Dancer Pose (Natarajasana) demonstrated
Category
Balancing
Level
intermediate
Hold
5 breaths per side
Type
Asana
Breath
Inhale to lift the chest, exhale to press the foot into the hand.

Dancer Pose

Natarajasana — "lord of the dance posture"

Also known as: Lord of the Dance Pose, King Dancer

Hold one foot behind you, kick it into your hand, and reach forward — a balance and a backbend at once. Dancer rewards patience: the kick creates the shape, not the pull.

Step by step

  1. 1Stand tall and shift your weight into your left foot.
  2. 2Bend your right knee and catch the inside of your right foot or ankle with your right hand, thumb pointing up.
  3. 3Reach your left arm forward and up for counterbalance.
  4. 4Kick your right foot back and up into your hand — let the kick, not the arm, lift the leg.
  5. 5Hinge forward from the hips only as far as the kick carries you, keeping your chest lifted.
  6. 6Fix your gaze on one point ahead and keep breathing.
  7. 7Release with control and repeat on the other side.

Benefits

  • ✓ Stretches the chest, shoulders, and the front of the lifted hip and thigh
  • ✓ Strengthens the standing leg and ankle
  • ✓ Improves balance and full-body coordination
  • ✓ Opens the front body without needing the floor

Make it yours

  • · Rest your free hand on a wall or chair back and focus only on the kick.
  • · Loop a strap around the lifted ankle to add slack between hand and foot.
  • · Keep the torso upright and the lifted knee low — a quad stretch with a fingertip of balance is plenty.

Take care

  • If you have balance issues, practice facing a wall with your free hand on it.
  • Take care with ankle, knee, or lower-back injuries — keep the backbend small or work on the kick with both hips level instead.
  • If holding the foot strains your shoulder, use a strap around the ankle.

This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.

Practiced in

Props that help here

  • Manduka PRO — The buy-it-once option — dense, stable, famously durable. Heavy, so it lives at home, which is where practice happens anyway. find one
  • Cork blocks (set of 2) — Bring the floor closer in lunges, folds, and triangle — and a block between the shoulder blades turns a backbend into something you can hold. find one

Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no cost to you. All gear recommendations

Related poses