Garudasana
aka: Eagle Pose
(gah-rue-DAHS-anna)
Garuda = the mythic "king of the birds," the vehicle of Vishnu. The word is usually rendered into English as "eagle," though according to one dictionary the name literally means "devourer," because Garuda was originally identified with the "all-consuming fire of the sun’s rays."
Eagle Pose, or Garudasana, is a terrific pose with which to improve balance and concentration.
Advantages
In Sanskrit, garuda means "devourer" or "king of the birds" and a transporter for the Hindu deity Vishnu. Look closely at the picture and you'll see an eagle's intense gaze.
There are many benefits to Eagle Pose:
* Improves balance and concentration
* Increases flexibility
* Strengthens the core of the body
Step Into the Pose
1. Begin in Mountain Yoga Pose.
2. Bend a bit at the knees. Make sure your knees don't go over the toes.
3. While activating the right leg, bring the left leg over and around the right, foot curved around the right calf.
4. Inhale, and on an exhale, lift both arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height. Draw the shoulders down from the ears.
5. Curve the arms at the elbows toward you and at the bend, put the right elbow into the crook of the left arm while twisting the palms to face each other as close as your flexibility allows. Fingertips should stretch toward the ceiling.
6. Hold for 15-30 seconds, and repeat on the other side. Some yogis have a better sense of balance on one side of the body than the other. Keep practicing in even time intervals to improve both sides.
Beginner Tips
Ease into the pose by allowing your outer leg to rest slightly against the inner leg or with the tips of the toes on the floor. If you can't bring your palms together, use a strap for assistance.
Anatomical Focus
* Ankles
* Calves
* Thighs
* Hips
* Shoulders
► ▼
Therapeutic Applications
* Asthma
* Low backache
* Sciatica
► ▼
Benefits
* Strengthens and stretches the ankles and calves
* Stretches the thighs, hips, shoulders, and upper back
* Improves concentration
* Improves sense of balance
► ▼
Contraindications and Cautions
Students with knee injuries should avoid this pose, or perform only the leg position described in the Beginner's Tip below.
► ▼
Beginner's Tip
Beginners often find it difficult to wrap the arms around until the palms touch. Stretch your arms straight forward, parallel to the floor, while holding onto the ends of a strap. Follow the rest of the instructions stated in step 2 above and keep the strap taut between your hands.
Beginners also find it difficult to hook the raised-leg foot behind the standing-leg calf, and then balance on the standing foot. As a short-term option cross the legs but, instead of hooking the raised foot and calf, press the big toe of the raised-leg foot against the floor to help maintain your balance.
► ▼
Variations
Here's a challenging variation of Garudasana. From the pose as described above, exhale and lean your torso into a forward bend, pressing the forearms against the top-leg thigh. Hold for a few breaths, then come up with an inhalation. Repeat on the second side.
► ▼
Modifications and Props
Beginning students often find the balance in this pose very unstable. As with all standing balancing poses, you can use a wall to brace and support your back torso while you’re learning to balance.
► ▼
Preparatory Poses
* Adho Mukha Svanasana
* Gomukhasana
* Prasarita Padottanasana
* Supta Virasana
* Supta Baddha Konasana
* Upavistha Konasana
* Virasana
* Vrksasana
► ▼
Follow-Up Poses
Garudasana is usually sequenced near the end of the standing pose series. The arm position in the pose is particularly useful in teaching how to widen the back torso in inverted poses like Adho Mukha Vrksasana and Sirsasana. Other follow-up poses might include:
* Gomukhasana
* Utkatasana
* Vrksasana
► ▼
Deepen The Pose
Look at the tips of your thumbs once you're in the full pose. Typically the thumb tips point a little bit off to the side of the upper arm. Press the mound of the upper thumb into the bottom hand and turn the thumb tips so they point directly at the tip of your nose.
* Ankles
* Calves
* Thighs
* Hips
* Shoulders
► ▼
Therapeutic Applications
* Asthma
* Low backache
* Sciatica
► ▼
Benefits
* Strengthens and stretches the ankles and calves
* Stretches the thighs, hips, shoulders, and upper back
* Improves concentration
* Improves sense of balance
► ▼
Contraindications and Cautions
Students with knee injuries should avoid this pose, or perform only the leg position described in the Beginner's Tip below.
► ▼
Beginner's Tip
Beginners often find it difficult to wrap the arms around until the palms touch. Stretch your arms straight forward, parallel to the floor, while holding onto the ends of a strap. Follow the rest of the instructions stated in step 2 above and keep the strap taut between your hands.
Beginners also find it difficult to hook the raised-leg foot behind the standing-leg calf, and then balance on the standing foot. As a short-term option cross the legs but, instead of hooking the raised foot and calf, press the big toe of the raised-leg foot against the floor to help maintain your balance.
► ▼
Variations
Here's a challenging variation of Garudasana. From the pose as described above, exhale and lean your torso into a forward bend, pressing the forearms against the top-leg thigh. Hold for a few breaths, then come up with an inhalation. Repeat on the second side.
► ▼
Modifications and Props
Beginning students often find the balance in this pose very unstable. As with all standing balancing poses, you can use a wall to brace and support your back torso while you’re learning to balance.
► ▼
Preparatory Poses
* Adho Mukha Svanasana
* Gomukhasana
* Prasarita Padottanasana
* Supta Virasana
* Supta Baddha Konasana
* Upavistha Konasana
* Virasana
* Vrksasana
► ▼
Follow-Up Poses
Garudasana is usually sequenced near the end of the standing pose series. The arm position in the pose is particularly useful in teaching how to widen the back torso in inverted poses like Adho Mukha Vrksasana and Sirsasana. Other follow-up poses might include:
* Gomukhasana
* Utkatasana
* Vrksasana
► ▼
Deepen The Pose
Look at the tips of your thumbs once you're in the full pose. Typically the thumb tips point a little bit off to the side of the upper arm. Press the mound of the upper thumb into the bottom hand and turn the thumb tips so they point directly at the tip of your nose.
