Lord of the Dance Pose (Natarajasana): Discover Steadiness As You Channel Your Inside Cosmic (King) Dancer

When contemplating all of the wonderful causes to take up a yoga follow, bodily objectives like flexibility and steadiness are excessive on the record for most individuals. There are a lot of psychological advantages to practising yoga as properly, similar to elevated focus and higher focus.

King Dancer Pose is an intermediate to superior standing yoga posture that mixes a deep backbend with balancing on one leg. Whereas this asana undoubtedly appears to be like spectacular, the problem for a lot of yogis isn’t essentially in creating the bodily form of the pose, however the course of in getting there.

Why Balancing Poses Are Necessary

Although it may appear contradictory, steadiness isn’t actually stillness. Cultivating steadiness is definitely a course of of creating intuitive, typically imperceptible changes with the intention to preserve bodily and psychological concord as you progress about your day. That is true each in a literal, physiological means, but additionally in a bigger-picture metaphorical means as properly.

You might say that steadiness is a kind of dance in and of itself. Practising Lord of the Dance Pose highlights this balancing act: cultivating stability, power, and openness whereas the cosmic power of life is in fixed movement throughout and inside us. When you’ll be able to entry these qualities in your yoga mat, it helps construct confidence in life off your yoga mat as properly.

Dancer Pose in Yoga Mythology: A Dedication to Shiva’s Dance

Lord of the Dance Pose is a yoga asana of many names. You might hear it casually known as Dancer Pose, King Dancer, or Cosmic Dancer. In Sanskrit, Natarajasana derives its identify from the phrase “nata” (dancer), “raja” (king), and “asana” (posture).

This sleek and difficult pose pays tribute to a particular illustration of the Hindu god Shiva, one of many predominant deities in Hindu mythology.

The Symbolic Which means Behind Dancing Shiva – Nataraja’s Dance

Shiva takes on many alternative types all through Hindu mythology. The picture of the dancing Shiva, or Nataraja, is a well known icon in Hinduism. The picture of Shiva’s dance exhibits him as each a creator and destroyer, the supply of all motion throughout the cosmos; he dances, surrounded by a hoop of fireside, with one leg lifted into the air, providing a gesture of safety with one outward-facing palm.

Though this symbolic illustration of dancing Shiva dates again to a number of hundred years in the past, we will admire a contemporary interpretation of this icon from the attitude of physics: on an anatomical stage, cosmic power — made up of subatomic particles — is consistently being created and destroyed.

How wonderful is it that whenever you follow King Dancer Pose, you might be actually connecting the traditional follow of yoga, Hindu mythology, and modern-day physics!

Advantages of King Dancer Pose

On prime of the metaphysical and religious connections you create in Lord of the Dance Pose, there are vital bodily advantages as properly.

Improves Steadiness

We will’t speak about King Dancer Pose with out mentioning the significance of steadiness! Creating your sense of steadiness is a worthwhile objective in any bodily exercise because it significantly impacts your total wellbeing and might improve your high quality of life.

Coaching your sense of steadiness by standing on one foot strengthens the muscle tissues of the physique which might be vital in sustaining good posture. These embody your core, again, and gluteal teams — particularly the gluteus medius. The gluteus medius is a stabilizing muscle that’s put to work to take care of hip alignment when balancing on one leg. As we age, it’s more and more vital to maintain sturdy muscle tissues and a eager sense of steadiness with the intention to forestall harm from falling.

Amazingly, working in your steadiness can also be linked to neuroplasticity! As in contrast with cardio-fitness, steadiness coaching produced optimistic results on reminiscence and spatial cognition after simply 12 weeks. Plainly engaged on steadiness is likely one of the finest issues you are able to do to your future well being.

Different Notable Advantages of Practising King Dancer

• Counteracts the hostile results of sitting for lengthy durations of time: Dancer Pose lengthens the backbone, opens and releases pressure within the chest and shoulders. Moreover, it stretches and opens the whole entrance physique, particularly quads and hip flexors, which may change into tight after durations of sitting.
• Improves posture: Natarajasana helps you obtain higher posture by means of each power and adaptability. This pose tones and strengthens the core, again muscle tissues, toes, ankles, gluteus medius and different stabilizing muscle tissues of the standing leg.
• Mentally advantages: as with most balancing poses, Natarajasana enhances physique consciousness, develops focus and focus, and may help construct confidence.

