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Dancer
naturajasana
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Highlights
Balance and Stability: Dancer's Pose challenges your balance and proprioception as you stand on one leg while extending the opposite leg and reaching back to hold the foot or ankle. This pose helps improve your overall balance and stability.
Strength and Flexibility: Dancer's Pose engages and strengthens various muscle groups, including the standing leg muscles (quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes), the core muscles, and the muscles of the back, shoulders, and arms. At the same time, it stretches the thighs, hips, shoulders, chest, and the front of the body.
Hip Opening: As you lift and extend the back leg in Dancer's Pose, it creates a deep opening in the hip flexors and quadriceps of the lifted leg, promoting increased flexibility and range of motion in the hips.
Chest and Shoulder Opening: The extension of the arm and leg in opposite directions in Dancer's Pose helps to open and stretch the chest, shoulders. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals who spend long periods sitting or working at a desk, helping to counteract rounded shoulders and improve posture.
Concentration and Focus: Dancer's Pose requires concentration and focus to find and maintain your balance while gracefully extending into the pose. It cultivates mindfulness and helps calm the mind, promoting mental clarity and focus.
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Cautions
Recent or chronic injuries: If you have recent or chronic injuries or conditions affecting the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, or spine, it's important to approach Dancer Pose with caution. The pose puts significant stress on these areas, and it's crucial to practice within your limits and avoid any pain or discomfort.
High or low blood pressure: Dancer Pose involves a backbend and an overhead reach, which can affect blood pressure. Individuals with high or low blood pressure should be cautious and may need to modify the pose accordingly.
Balance or stability issues: Dancer Pose requires a strong sense of balance and stability. If you have balance issues, dizziness, or lack of stability, it's important to practice with caution. You may benefit from using a wall or chair for support or modifying the pose to a more accessible variation.
Pregnancy: Pregnant individuals should approach Dancer Pose with caution, especially as the pregnancy progresses. The balance and backbend aspects of the pose may not be suitable or comfortable for everyone. Modifying the pose with support or choosing alternative poses is recommended.
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Preparation
Standing balances, Standing Quad Stretch: Stand tall and bring one heel towards the glute, holding the foot or ankle with your hand. Keep the standing leg grounded and the torso upright to stretch the quadriceps.
Shoulder stretches: Practice poses like Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose) arms, or reverse prayer hands to stretch and open the shoulders in extension.
Quadriceps & Hip Flexor stretch: Poses such as Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge) or Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I) can help stretch the quadriceps, preparing them for the leg lift in Dancer's Pose.
Bow pose variations: Practice variations of Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) to strengthen the back and open the chest, which are essential for the backbend element in Dancer's Pose. The pose gets you used to the foot to hand position and the kicking back required.
Tiger pose: Incorporate poses like Vyaghrasana (Tiger Pose), where you balance on all fours and extend one leg and the opposite arm, to improve balance and stability. The back leg mimics the knee lifting up whilst extending the spine.
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Cue In
1 - Begin standing in Mountain Pose (Tadasana ) Shift your weight onto your right foot and find your balance.
2 - Bend your left knee and reach back with your left hand to grab the outside of your left foot or ankle. If needed, you can use a strap or towel around the foot to assist with the grip.
3 - As you continue to hold onto your left foot, start to tilt your torso forward slightly, maintaining a tall and lifted spine.
4 - With control, begin to kick your left foot back, extending it behind you. At the same time, allow your right arm to extend forward, parallel to the floor.
5 - Keep your gaze focused on a steady point in front of you to help with balance.
“Find a comfortable position for your lifted foot. You can either aim to bring your thigh parallel to the floor or work on gradually lifting it higher, avoiding any discomfort or strain.”
“Engage your core muscles to support your balance.”
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Adjustments
Balance support: Stand beside the student and offer a gentle hand on their shoulder or forearm to provide stability and support as they find their balance.
Hand-to-foot connection: As the student lifts their leg and reaches back to catch their foot, you can assist by extending your arm from behind and offering them their foot to hold onto.
Leg height assistance: If the student struggles to lift their leg higher, you can offer support by gently lifting their knee while lifting their arms so they don't tip too far forward or back.
Using props: Props like a strap or a wall can provide additional support and stability, allowing the student to focus on alignment and balance.
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Counter Poses
Forward Folds, Standing Cat Pose (Marjaryasana): Use hands on thighs and round back flexing the spine.
Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana): This pose helps to release the back and hamstrings, providing a gentle stretch after the backbend in Dancer's Pose.
Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana): A seated forward fold offers a deeper stretch to the hamstrings, lower back, and shoulders, promoting relaxation and lengthening of the spine.
Child's Pose (Balasana): This resting pose allows for a gentle stretch of the lower back and hips while promoting relaxation and calming the mind.
Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana): Twists help to release tension in the spine and improve spinal mobility. Lie on your back and gently guide the knees to one side while turning the head in the opposite direction.
Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani): This restorative pose helps to relieve fatigue and restore energy. Lie on your back with your legs extended up the wall, allowing the blood to flow back towards the heart and promoting relaxation.
Variations
"See the variations,
simple to complex"
1 Just Hands : Removes the balance whilst opens the chest.
2 Quad Stretch : Takes away the backbend but still stretches the front thigh and works balance.
3 Both Hands Quad Stretch : Both shoulders are squeezed together, opens the chest further and stretches the arm lines.
4 Interlaced Backbend Warrior 3 : Takes away the foot hold.
5 Strap Dancer : Easier to reach than hand on foot.
6 Tilted Strap Dancer : Easier to hold than foot. Stretches the back of the underneath leg more.
7 Strap Both Hand Warrior 3 : Challenging to balance tipping forward while using both hands to hold the foot, kicking the foot back into hands.
8 Dancer
9 Tilted Dancer
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Flip Grip Variation: In this variation, reach for the inside edge of the foot and swivel the elbow upwards. You can reach with both hands bringing the foot towards the head. This variation requires greater flexibility and balance, as well as shoulder stability and chest opening.
Reverse Hand Position Variation: Try reaching the inside edge of the foot for different arm line stretch or try reaching with the opposite hand altogether.
Interlaced Hands: Instead of reaching for the back foot with one hand, reach with both and kick the foot back into them interlacing them almost, while tipping forward like Warrior 3 with a foot in hand. This variation really opens the chest and both shoulders and arms.
Mermaid Variation: Reach back with the righ hand to the inside edge of the right foot, and slide the foot up the arm towards the elbow. Bend the elbow reaching the hand towards the ceiling. With the left hand reach up and overhead to clasp the right hand.
Strap : Use a strap in any of the options for ease by adding more arm length and so space.
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