Fly Like An Eagle

History of Eagle Pose

Eagle Pose (Garudasana - Gahr-ooo-DAHS-a-nah) is a standing asana that is also a balancing posture. It’s a posture that needs strength and helps students to find focus. It requires concentration, and control, so that the student is able to find a quiet mind and a stable foundation, working with the third eye Charka - Ajna.

In Sanskrit the words Garuda means "eagle", and asana means "posture" or "seat".
In Hindu mythology, Garuda is a bird that is described as half eagled (the head and wings), but also half human (body, arms and legs). Garuda is often referred to as a divine bird, or more commonly he is known as “King of the Birds.” He is associated with sun and fire and is said to represents both birth and heaven.

Garuda was said to be the king of the bird community, the enemy of all snakes, but the friend of all humans. Garuda was the vehicle of Lord Vishnu, the aspect of divinity which sustains the universe and takes birth as a man.

Garuda is the vehicle of Vishnu, the preserver of the creation. Vishnu's name comes from the root vish, which means "to enter into”. Visnu protects the universe by entering into it, just as in meditation you choose an object of focus and then, to sustain your meditation, you continually choose that same object again and again with each moment. Contemplate what it means to preserve and sustain. Garuda’s and Jatayu (Garudas nephew) dharma (concept) is to protect the creation and everything in it. Garudas enemy is Ravana, who was said to be half-Brahmin and half-demon. Ravana kidnaps Sita (Hindu Goddess), and because of this, his action disrupts the Garuda and his creation, just like desires and the ego can disrupt us in our lives today.

Eagle Pose - The Posture

Eagle Pose is a wonderful posture for anyone with lower back pain and sciatica as it opens the back lungs, and it also increases breathing capacity. The fact we are also balancing can help to protect knees against injury. It opens the shoulders and back alongside strengthening your legs.

 Eagle Pose Teaching points:

Begin in Mountain Pose.

Shift the weight into the left foot so this is going to be your balancing leg and ground down into all four corners of that foot.

Raise the right foot from the mat and cross the right leg over the left.

Bend the knees and bind the right foot around the left calf.

Keep knees pointing forward, and hips square.

Extend those arms out in front of the body and bend the elbows to 90 degrees      taking the right arm under the left and binding them around each other.

Lift the elbows up so they're in line with the shoulders aim for the palms to connect and put the fingers up to the ceiling.

Keep the shoulders square.

Relax the shoulders down and away from the ears.

Find a Drishti, something to focus on that’s not moving.

Draw the navel in towards the spine.

Lift with the crown of head, keeping head of heart, heart over pelvis.

Eagle Pose Options:

For any hip or knee issues students can just take Eagle arms.

With the leg that crosses over students can rest the toes on a block at the side of the standing foot, or the floor, or they rest the leg on the thigh.

For beginners or anyone who struggles with balance they can use a wall for support.

For any shoulder injuries, students can keep hands to hips or heart centre, or they can just cross one under the other and not take the bind any deeper than that.

Want to know more?

If you’d like to know more about yoga or how to teach, we have courses where you can learn the basics, right the way through to our 500hr teacher training. You can view full course syllabuses on our website www.yogacourse.com