Eagle Pose or Garudasana is one of those yoga poses that can be frustrating at first. The reason is that the benefits it tries to teach you are also what you need, at least a little, to do the pose in the first place. So, while Eagle Pose teaches great concentration and balance, it also requires these things to achieve it!

If you follow this guide, I can tell you what Eagle Pose can do for you health-wise. Then, I’m going to work you through the steps of the routine and the form of the final Garudasana pose. Hopefully, this will help you work up to the point where you can find ultimate balance and concentration with Eagle Pose, as many yogis have in the past.

 

Benefits of Eagle Pose

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eagle Pose is all about breathing, concentration, and balance. It works into many sequences from many common preparatory poses and fits well into most standing pose sequences at the end. Immediately, Eagle Pose can open up symptoms of asthma, treat pain in your lower back, and ease sciatica. Over time, it has even more pronounced benefits.

By prioritizing balance, Garudasana can also give you an increase in concentration. At the same time, it offers a great stretch in your ankles and calves, as well as your thighs, hips, and shoulders.

If you have weak ankles, Eagle Pose strengthens them, as well as stretching them. This may be the cause of your lack of balance to begin with! So not only does the pose improve balance but strengthening the muscles themselves offers a further boost to your stability.

 

How to Do the Pose

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start in Mountain Pose or Tadasana, with a straight back and toes spread but touching. With a slight bend in your knees, balance on your right foot as you lift your left. Now, with your toes pointed to the floor, cross your foot in the crook of your leg, behind your calf. Hold your leg hooked onto the one still planted on the floor. Remain in this position for a moment to find your balance.

Now, stretch your arms forward, bent so that your forearms shoot straight to the floor through your elbows. You should feel your shoulder blades widening as you cross your arms in front of you, right over left. They should be hooked together with the palms of your hands facing away from each other, elbows bent to be perpendicular to the floor.

Press your hands together palm to palm. Your right hand should be higher. Lifting your elbows with your hands pressed together, stretch your fingers up as high as you can (you may not get much of a stretch at first!).

Feel this pose strengthen your ankles and calves, as well as a stretch along your upper shoulders. Remain with your fingers stretched to the ceiling for up to 30 seconds before returning to Mountain Pose.

Don’t forget to repeat Garudasana with the opposite arms and legs!

If you’re a beginner at this pose, you may find yourself wobbling trying to get everything aligned. That’s okay! But remember that doing the pose as correctly as you can is better than trying to do everything and losing your balance. For support, practice this pose leaning against a wall. You can still get the stretch in your calves and open up your shoulders even in this supported version.

 

The Takeaway

Eagle Pose or Garudasana asks a lot of you. You need to have balance to improve it. But you can practice by leaning against a wall and inch your way out into doing this pose free-standing. Once you do, Eagle Pose offers greater balance to your standing yoga sequence, as well as higher concentration during your stressful week.