How to Sequence Safely to Natarajasana – Dancer’s Pose

Natarajasana – Dancer’s Pose – is a beautifully challenging yoga pose. It’s a complex pose with a lot of benefits:

• Opens the chest and front line of the body
• Works your balance (ankle and hip stability)
• Increases focus

The component parts (parts of the body that need to be warmed up or educated in order to do the pose) are as follows:

• Hip flexor opening: the front of the hip needs to be stretched and opened.
• Backbend: the backbend should initiate from the upper back (thoracic) and the lower back should be stabilized by the core, which leads us to ….
• Core stability: engaging the abdominals intelligently prevents over-compression in the lower back
• Hamstring opening: to hinge forward from the hip, the backs of the legs need to be open.
• Arm in extension: the arm that is holding your foot is moving backwards in space. This helps with chest opening.
• Balance: training the outer hips and ankles to support us in space.

Here’s a flow sequence that helps you warm up your body to make the most of the pose! Props you may want:

• Strap

Opening

• Virasana – Hero’s Pose
• Cat Cow with leg and arm extended (Dancing Cat)

Warm Up

• Surya Namaskar A with low lunges
• Triangle trikonasana
• Twisted chair parivrttta utkatasana
• Eagle garudasana
• High lunge with arms clasped behind
• Wide legged forward fold prasarita padottansana  c
• Sphinx and Locust salabhasana
• High lunge into twisted lunge parivrtta parsvakonasana
• Thigh stretch (add a quad stretch in low lunge, or do a pose like saddle)
• Locust and Bow dhanurasana
• Warrior 3 virabhadrasana

Peak

• Dancers holding foot with simple standing quad stretch natarajasana
• Dancers holding foot with arm in extension (behind), adding hinged forward backbend
• Dancers holding foot with both arms above head and elbows bent – use strap to hook foot

Counter

• Forward fold janu sirsasana or paschimottanasana
• Seated twist ardha matsyendrasana
• Thread the needle or seated outer hip stretch agnistambhasana

Happy sequencing!

Want more? Check out my continuing education courses in Yoga Sequencing and Teaching here.

Icon for infographic from:

• Chanut is Industries
• Zlatko Najdenovski