At its most elementary, eagle pose seems to be one other one-legged stability asana, nevertheless it’s really a journey towards freedom.
“The eagle yoga pose, garudasana, is related not solely with an animal but in addition with a god named Garuda, described as having a golden physique, white face, pink wings, talons, and a curved beak,” writes writer and yoga instructor Alison Zak in her current e-book, Wild Asana: Animals, Yoga, and Connecting Our Follow to the Pure World. “He reigns as king of the birds in Hindu mythology and symbolizes integrity as a result of he as soon as carried the nectar of immortality in his beak with out consuming a drop of what was not rightfully his.”
There are three distinct components to the pose. The primary is remaining upright. Within the second half we curl into the nest of our legs, which engages the abdominals. The ultimate half is the approaching out of the pose, the place we unfold our wings and “fly away.”
Eagle will also be damaged up into higher and decrease halves after which sprinkled into different yoga asanas. The arms and higher physique could be practiced in a wide range of various poses, just like the warrior poses or half moon.
“I really like to show eagle arms in poses reminiscent of goddess and even seated in virasana or vajrasana,” says Neeti Narula, a preferred yoga information on the Melissa Wooden Well being app.
The legs could be added to any inversion, like handstand and headstand, to spruce it up a bit. That is how Los Angeles–primarily based instructor and co-owner of Yoga Sanctum, Audrey Rey Espinosa, loves exploring the posture: “I really like coming right into a tripod headstand with eagle legs after which straddle, switching legs mid-air!”
Regardless in case you select to maintain one talon on the bottom, eagle teaches us discover freedom and spaciousness—each in flight and within the confines of the nest.
Advantages of eagle pose
Stability enchancment
“That is the right pose to work your physique for stability,” says Espinosa, nevertheless it’s not so simple as balancing on one leg. There’s a dynamism to the stability necessities as you progress between phases. Transferring by way of the phases can also be a sure-fire focus enhance. It’s exhausting to consider the rest if you’re specializing in not falling.
“[Do your] greatest to carry consciousness to the foot that’s on the bottom, and root down by way of all 4 corners—the internal and outer heel, and the mound below the large toe, in addition to the mound below the pinky toe,” recommends Brian Hyman, RYT, IAYT, writer of Restoration with Yoga.
Leg strengthening
There are a variety of yoga asana that strengthen our outer hips—however not eagle pose. It lengthens our outer hips and glutes and strengthens our internal thigh muscular tissues, our adductors.
“Eagle is a go-to counterpose after doing a collection of exterior hip shapes,” says Espinosa, who has battled with a hypermobile pelvis and sacrum since giving beginning eight years in the past. “This asana helps me rehabilitate and really feel balanced and powerful after doing numerous warrior poses.”
Higher-body stretch
The arm place, even when modified, supplies a scrumptious upper-body stretch in our again and shoulders, notably the rhomboids, which carry the shoulder blades collectively. Narula teaches the prenatal program at Melissa Wooden Well being and loves specializing in this profit together with her pregnant college students: “Eagle arms can really feel actually great throughout being pregnant as our backs and shoulders are in want of opening!” It is also a beautiful stretch for our fascia, and eagle arms is thought to be a wonderful yoga pose for complications.
Agility enchancment
The varied phases of eagle require numerous agility. From the start, you might be weaving components of your physique collectively whereas balancing on one foot. Then you need to preserve the wrap when you spherical down and in, solely to reverse all of it to return out of the pose. Eagle additionally asks us to hug in with sure areas, however broaden in others. All of those seemingly contradictory asks require agility and a capability to maneuver with nuance.
Breath management
Transferring between the upright model to the curled in model is a chance for us to observe sustaining a gentle breath, no matter circumstance. That stated, the section the place we’re “nesting” could be difficult for individuals with histories of hysteria, warns Espinosa, who has skilled shortness of breath within the posture. “Begin gradual and make your breath a very powerful piece,” she advises.
do eagle pose
- Begin in chair pose along with your ft collectively, knees bent, and weight in your heels.
- Elevate your left leg and cross it over your proper, so your thighs are stacked.
- For those who’re in a position, tuck your left foot behind your proper ankle.
- Inhale your arms into a large T-shape.
- Now cross the alternative arm on prime: Proper elbow over left.
- Bend at your elbows, bringing your forearms perpendicular to the ground.
- Cross at your wrists to attach your palms collectively (or press the backs of the fingers collectively)
- That is half 1: Upright eagle.
- Take an inhale, then as you exhale, start to twist your backbone ahead.
- Think about touching the entrance of your knees along with your elbows. It’s okay in case you don’t get all the best way down.
- Maintain your shoulders sliding out of your ears and preserve a broad chest.
- Bow your head, tucking your chin into your chest.
- That is half 2: Nesting eagle.
- Maintain right here for five breaths.
- Popping out, first return to upright eagle on an inhale and pause there to exhale.
- Untangle your prime leg, passing again by way of chair pose.
- Untangle your arms and slowly stand as much as mountain pose.
- Arrange in your second aspect.
modify eagle pose for freshmen
Though eagle could be categorized as one of many primary yoga poses, our proportions and stability could make it superior actually rapidly. Utilizing props and/or backing off is a good way to land your eagle as a way to suit your wants.
Plus, as Narula says, “generally the ‘modifications’ can really be extra bodily difficult than the sure and/or stability model as a result of with out the distraction of attempting our greatest to remain upright, now we have to remain sincere.”
Newbie doesn’t imply “straightforward” or “lower than,” it merely means you might be nonetheless studying the pose.
Kickstand your backside foot or place your toes on a block
Reminder that discovering the appropriate asana various is all about what works in your physique.
