Garudasana
Your Monthly Yoga Pose
November is a month that reminds many of that one famous fowl, the turkey. Although there is no official “turkey pose” in yoga, there are many bird poses. A few familiar bird poses are crow, pigeon, swan and, our pose of the month, eagle.
Eagle pose, or garudasana, is a balancing and strengthening pose that helps to work on concentration.
- Begin in Mountain Pose, or standing upright.
- Ground into your left leg and begin to lift the right foot off the ground.
- Cross your raised right thigh over your bent left thigh.
- Point your right toes toward the floor and deepen the bend in the left leg. If possible, hook the top of the right foot around the left calf or ankle.
- Balance on the right foot.
- Raise your arms parallel to the ground and cross your arms at the torso. Bring the right arm under the left arm.
- Bend your elbows and continue to wrap the arms so your right forearm is closer to your face and the left forearm is wrapped behind it.
- Bring the palms together as close as you can.
- With each inhale, lift the elbows.
- With each exhale, simultaneously pull the hands away from the face and sit a little lower into the standing right leg.
- Allow your gaze to be soft and look through your hands or at your thumbs. Stay in this pose for 3-5 breaths.
- Unwind the arms and legs and repeat for the left side.
Modifications:
While learning balance in the pose, you may wrap the top leg and allow the toes to touch the mat to aid in balance. You may also practice the pose with your back near the wall to aid in balance. A strap is also beneficial to bring the hands closer together. A variation of the pose can be done while lying on the mat.
Benefits:
The benefits of eagle pose are vast. Done properly and consistently, the most noticeable benefits include:
- Stronger arms, legs, knees, and ankles
- Open shoulder joints, creating space between the shoulder blades
- Open hips and IT band
- Increased circulation to all joints
- Improved digestion and elimination
- Improved balance
- Improved focus
Namaste!
Natalia Foote is the owner of threeR, a company bringing mindfulness, meditation and yoga practices to the workplace. Her mission in life is spreading love and light in the world. When not spending time with her family, you can find Natalia taking and teaching yoga all around Lake Nona.
