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

At its most elementary, eagle pose seems to be one other one-legged steadiness asana, but it surely’s truly 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 trainer Alison Zak in her current ebook, 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 can be damaged up into higher and decrease halves after which sprinkled into different yoga asanas. The arms and higher physique may be practiced in a wide range of different poses, just like the warrior poses or half moon.

“I like to show eagle arms in poses similar to 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 may be added to any inversion, like handstand and headstand, to spruce it up a bit. That is how Los Angeles–based mostly trainer and co-owner of Yoga Sanctum, Audrey Rey Espinosa, loves exploring the posture: “I like coming right into a tripod headstand with eagle legs after which straddle, switching legs mid-air!”

Regardless if you happen to select to maintain one talon on the bottom, eagle teaches us learn how to discover freedom and spaciousness—each in flight and within the confines of the nest.

Advantages of eagle pose

Stability enchancment

“That is the proper 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 way of the phases can also be a sure-fire focus enhance. It’s laborious to consider the rest whenever you’re specializing in not falling.

“[Do your] finest to carry consciousness to the foot that’s on the bottom, and root down by way of all 4 corners—the interior and outer heel, and the mound beneath the large toe, in addition to the mound beneath 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 interior thigh muscle tissue, 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 delivery eight years in the past. “This asana helps me rehabilitate and really feel balanced and powerful after doing quite a lot of warrior poses.”

Higher-body stretch

The arm place, even when modified, supplies a scrumptious upper-body stretch in our again and shoulders, significantly 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 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 quite a lot of agility. From the start, you might be weaving components of your physique collectively whereas balancing on one foot. Then you must preserve the wrap whilst 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 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 observe sustaining a gentle breath, no matter circumstance. That stated, the section the place we’re “nesting” may be difficult for individuals with histories of tension, warns Espinosa, who has skilled shortness of breath within the posture. “Begin sluggish and make your breath an important piece,” she advises.

The right way to do eagle pose

1. Begin in chair pose along with your toes collectively, knees bent, and weight in your heels.
2. Carry your left leg and cross it over your proper, so your thighs are stacked.
3. If you happen to’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 high: 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 arms 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 along with your elbows. It’s okay if you happen to don’t get all the best way down.
3. Preserve 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 high leg, passing again by way of chair pose.
9. Untangle your arms and slowly stand as much as mountain pose.
10. Arrange in your second aspect.

The right way to modify eagle pose for freshmen

Though eagle may be categorized as one of many fundamental 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 so as to suit your wants.

Plus, as Narula says, “generally the ‘modifications’ can truly be extra bodily difficult than the certain and/or steadiness model as a result of with out the distraction of attempting our greatest to remain upright, we’ve got to remain trustworthy.”

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 fitting asana different is all about what works in your physique.

“My relationship with the posture has undoubtedly modified through the years. Once I first started working towards yoga, I used to be extraordinarily centered on getting very deep into the bind features of the posture,” says Narula. “As we speak, I typically use the foot of my high leg as added steadiness help fairly 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 a wide range of causes, whether or not that is your pure physique proportions and even harm.

“Strive arm variations, similar to grabbing reverse shoulders, fairly than the normal arms,” suggests Narula. This may create an identical opening within the higher again, with out overly taxing the shoulders.

If that you must keep away from the wrapping altogether, you may 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 load of the world that we feature there,” says Hyman.

Fast suggestions for mastering eagle pose

There are some frequent misalignments in eagle which may be remedied with tiny changes.

Preserve your weight in your standing heel

As soon as the legs begin to wrap, there’s an inclination to carry all our weight towards our standing toes, which might make steadiness extra precarious, particularly if you happen to select to nest. As soon as within the pose, actually sit again with the hips, bringing extra weight into your standing heel.

“And not using a secure connection to the bottom, which supplies the inspiration for eagle pose, sensations of freedom and lightness that permit us to really feel that we’re rising above the circumstances of life will unlikely be cultivated or maintained,” explains Hyman.

Press your high elbow down, as you raise your backside elbow up

Eagle advantages from quite a lot 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 completely. Take an enormous exhale and actually spherical your backbone so as to carry your elbows to your high thighs. This may hole your stomach and can help you tuck you in properly.

Put your interior thighs to work

Narula likes to cue college students to “squeeze their interior thighs collectively gently, which naturally helps carry the low stomach on-line and elongates the low again fairly 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 without having to face.

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

2. Eagle crunch

Need some additional core work? Strive including the eagle crunch to your stream.

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 aspect two.

3. Prenatal model

This prenatal eagle helps create extra space for rising bellies, and can also be a terrific possibility you probably have hip accidents.

1. Stand close to a wall along with your toes hip-width aside. The wall is there for steadiness.
2. Sit again into chair pose, along with your toes 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 along with your rising stomach, take into account one of many optionally available arms variations listed above (similar to elbows urgent collectively or giving your self a hug).
6. Maintain for 3 breaths.
7. Untangle the legs and arms and arise.
8. Repeat with the opposite leg and arm on high.

Causes you may wish to skip eagle

Being pregnant

Eagle is mostly contraindicated for pregnant individuals. “In eagle, the legs crossed makes for a really slender middle, 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 might 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 inner rotation, which is the other of what you may wish to deal with throughout being pregnant. Hip openers “put together us for delivery, similar to these involving exterior rotation or our hips,” says Narula.

Shoulder harm

Shoulder accidents can prohibit individuals from getting their arms throughout their chest. “If you happen to can not take the complete arm wrap in eagle pose, a bear hug is an possibility,” suggests Hyman. “The arms can be delivered to the center as but an alternative choice. These alternate options are useful 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 harm

“Eagle legs are a good way to have interaction the interior leg and pelvis adductor muscle tissue 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. If you happen to’re coping with hip accidents, skip the legs or substitute with the figure-4 possibility talked about within the prenatal model.