“My relationship with the posture has undoubtedly modified through the years. Once I first started practising yoga, I used to be extraordinarily centered on getting very deep into the bind features of the posture,” says Narula. “At this time, I typically use the foot of my prime leg as added stability help slightly than taking my toes behind the alternative calf. I discover that this manner feels extra spacious and permits me to really feel extra aligned within the posture, creating that steadiness and ease high quality that’s important to any asana.”
Give your self a hug or press your forearms collectively
The wrapping of the arms, like many twisting yoga poses, could be a problem for a wide range of causes, whether or not that is your pure physique proportions and even damage.
“Strive arm variations, reminiscent of grabbing reverse shoulders, slightly than the normal arms,” suggests Narula. This can create an analogous opening within the higher again, with out overly taxing the shoulders.
If it’s good to keep away from the wrapping altogether, you’ll be able to all the time press palms and forearms collectively. “The forearms collectively variation creates house between the shoulder blades, the place rigidity and stress is saved throughout the physique, so that may be a great way to let go of the burden of the world that we supply there,” says Hyman.
Fast suggestions for mastering eagle pose
There are some widespread misalignments in eagle which could be remedied with tiny changes.
Maintain your weight in your standing heel
As soon as the legs begin to wrap, there’s a bent to carry all our weight towards our standing toes, which may make stability extra precarious, particularly in case you select to nest. As soon as within the pose, actually sit again with the hips, bringing extra weight into your standing heel.
“With no secure connection to the bottom, which supplies the inspiration for eagle pose, sensations of freedom and lightness that enable us to really feel that we’re rising above the circumstances of life will unlikely be cultivated or maintained,” explains Hyman.
Press your prime elbow down, as you elevate your backside elbow up
Eagle advantages from numerous reverse actions. One such motion is the highest higher arm bone urgent down into the underside higher arm bone, as your backside higher arm bone gently lifts towards your head. This higher arm tug-of-war helps glide the shoulder blades down your again.
Hole the stomach to nest extra deeply
Many individuals attempt to fold flat to nest their eagle and miss the nest fully. Take an enormous exhale and actually spherical your backbone as a way to carry your elbows to your prime thighs. This can hole your stomach and let you tuck you in properly.
Put your internal thighs to work
Narula likes to cue college students to “squeeze their internal thighs collectively gently, which naturally helps carry the low stomach on-line and elongates the low again slightly than sticking the tailbone out.”
Eagle pose variations
1. Supine eagle
If stability is an actual problem, supine eagle is a good way to get the binding advantages of pose while not having to face.
- Begin in your again along with your knees bent and ft on the ground.
- Cross your left leg over your proper, such as you’re sitting at a desk chair.
- Elevate your shins so they’re parallel to the ground.
- If doable, double cross your left toes behind your proper ankle.
- Cross your arms over your chest along with your proper arm over your left.
- Double-cross to both press the backs of the fingers collectively or cross at wrists to the touch palms.
- Contact your toes towards the earth and your fingertips overhead for a beautiful backbone stretch.
- Untangle and repeat in your reverse aspect.
2. Eagle crunch
Need some further core work? Strive including the eagle crunch to your circulation.
- From supine eagle, inhale first. On an exhale, curl your backbone, bringing your knees and elbow collectively.
- Inhale return to supine eagle.
- Repeat 5 full rounds.
- As soon as full, untangle your limbs and pause earlier than doing aspect two.
3. Prenatal model
This prenatal eagle helps create more room for rising bellies, and can also be an excellent possibility when you have hip accidents.
- Stand close to a wall along with your ft hip-width aside. The wall is there for stability.
- Sit again into chair pose, along with your ft collectively, hips again, and knees bent.
- Cross your proper ankle over your left leg, coming into figure-4 legs.
- Take the arms into eagle: crossing left elbow over proper and crossing as soon as extra at wrists.
- If the higher physique portion is feeling too constricting along with your rising stomach, take into account one of many non-obligatory arms variations listed above (reminiscent of elbows urgent collectively or giving your self a hug).
- Maintain for 3 breaths.
- Untangle the legs and arms and get up.
- Repeat with the opposite leg and arm on prime.
Causes you would possibly wish to skip eagle
Being pregnant
Eagle is mostly contraindicated for pregnant individuals. “In eagle, the legs crossed makes for a really slim middle, so stability turns into particularly troublesome,” says Narula, who runs a prenatal program for the Melissa Wooden Well being app. “Moreover, the highest leg crossing over the underside leg could can create strain and restriction in opposition to the decrease a part of the stomach in later being pregnant”
Eagle pose can also be not a hip opener—it is primarily inside rotation, which is the alternative of what you may wish to concentrate on throughout being pregnant. Hip openers “put together us for beginning, reminiscent of these involving exterior rotation or our hips,” says Narula.
Shoulder damage
Shoulder accidents can prohibit individuals from getting their arms throughout their chest. “For those who can not take the complete arm wrap in eagle pose, a bear hug is an possibility,” suggests Hyman. “The fingers will also be dropped at the guts as but another choice. These options are helpful as a result of they keep away from additional ache or worsening of accidents, whereas yogis concurrently get an opportunity to seek out their very own private observe.”
Hip damage
“Eagle legs are a good way to have interaction the internal leg and pelvis adductor muscular tissues that assist stabilize the femur bone within the hip socket, however this may occasionally not serve anybody who has groin ache or accidents within the Iliopsoas like bursitis or tendonitis,” says Espinosa. For those who’re coping with hip accidents, skip the legs or substitute with the figure-4 possibility talked about within the prenatal model.