STARTYOURFREETRIALSignInYoga|PracticeAHeart-OpeningSequenceforNatarajasana(KingDancerPose)MarkStephens5min.Hathayogainvitesmindfulnessintoouractions,sothatwebecomeincreasinglyawareofhowwemove,breathe,andeaseintomeditativestillness.Humanbeingsarenaturallydynamic.Evenwhenweoptforstillness,ourheartsarebeating,ourbreathisflowing,andalloursystemsareatwork.Yetoftentimes,whenwechoosemovement,ouractionsareunconsciousandfeeldisconnectedfromourintention.Hathayogainvitesmindfulnessintoouractions,whethervoluntaryorinvoluntary,sothatwebecomeincreasinglyawareofhowwemove,breathe,and,eventually,howwemightbegintoeaseintomeditativestillness.Inthisway,allhathayogaembracesflow—theconsciousdynamismofmovementwithinandbetweenposes.Toflowwithintegrityweneedgoodformandastablestructure.Likeariverflowingfromitsmountainsourcetowardthesea,theriverbedandobjectsalongthewaychanneltheflow,whiletheflowitselfalterstheshapeofthatwhichholdsit.Sometimesthestructureissorigidthattheflowbecomesconstricted,andsometimesapowerfulflowwillbreakthebanks,creatinganewpath.Withtimeandevolution,acarefulbalancealwaysemerges,andtheflowfindsitsoptimalexpression.Natarajasanaisagloriousheart-openerthatasksustobestableyetatease,committedyetnon-attached,andfullyengagedyetatpeace.Thisdynamicinterplayofstructureandmovementisbeautifullyembodiedinnatarajasana(kingdancerpose),whichsymbolizestheancientdanceofShiva.Anintermediate/advanced-levelasana,natarajasanahelpstocultivatestrength,openness,andaneleganceofformandactionamidthepowerfulenergyrequiredtobalanceononelegwhileinadeepbackbend.Itisagloriousheart-openerthatasksustobestableyetatease,committedyetnon-attached,andfullyengagedyetatpeace.Whenweremainpresenttotheseessentialdualitiesofstructureandmovement,natarajasanainvitesclearcommunicationwiththeteacherdancinginourheart.InhisbookMythsandSymbolsinIndianArtandCivilization,HeinrichZimmerpointsoutthatShiva’sdancehastwoprincipalandantagonisticforms,correspondingtohiswrathfulandbenignmanifestations:tandavaisthefierce,violentdance,