How To Do Lord Of The Dance Pose

Now that you just’ve learn each the philosophical and physiological inspirations behind King Dancer Pose, it’s time to strive it for your self! Comply with these step-by-step directions:

1. Start standing tall in Mountain Pose. Deliver your consideration to the bottoms of your toes, and picture your weight evenly distributed throughout the three arches of every foot.
2. Shift your weight barely into your left foot. Bend your proper knee, bringing your proper foot in direction of your glutes.
3. Attain your proper arm again, externally rotating your arm to catch the internal fringe of your proper foot together with your proper hand.
4. Take a second on this standing quad stretch to really feel your proper thigh lengthen. Test your alignment: take into consideration urgent your proper hip ahead to maintain your hips squared.

5. Elevate your left arm out in entrance of you at about shoulder top to assist counterbalance your leg behind you.
6. Now, begin to carry your proper leg up behind you. With the exterior rotation of your proper arm, you’ll really feel the entrance of your shoulder and chest open.
7. Kick your proper foot into your hand as your hand pulls again, creating resistance to carry your leg larger whereas retaining your chest ahead.

8. In your standing leg, carry from the internal arch of your left foot and preserve a micro bend in your left knee joint.
9. Hold your drishti, your targeted gaze, mounted on an unmoving level in entrance of you.
10. When you possibly can take your lifted leg no larger, deliver your torso ahead barely, hingeing out of your waist.
11. If you’ve arrived in your full expression of King Dancer Pose, keep in mind to breathe! Maintain the pose for a couple of breaths, then decrease your thigh down and gently launch your foot to the ground.
12. Start once more in Mountain Pose, and follow Dancer Pose in your different aspect, lifting your left leg and taking your left foot in your left hand.

Contraindications

Lord of the Dance Pose requires power and adaptability from the whole physique; so, in case you are recovering from any kind of harm, it’s finest to skip this pose till you might be in your finest well being. As a balancing pose and backbend, be particularly cautious if you happen to’ve just lately skilled an ankle or again harm similar to a slipped disc.

Lastly, since you should externally rotate your hand to catch your foot behind you, it would trigger wrist discomfort in individuals who endure from carpal tunnel syndrome. On this case, you can simply modify the pose through the use of a yoga strap (see beneath for modifications).

King Dancer Pose Variations

There are a lot of methods to follow Natarajasana with the intention to match it into your stage of follow. You may select an easier, modified model as you construct power and adaptability. However, you may be able to strive a extra superior model of King Dancer Pose.

Supported Dancer Pose Utilizing Props

• With a chair: if you happen to wrestle with steadiness, you should utilize a chair to assist regular your self. Set the chair in entrance of you, and relaxation your free hand on the again of the chair. If you really feel steady, take a look at your steadiness by hovering your hand a couple of inches above the chair.
• Towards a wall: place your self dealing with a wall, rather less than an arm’s size away. Use the wall to assist your self preserve steadiness with the intention to follow lifting your raised foot behind you. Deliver your fingertips or palm of your outstretched hand to the wall for extra stability as you lean your torso ahead.

• Use a strap: when you’ve got tight shoulders or thigh muscle tissues, you may need problem greedy your foot in your hand. On this case, you possibly can loop a yoga strap across the ankle or foot of your lifted leg. Utilizing a strap may also be useful in case you are working in direction of flipping your grip (see beneath).

Full Lord of the Dance Pose

This variation of Natarajasana takes the backbend even deeper as you flip your grip on raised foot and attain your arms up over your head.

To flip your grip, take your elbow out to the aspect and up as you carry your leg larger, rotating your arm in your shoulder joint. Deliver your second arm up and grip your foot with each arms, elbows up and hugging in near your physique.

