Lord of the Dance Pose: Open Your Body to Balance

The Lord of the Dance Pose, or Natarajasan, is a challenging balancing pose with deep meaning and many variations. Natarajasan is derived from Nataraja, the Hindu god Shiva. The dance represents the energy of the universe.

Lord of the Dance Pose Benefits

In addition to being an incredible asana for improving balance, benefits of the Lord of the Dance Pose include:

• Stretches the upper and lower body simultaneously
• Builds strength in the legs

Step into the Pose

To Perform the Lord of the Dance Pose

1. Begin in Mountain Pose.
2. Activating your right foot, and on an exhale, bring your left leg back with your left hand. Make sure to draw your navel inward as you move the tailbone down.
3. Keep your torso straight and upright. If you need to extend the opposite hand for balance, take care not to strain the lower back as your torso moves forward.
4. Pull the shoulders down as you arc into the pose.
5. Stabilize the body on the standing leg, and hold the pose for 30 seconds.
6. To release the pose, exhale and bring the leg down slowly. Center yourself in Mountain Pose, then repeat on the other side.

For more instruction on the Lord of the Dance Pose, visit Yoga Journal.

Beginner

Keep the foot flexed to avoid leg cramps. Use a wall for more support.

Advanced

Bring both hands up to grasp the raised foot, arms raised overhead, elbows along the ears.