GARUḌĀSANA (EAGLE POSE)
GARUḌĀSANA (EAGLE POSE)
- Stand straight with your feet together, in tāḍāsana
- Bend your knees slightly
- Lift the right leg up and cross the right thigh over the left
- Tuck the foot behind the left calf
- Raise the arms up, bring the left arm over the right
- Join the palms together
- Stay for 5 breaths
Asana in Depth
Garuḍāsana, also known as eagle pose, is one of the more challenging balancing postures.
Start by standing straight with the feet together, in tāḍāsana. Press all four corners of the feet into the ground, ensuring a stable base. Bend your knees slightly and raise the right leg up. Bring the right thigh over the left thigh and further wrap the right lower leg around the left, hooking the foot behind the left calf. Then raise your arms up in front of you and bring the left arm over the right, then further wrapping the arms around each other until the palms touch eachother. Keep the arm base at the centre of the chest and draw the elbows down toward the ground. Keep the knees in the centre, in one straight line with the elbows. Tuck your tailbone under to protect the back. Find a point of focus for the eyes which doesn’t move, and keep concentrating there to enhance your balance. Breathe deeply in and out through the nose for 5 to 10 breaths. To release, unwind the arms and the legs. Then repeat on the other side.
As a variation to this pose you can explore different arm positions. You can open them up to the side, or even lift the arms up over the head.
One of the major benefits of this asana is that it strengthens the thighs, calves and ankles. It helps to remove any stiffness or tightness from the shoulders. This pose also has great mental benefits as it increases one’s concentration and balance capacity.
The contraindications for this pose are ankle injuries. Rather than hooking the foot behind the lower calf, you can simply keep the thighs over each other, to avoid over stretching the ankle
Start by standing straight with the feet together, in tāḍāsana. Press all four corners of the feet into the ground, ensuring a stable base. Bend your knees slightly and raise the right leg up. Bring the right thigh over the left thigh and further wrap the right lower leg around the left, hooking the foot behind the left calf. Then raise your arms up in front of you and bring the left arm over the right, then further wrapping the arms around each other until the palms touch eachother. Keep the arm base at the centre of the chest and draw the elbows down toward the ground. Keep the knees in the centre, in one straight line with the elbows. Tuck your tailbone under to protect the back. Find a point of focus for the eyes which doesn’t move, and keep concentrating there to enhance your balance. Breathe deeply in and out through the nose for 5 to 10 breaths. To release, unwind the arms and the legs. Then repeat on the other side.
As a variation to this pose you can explore different arm positions. You can open them up to the side, or even lift the arms up over the head.
One of the major benefits of this asana is that it strengthens the thighs, calves and ankles. It helps to remove any stiffness or tightness from the shoulders. This pose also has great mental benefits as it increases one’s concentration and balance capacity.
The contraindications for this pose are ankle injuries. Rather than hooking the foot behind the lower calf, you can simply keep the thighs over each other, to avoid over stretching the ankle
Major Benefits
- Strengthens the thighs, knees, calves, ankles
- Stretches the spine
- Improves concentration and balance
- Helps in grounding your energy
Contra Indications
- Ankle injuries
Anatomy Basics
- Tones the quadriceps femoris
- Tones the tibialis
- Tones gluteus
- Stretches pectoralis major
