Eagle Pose in Yoga Requires Flexibility, Balance, and Concentration—Here’s How to Do It

At its most simple, eagle pose seems to be one other one-legged steadiness asana, but it surely’s really a journey towards freedom.

“The eagle yoga pose, garudasana, is related not solely with an animal but additionally 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 latest ebook, Wild Asana: Animals, Yoga, and Connecting Our Observe 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 ingesting a drop of what was not rightfully his.”

There are three distinct elements 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 can be damaged up into higher and decrease halves after which sprinkled into different yoga asanas. The arms and higher physique could be practiced in quite a lot of different 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 well-liked 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–based mostly 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 when you select to maintain one talon on the bottom, eagle teaches us easy methods to discover freedom and spaciousness—each in flight and within the confines of the nest.

Advantages of eagle pose

Steadiness enchancment

“That is the right pose to work your physique for steadiness,” says Espinosa, but it surely’s not so simple as balancing on one leg. There’s a dynamism to the steadiness necessities as you progress between phases. Shifting by the phases can also be a sure-fire focus enhance. It’s laborious to consider the rest while you’re specializing in not falling.

“[Do your] greatest to convey consciousness to the foot that’s on the bottom, and root down by all 4 corners—the inside 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 selection of yoga asana that strengthen our outer hips—however not eagle pose. It lengthens our outer hips and glutes and strengthens our inside thigh muscular tissues, our adductors.

“Eagle is a go-to counterpose after doing a sequence 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 a variety of warrior poses.”

Higher-body stretch

The arm place, even when modified, offers a scrumptious upper-body stretch in our again and shoulders, significantly the rhomboids, which convey 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 fantastic 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 a variety of agility. From the start, you might be weaving elements of your physique collectively whereas balancing on one foot. Then it’s a must to preserve the wrap when you spherical down and in, solely to reverse all of it to come back out of the pose. Eagle additionally asks us to hug in with sure areas, however increase in others. All of those seemingly contradictory asks require agility and a capability to maneuver with nuance.

Breath management

Shifting between the upright model to the curled in model is a chance for us to apply sustaining a gradual breath, no matter circumstance. That mentioned, the part 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 an important piece,” she advises.

Learn how to do eagle pose

1. Begin in chair pose together with your ft collectively, knees bent, and weight in your heels.
2. Elevate your left leg and cross it over your proper, so your thighs are stacked.
3. In case you’re ready, tuck your left foot behind your proper ankle.
4. Inhale your arms into a large T-shape.
5. Now cross the other arm on prime: Proper elbow over left.
6. Bend at your elbows, bringing your forearms perpendicular to the ground.
7. Cross at your wrists to attach your palms collectively (or press the backs of the palms collectively)
8. That is half 1: Upright eagle.

1. Take an inhale, then as you exhale, start to twist your backbone ahead.
2. Think about touching the entrance of your knees together with your elbows. It’s okay when you don’t get all the way in which down.
3. Hold your shoulders sliding out of your ears and preserve a broad chest.
4. Bow your head, tucking your chin into your chest.
5. That is half 2: Nesting eagle.
6. Maintain right here for five breaths.
7. Popping out, first return to upright eagle on an inhale and pause there to exhale.
8. Untangle your prime leg, passing again by chair pose.
9. Untangle your arms and slowly stand as much as mountain pose.
10. Arrange in your second facet.

Learn how to modify eagle pose for rookies

Though eagle could be categorised as one of many primary yoga poses, our proportions and steadiness could make it superior actually rapidly. Utilizing props and/or backing off is a good way to land your eagle with a purpose to suit your wants.

Plus, as Narula says, “typically the ‘modifications’ can really be extra bodily difficult than the certain and/or steadiness model as a result of with out the distraction of making an attempt our greatest to remain upright, now we have to remain sincere.”

Newbie doesn’t imply “simple” 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 fitting asana different is all about what works in your physique.

