Translating to mythical bird in Sanskrit, Garudasana or the eagle pose is a yoga pose that really helps you to challenge not just your body but also your mind.
The eagle pose is perfect for increasing your concentration, and this yoga pose is also used to help you to develop your third eye chakra. This means that when you are doing this yoga pose you should be given a moment of awareness.
This posture is also great for your physical health as it loosens the muscles between the shoulder blades and it also helps you to strengthen the leg muscles. Read on to find out more about the eagle pose and how to do it, along with the benefits of this pose.
What Is The Eagle Pose?
Called Garudasana, the eagle pose is a standing balance posture which brings you into the present moment focus.
The eagle pose will really provide a deep hip stretch which opens up the back of the lungs and also challenges your mind and your body awareness.
Who Can Do Eagle Pose Yoga?
This pose can be pretty versatile in terms of the age range of people who can attempt this yoga pose. However, this yoga pose does have some limitations when it comes to injury.
If you have difficulty standing or if you have any balance issues then you should modify this pose in a way that can suit you the best.
Additionally, if you are suffering from an injury in your shoulder area then you should avoid this pose or it could worsen the injury. The same would apply to you if you are suffering with an injury.
How To Do Eagle Pose Yoga
Now, it is time for the step-by-step process on how exactly you should do the eagle pose. We will outline not just the practice but also the preparation. This means the best ways to build up to doing this pose.
- Start in the mountain pose at the top of your yoga mat – and when you inhale you can then sweep out your arms by your sides, so that they are parallel to the floor.
- As you exhale move your arms forward so that they cross in front of the body – do this so that your right arm is under your left arm. Ensure that you bend your elbows so that the backs of your hands touch. Or, you can wrap your forearms and bring your palms to touch. Make sure that you draw your forearms slightly away from your body and up.
- When you exhale you should bend your knees and then come into the chair pose – when you do this you should really root into your left foot and you should focus your gaze so that it is slightly down and a few feet in front of you. This is a good point to take a few breaths and find your focus as you prepare for the pose.
- At a stage when you feel ready, begin to just lift your right leg up and over your left calf – your right toes can just rest on the yoga mat, or they can rest on a yoga block or they can just wrap behind your left calf. When you do this squeeze your inner thighs together.
- Now you can bring your right arm under your left arm – as you are continuing to sit down low in your chair, you should bring your right arm under your left and then wrap your arms until your palms eventually touch. Or you can just grab your left fingers with your right hand – whichever is the most comfortable for you. Bring your elbows and your knees directly in line and breathe into the backs of your shoulder blades.
- You can take a moment here to just sit back and breathe – here you should just continue to breathe deeply, and you need to keep concentration on one point ahead of you. For an increased stretch in the hips you can sit down lower to the floor.
- To come out of the pose you should return back to the mountain pose – do this by unwrapping your arms and legs and just shake them out as you come back to standing at the top of the mat.
- Time to swap sides – now you can practice the same steps above for the same amount of breaths and time, and switch the arms and legs. You can even practice this yoga pose twice, once for a warm-up and then again just to deepen the pose.
What Are The Benefits Of Eagle Pose Yoga?
The eagle pose has a lot of restorative benefits in terms of the body; but it does not just stop at this. The eagle pose also has restorative benefits when it comes to the mind and also when it comes to the spirit.
One of the positive benefits of adding this pose into your yoga practice is that you can really stretch your hips deeply.
The eagle pose is a pose that really helps you to open your hips and the further that you sit back in this position then the tighter you wrap your legs (for more sitting poses, check out our guide here). This will result in a much deeper hip stretch.
This yoga pose can also help you to really breathe deeply. By wrapping your arms in front of you then you can really help to open the back of your lungs. This really helps to promote deep breathing.
Additionally, this yoga pose can really help you to increase your focus and it can really help you to increase your balance. The way that the eagle pose does this is by setting your gaze on a fixed point right in front of you.
Doing this while you are balancing really tests your concentration and it also allows you to come into the present moment; it is important to remember that your balance will improve the more that you practice this pose.
Another benefit of practicing this yoga pose is that it can really help you to open your shoulders.
It does not matter whether you decide to do a full bind or whether you just bring your arms to touch as a variation, then the eagle pose will really help you to not only open up, but to stretch tight shoulders.
Conclusion
Overall, the eagle pose can be a great pose for you to incorporate into your daily yoga routine. It can really help you to improve your concentration and it can also help you to develop your third eye chakra.
If you are someone who suffers from shoulder blades that are too tight, or if you just have pain in your upper body when you cross your arms then you can adapt the pose to suit you.
The eagle pose is an extremely versatile yoga pose and you should modify it where you deem necessary in order to help you to do this pose.
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