ONE LEG STANDING BALANCE: KNEE BENT BEHIND

Hand Position of Mermaid Pose in Bowing With Respect

Lord of the Dance Pose

Hasta Naginyasana in Nantum Natarajasana

(HUH-stuh nuh-gin-YAHS-uh-nuh in nan-toom NAH-tuh-rahj-AHS-uh-nuh)
Pose Type: standing one legged balance, backbend, forward bend
Drishti Point: Nasagrai or Nasagre (nose) or Bhrumadhye or Ajna Chakra (third eye, between the eyebrows)

How to Perform the Pose:

1. Begin by standing in Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Engage your mula bandha, uddhiyana bandha,
   and ujjayi breathing.


2. Inhale and bring your weight onto the left foot. Exhale as you bend your right knee, grab onto the
   right foot with your right hand, and bring your right heel to your right sitting bone. Keep your
   standing leg strong and straight by pulling the knee cap up and engaging the front thigh muscles
   (quadriceps). Keep your knees together.


3. On the next exhale, start pushing your right foot back and up to the sky, while tipping your torso
   forward.


4. Exhale as you bring the right foot to the right elbow crease and bend your right arm to keep the foot
   in place.


5. Inhale as you reach your left arm out in front of you. Exhale, bend the left elbow, and grab onto the
   right hand with your left hand (Pose #2). This is the arm position of Mermaid Pose (Hasta
   Naginyasana).


6. To deepen the shoulder stretch, on the next exhale start walking your left hand down your left

forearm. Grab first onto the left elbow and then to your left tricep (Pose #1).

7. Hold the pose for at least 30, and up to 90, seconds in order to receive the full benefits of the

stretch. Exhale as you release the pose, come back to Mountain Pose (Tadasana), and repeat on

the right side.

hasta = hand

naga = great mythological snake

nantum = to bow with respect

Nataraj = name of Shiva as a cosmic dancer