CHENNAI: This beautiful pose is an ode to Shiva. This translates as the ‘pose of god of dance’. I find this asana progressive and dynamic.
STEPS:
Starting from Tadasan (the basic upright mountain pose), bring your left arm to the shoulder level, palm facing the floor. Next fold the right leg from the knee so that the right heel touches your buttocks. Hold the right big toe with the index and middle finger and thumb of the right hand, right palm to face the wall on your right and the right arm bent at the elbow (elbow joint facing the floor at this stage). Begin to draw your right foot up towards your back. At the same time rotate your arm and shift your grip on the toe so that your palm now faces the wall on your left. Draw the leg higher by pulling on your foot with your arm. Balance the raising and pulling action. Your right elbow joint should face the ceiling. The knee and elbow are both bent to form a bow behind you along with the vertebrae also arching in the back bend. Keep raising the leg till the right thigh is parallel to the floor and the right shin parallel to the left leg that is upright and holding up your pose. (Do not allow any slack in the left knee.)
Hold for a few breathing cycles. Release, relax both arms and return to Tadasan. Repeat on the other side substituting right for left.
Modifications (not shown here):
Easy: You may hold the leg at the foot behind the toes or at the ankle/calf and keep the knee of the raised leg straight while drawing the leg up.
Advanced: This stage requires you to hold the foot with both hands and bring it closer to the back of your head (the left arm will join the right arm in the same position and both hands will draw the leg higher.
BENEFITS: Natarajasan gives you balance and poise. It’s good for your leg muscles and the chest. This pose gives a nice upward movement to the shoulder as well as an expansion to the chest.
(Anshu Vyas Seetharaman is a fitness and yoga trainer at Sri Aurobindo Society, Bengaluru)