A truly exotic yoga pose. Legs and arms are interlaced and the whole body takes an exquisite shape, and on top of that you need to balance. Garudasana or Eagle pose is a real challenge. This pose is usually categorized amongst the beginner poses, but to perform it with grace and poise might as well take years. Of course, again by beautiful and correct performance I mean when you are able to do it from the first move till the last (coming back into Tadasana) with ease and elegance as a glorious eagle. When you can remain in focus and you are able to hold it for ten breaths with perfect inner control and calmness.
This asana squeezes the whole body and it pushes all the energy towards the brain. In addition, there is a strong concentration with the eyes, the focussing with your will power, just as you did it in Vrksasana. Therefore this pose also belongs to the asanas that enhance concentration and balancing skills. Yet in the meantime Garudasana tones the calves, the thighs, works the buttocks and the tummy and perfectly prepares the back and the shoulders for more complicated balancing and inverted poses like handstand, headstand and scorpion. At those poses the perfect positioning of the scapula and the power of the shoulders will come very handy. To do these more advanced asanas, you will need the strenght of the arms, the force of the core, the stability of the back and enhanced concentration skills. So Garudasana is a brilliant preparation for the more difficult poses. Not to mention that this asana in itself is a very effective exercise to keep your joints well lubricated and flexible enough to prevent arthritis.
How to get into the pose?
- Stand in Tadasana and bend your knees. Then take your whole body weight on the left leg, and wrap your right leg around the left leg.
- Lift up the arms and take them to shoulder height, tilt the pelvis to the front and hold your belly in.
- Then take the left arm above the right elbow and interlock the arms until the hands are pressed together.
- Lift the elbows until they get into one line with the shoulders, then gently bring your shoulders back and pull the shoulderblades down.
- Exhale and pull the belly in and keep tilting the pelvis to the front, do not allow the lordosis to grow in your lower back. Feel the muscles contracting, feel the thighs and the palms pressing.
- Look front with a determined look and focus on an unmoving point.
Tips for beginners:
If you cannot interlock your legs fully, then just place your right little toe slightly above your left ankle or you can even take support with the tip of your toes on the floor.
If you can’t yet intertwine the arms, then don’t force it. Rather grab with the hand your opposite shoulder and bring the elbows above each other and this way lift the elbows unto the level of the shoulders. Then pull the shoulders back and scapula down. Always be true to yourself and do not want to jump instantly up to the sixth floor. When you build a house, first you shall have your foundation and then you can pull up the walls.
It is funny that I always found this pose to be hard, maybe because I have weak legs and my eyes are not so good, so focussing was difficult. But today I came very solidly into the asana. It just happened, unexpectedly perfectly. I was standing in garudasana for at least ten breaths with such stability than never before. I could feel as all my little bits and pieces were falling into the right place and suddenly an incredible feel of solidity overrode me. I have arrived, and finally I could get on wings like a magnificient eagle.
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