yoga to another level altogether.