“My relationship with the posture has positively modified through the years. After I first started training yoga, I used to be extraordinarily centered on getting very deep into the bind points of the posture,” says Narula. “As we speak, I usually use the foot of my prime leg as added steadiness help somewhat than taking my toes behind the other calf. I discover that this fashion 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, generally is a problem for quite a lot of causes, whether or not that is your pure physique proportions and even damage.

“Strive arm variations, reminiscent of grabbing reverse shoulders, somewhat than the standard arms,” suggests Narula. This may create an analogous opening within the higher again, with out overly taxing the shoulders.

If you should keep away from the wrapping altogether, you may at all times press palms and forearms collectively. “The forearms collectively variation creates house between the shoulder blades, the place stress and stress is saved throughout the physique, so that might 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.

Hold your weight in your standing heel

As soon as the legs begin to wrap, there’s a bent to convey all our weight towards our standing toes, which might make steadiness extra precarious, particularly when 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 steady connection to the bottom, which offers 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 a variety of 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 with a purpose to convey your elbows to your prime thighs. This may hole your stomach and let you tuck you in properly.

Put your inside thighs to work

Narula likes to cue college students to “squeeze their inside thighs collectively gently, which naturally helps convey the low stomach on-line and elongates the low again somewhat than sticking the tailbone out.”

Eagle pose variations

1. Supine eagle

If steadiness is an actual problem, supine eagle is a good way to get the binding advantages of pose with no need to face.

1. Begin in your again together with your knees bent and ft on the ground.
2. Cross your left leg over your proper, such as you’re sitting at a desk chair.
3. Elevate your shins so they’re parallel to the ground.
4. If potential, double cross your left toes behind your proper ankle.
5. Cross your arms over your chest together with your proper arm over your left.
6. Double-cross to both press the backs of the palms collectively or cross at wrists to the touch palms.
7. Contact your toes towards the earth and your fingertips overhead for a beautiful backbone stretch.
8. Untangle and repeat in your reverse facet.

2. Eagle crunch

Need some further core work? Strive including the eagle crunch to your circulate.

1. From supine eagle, inhale first. On an exhale, curl your backbone, bringing your knees and elbow collectively.
2. Inhale return to supine eagle.
3. Repeat 5 full rounds.
4. As soon as full, untangle your limbs and pause earlier than doing facet two.

3. Prenatal model

This prenatal eagle helps create extra space for rising bellies, and can also be an ideal possibility when you have hip accidents.

1. Stand close to a wall together with your ft hip-width aside. The wall is there for steadiness.
2. Sit again into chair pose, together with your ft collectively, hips again, and knees bent.
3. Cross your proper ankle over your left leg, coming into figure-4 legs.
4. Take the arms into eagle: crossing left elbow over proper and crossing as soon as extra at wrists.
5. If the higher physique portion is feeling too constricting together with your rising stomach, take into account one of many elective arms variations listed above (reminiscent of elbows urgent collectively or giving your self a hug).
6. Maintain for 3 breaths.
7. Untangle the legs and arms and rise up.
8. Repeat with the opposite leg and arm on prime.

Causes you would possibly need to skip eagle

Being pregnant

Eagle is mostly contraindicated for pregnant individuals. “In eagle, the legs crossed makes for a really slender heart, so steadiness turns into particularly tough,” 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 stress and restriction towards the decrease a part of the stomach in later being pregnant”

Eagle pose can also be not a hip opener—it is primarily inner rotation, which is the other of what you will need to give attention to 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. “In case you can not take the total arm wrap in eagle pose, a bear hug is an possibility,” suggests Hyman. “The palms can be dropped at the center 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 search out their very own private apply.”

Hip damage

“Eagle legs are a good way to interact the inside leg and pelvis adductor muscular tissues that assist stabilize the femur bone within the hip socket, however this may increasingly not serve anybody who has groin ache or accidents within the Iliopsoas like bursitis or tendonitis,” says Espinosa. In case you’re coping with hip accidents, skip the legs or substitute with the figure-4 possibility talked about within the prenatal model.