Preparatory Poses For Lord of the Dance Pose

Listed below are some vital poses that will help you heat as much as Natarajasana. These postures deal with discovering your middle of steadiness, stretching your hips and legs, and opening your chest.

Mountain Pose

1. Stand in your yoga mat together with your toes a couple of hip width distance aside.
2. Deliver your arms to your sides, and switch your palms to face ahead. Really feel your chest open.
3. Floor down by means of the bottoms of your toes. Attempt to distribute your weight evenly throughout all three arches of your toes.
4. Attain the crown of your head up in direction of the sky to elongate your backbone.
5. Stay standing tall for a couple of straightforward breaths, possibly even closing your eyes to search out your middle.

Tree Pose

1. From Mountain Pose, shift your weight barely into your left foot.
2. Bend your proper knee and produce the underside of your foot to your left leg, both towards the within of your decrease leg, or your left thigh (keep away from inserting the foot towards the left knee).
3. Floor down by means of your standing foot and attain the crown of your head up towards the sky to elongate your backbone.
4. Hold your arms in a prayer place at your coronary heart middle, or increase your arms up over your head.
5. Let your breath movement simply as you maintain your Tree Pose for a couple of seconds, then launch your foot again right down to your mat.
6. Repeat Tree Pose in your different aspect.

Standing Quad Stretch

1. Once more, start in Tadasana, standing tall. Shift your weight into your proper aspect.
2. Bend your left knee and produce your left heel in direction of your glutes.
3. Catch your foot in your left hand.
4. Tuck your tailbone barely to elongate the entrance of your left hip.
5. With mild stress out of your left hand, gently squeeze your left heel in in direction of your glutes to stretch the entrance of your thigh.
6. Hold your proper arm by your aspect, reaching ahead to behave as a counterbalance, or place your hand in your hip.
7. Take a couple of deep breaths in your quad stretch, then launch your foot again right down to your mat and repeat the stretch in your different aspect.

Upward Dealing with Canine

1. Start in a susceptible place, mendacity face down in your mat.
2. Place your palms beneath your shoulders.
3. Deliver the tops of your toes to your mat and press them into the ground, participating all of the muscle tissues of your legs.
4. Pull your low stomach in and as much as activate your core.
5. Press your palms into the ground to carry your higher torso off of your mat. Straighten your arms all the best way, lifting your physique so your thighs hover a couple of inches above the ground.
6. Unfold your shoulder blades huge throughout your again and preserve house between your shoulders and your ears.
7. Attain the crown of your head ahead and up, lengthening your backbone.
8. Maintain your Upward Dealing with Canine for a couple of breaths, then gently decrease your self all the best way again right down to your stomach.

Counter Poses to Do After King Dancer Pose

After such an intense backbend, you need to give your again muscle tissues an opportunity to calm down, and let your backbone return to a impartial place. Strive these poses after Lord of the Dance Pose, and your again will thanks!

Standing Ahead Fold

1. Stand together with your toes separated a hip with distance.
2. Bow ahead, releasing the crown of your head towards the ground.
3. Loosen up the again of your neck and let your head dangle.
4. Hold your knees mushy to assist launch throughout your decrease again.
5. Take a couple of deep breaths in your Ahead Fold, then proceed on to Downward Dealing with Canine.

Downward Dealing with Canine

1. From Standing Ahead Fold, plant your arms a couple of shoulder-width aside and step your toes towards the again of your mat, bringing your physique into the form of an upside-down V.
2. Tilt your sit bones up in direction of the sky as you press your heels towards the ground.
3. Unfold your shoulder blades huge throughout your higher again, and preserve your head aligned together with your backbone.
4. Keep in your Down Canine for five or so breaths, then gently launch your knees to the ground, coming to all fours.

Youngster’s Pose

1. Start in a kneeling place, sitting again in your heels. Hold your huge toes collectively and separate your knees.
2. Attain your arms ahead as you deliver your brow right down to the ground. Hold your hips reaching again towards your heels.
3. Take a number of deep breaths in your Youngster’s Pose, then stroll your arms in to sit down your self again upright.

Lord of the Dance Pose FAQs