om body
The benefits of the Dancer Pose:
l It builds strength in our feet and legs
l The asana encourages an opening across our chest and through
our upper back
l It helps to lengthen the hip flexors and abdominals
l Dancer’s Pose improves stamina, focus and concentration
l It helps to develop balance and spatial awareness
Contraindications
l It is suggested that the full expression of Dancer’s Pose may not be
an appropriate asana to practice if you have existing rotator cuff injury
although modifications are always available
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Va r i a t i o n s
Here are some variations of the asana that you may have come across:l Use a wall as support for your free hand while you develop your
balance
l Loop a yoga strap over your back ankle and hold the strap with
both hands held above your head
l For those practitioners who are very supple you can try to hold
your back foot with your bent elbow instead of your handAndrew McGonigle is Doctor Yogi, a medically trained yoga teacher
based in London who specialises in teaching anatomy applied to yoga.
Visit doctoryogi.co.ukSTACK YOUR HEAD DIRECTLY ON
TOP OF YOUR SPINE
l Gently slide the sides of your
throat back and then lower your
chin a couple of millimetres
towards your chest and feel the
back of your neck lengthenSTABILISE YOUR LOWER BACK
l Roll your upper, inner thighs back to
create space at the back of your pelvis
l Root your sacrum (the flat part of your
lower spine) and tailbone (coccyx) down
towards your heels
l This will lengthen your lower back and
engage your abdominal musclesEXTEND EVENLY THROUGH YOUR SPINE
l Lengthen up through all four sides of your waist to create
more space between your hip bones and your lower ribs
l Soften your front, lower ribs towards your spine and
breathe into your back lower ribs to create space in the back
of your chest
l Keeping this space, widen across your collar bones
(clavicles) to stabilise this space
l Draw your shoulder blades down and towards each other