Natarajasana

The name comes from the Sanskrit epithet Naṭarāja, "Dancing King", one of the names given to the Hindu God Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer, and āsana meaning "posture" or "seat". Nataraja is the aspect of Shiva "whose ecstatic dance of destruction lays the foundation for the creation and sustenance of the universe." The significance of the image of the dancing Shiva is indicated by his gestures: he is depicted with four arms, standing on Avidya, the demon of ignorance. In his hands he beats out time on a drum, and holds the flame of Vidya, knowledge. Sometimes he holds a conch shell, signifying Om, the universal cosmic sound. He holds up a hand in the gesture of fearlessness, Abhayamudra. == In modern yoga ==

The yoga scholar Elliott Goldberg observes that Natarajasana is not found in any medieval hatha yoga text, nor is it mentioned by any pre-20th century traveller to India, or found in artistic depictions of yoga such as the Sritattvanidhi or the Mahamandir near Jodhpur. Goldberg argues that the pose, like several others, was introduced into modern yoga by Krishnamacharya in the early 20th century, and taken up by his pupils such as B. K. S. Iyengar, who made the pose a signature of modern yoga; Goldberg suggests that Iyengar transmitted the pose also to Sivananda, as Iyengar sent him a complete photo album showing Iyengar in all his asanas. Iyengar writes in the coverage of Natarajasana in his Light on Yoga that the god Shiva created over 100 dances, from gentle to fierce, of which the best-known is the Tāṇḍava, "the cosmic dance of destruction". He describes Natarajasana as a "vigorous and beautiful pose", and is pictured demonstrating the pose on the cover of some editions of his book. ==Description==

This aesthetic, stretching and balancing asana is said to require concentration and grace; it is used in the Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam. The pose is entered from standing in Tadasana, bending one knee and stretching that foot back until it can be grasped with the hand on that side. The foot can then be extended back and up, arching the back and stretching out the other arm forwards. For the full pose and a stronger stretch, reverse the rear arm by lifting it over the shoulder, and grasp the foot. ==Variations==

Reaching up and back with both arms, elbows upwards, to grasp the rear foot gives a more intense pose. or by holding on to a support such as a wall or chair. File:Indian-dancer-nataraja.png|Natarajasana in Bharatanatyam classical Indian dance File:Natarajasana-yoga-posture-dancer.jpg|Variation with both hands grasping the raised foot File:Natarajasana Yoga-Asana Nina-Mel.jpg|A variation demonstrated by the Russian yoga teacher Nina Mel File:Outdoor yoga class in Vaduz Liechtenstein Himalayan Yoga Center.JPG|Outdoor class in Liechtenstein ==See also==