Today, I am sharing with you how I teach – Eagle pose – Garudasana.
Did you know? 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 suns rays.
Please remember, there is no need to buy yoga pants if you are a beginner, start with comfortable clothes and follow my lessons. You can use any yoga mat for your morning or evening yoga practice. I am demonstrating an advanced variation on my yoga wheel. You need to feel safe and comfortable to balance on a yoga wheel, therefore I am recommending mastering this standing balance pose on the floor first, before transferring it on the wheel.
Follow these steps …
- From Tadasana – Mountain pose, bend your knees and come into Chair pose.
- Bring the weight into your right foot and gaze at a fixed point ahead of you – this is your Drishti.
- With your arms out to the sides for balance, lift your left leg and cross it over your right thigh as high up as you can. Squeeze your thighs together.
- Hook the top of your right foot behind your left calf.
- Exhale and take your left arm underneath your right, bend the elbows pointing your fingers to the sky.
- Bring the backs of the hands towards each other together.
- Take hold of your right thumb with your left hand if you can, or press the backs of your hands together.
- Slightly lift your elbows.
- Keep the base of the neck and your face and jaw relaxed.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- To come out of the pose, uncross your arms and legs and come back to the Mountain pose.
- Repeat on the other side.
Benefits
- Strengthens and stretches the ankles and calves
- Stretches the thighs, hips, shoulders, and upper back
- Improves concentration
- Improves sense of balance
Om Shanti! Please subscribe to my channel to learn more about this 5,000 years old science!
