Natarajasana
Dancer Pose
Drishti: Straight Forward or out over the extended hand
How to
From standing. Lift the right knee up. Keeping the knee in line let the foot come back behind you. Reach the right arm back and grab the foot with the thumb pointing down and the fingers in the direction of the big toe. As you arch your spine, lift the elbow and try to the take the foot and head toward each other.
Modifications
It's a tricky pose. Rather than trying the above grasp, as the foot comes back, grasp the big toe side with the thumb up (this will feel like a much more natural hold). Let the left arm come forward as you press the right foot up and back, arching the spine.
To work on balance in preparation for this pose try one of the following (in order of ascending difficulty):
Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
Utthita Hasta Padangustasana [A, B, C, D] (Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose)
To work on the
back-bending and shoulder opening aspect of the pose, you might try one of the
following (in order of ascending difficulty):
Little Cobra - only a backbend
Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
Urdva Dhanurasana (Upwards Bow Pose)
Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana (One Foot King Pigeon Pose)
Kapotasana (Pigeon Pose)
Transitional Poses