The Dancer – Natarajasana
Learn how to execute the Dancer (Natarajasana) corrently and what to keep in mind during the different steps of this exercise.
LEVEL: ADVANCED
The dancer (in Sanskrit: Natarajasana) is one of the classic yoga positions/asanas. This asana brings back your inner balance.
Natarajasana helps you develop balance, determination and goal-orientation. This great balance exercise strengthens your stability.
SINGLE STEPS
1. You start in the mountain-position (Tadasana). It is an upright position with a hip wide stand. The hands are right next to the body, the palms of your hands are directed to the front. Find your own stabile stands (active legs and activate your pelvic floor), root yourself to the floor within your mind.
2. Put your entire weight on your right leg.
3. As soon as you have stabilized (it’s a lot easier if you look for a focus point), bring your left foot back, turn your left palm to the outside and touch your ankle or the back of your foot on your left foot. (Attention! Don’t pull on your toe)
4. Raise your left hand up vertically.
5. Raise your back leg higher – until the thigh is parallel to the ground.
6. Rotate your left shoulder outwards. The ellbow should be directed upwards.
7. Additionally you can guide your right hand to your left foot. Or you can stretch it to the front (like me, in the picture), with your hand in a Chin Mudra ( a Mudra where your thump and your trigger finger touch, symbolizing individual fulfillment and closing the energy circle).
8. Hold this position for five to eight breaths. Your left foot stays up and in the back. Your chest is opened to the front.
9. Slowly get out of the position and exercise practice with the other leg.
YOUR EXPERT
STATEMENT
Narajasana helps you develop balance, determination and goal-orientation. This great balance exercise helps you to strengthen your stability, to make it through your private and professional “storms of life”.
BEFORE
It’s necessary to do a warm up beforehand… during the entire year, but especially now, during the cold time of the year. Look for a focus point (that doesn’t move), to watch during the exercise… it’ll be much easier for you to balance. If you want to go even further, practice without a focus point and concentrate on the point right between your eyebrows. Or try to hold your balance with your eyes closed. Have fun practicing.
EXPERT EXPERIENCE
Balance exercises like the dancer are great to feel in the „here and now “. If you want to hold your balance, you can’t think about the E-Mail you should have sent earlier, or what you are going to eat later. Your just present. Right in that moment.
CHALLENGE
Don’t get angry if you can’t manage to hold it right away. Not every day is equally as good to practice your balance. Hold it with the saying: If this day was a fish, I’d throw it back in the ocean.
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