March - King Dancers Pose
N A T A R A J A S A N A
(not-ah-raj-AHS-anna)
Nata - actor, dancer, mime Raja - king
FOCUS & INTENTION - Balance, back flexibility, leg strength and flexibility
BENEFITS
- Promotes leg, shoulder and back flexibility
- Increases chest and lung expansion
- Stretches the quadriceps muscles of the legs
- Strengthens the hamstrings and gluteus muscles
PRECAUTIONS - Keep your knees and toes in alignment to prevent knee strain.
Karlene Bourne | Photo credit: Jane Nurse
“The Dancer requires that you learn to maintain a dynamic balance, pressing the foot strongly back into the hand while extending through the fingertips. It is a good example of an asymmetrical posture that is practiced on both sides to restore balance between the right and left sides of the body... Provided you keep the shoulders, chest and hips square to the front, the Dancer provides a deep stretch to the shoulders, chest and abdomen”