Health Benefits of Eagle Pose (Garudasana): How to Do It & Precautions

garudasana in yoga — (source: theyogacollective)

Garudasana, or the eagle pose, is one of the most productive standing yoga poses. While doing this posture for the first time, you will sense tightening or constriction. However, this is when you should push yourself and keep doing it because it will eventually ease your muscles and bring stability.

Nevertheless, you must learn about the health benefits of Garudasan and its precautions and the right steps to it before you decide to include it in your workout regime.

What Is Garudasana?

“Garuda” in Sanskrit stands for eagle, and “asana” means posture. The asymmetrical body position achieved from this asana is a representation of focus and strength. As this is an advanced level exercise, you should gather adequate information before trying to ace it. Additionally, if anyone wants to improve their posture and balance, they can also try this.

What Are the Health Benefits of Garudasana?

As you can infer from the above section, one of the primary benefits of doing this posture is enhancing balance. It also helps you work on your focus and body posture. The Eagle pose is also a good stretching exercise as it engages your whole body. In addition, it has the following advantages as well.

1. Improves Body Balance

Garudasana is all about balancing your whole body on one leg. For individuals who have lost coordination or stabilisation, this exercise can help them regain their balance.

2. Improves Focus

When you practise the eagle pose, you need to have immense focus and concentration to not lose balance. While remaining still in this pose, you also develop awareness and calmness of body and mind. Hence you elevate your mental attention span.

3. Enhances Flexibility

As our body consists of several joints and muscles, it is essential to maintain flexibility for better functioning. By doing this exercise, you can increase your body's flexibility and prepare yourself to sustain in any new situation or environment. Moreover, practising the eagle pose improves your reflexes alongside increasing flexibility.

4. Relieves Stress

One of the best advantages of Garudasana is that it relieves stress and tension from your body. As most people suffer from muscle stress and stiffness, it is necessary to untie those knots and ease the muscles. Although it will take some time to attain this, you need to keep practising in order to extract benefits from this yoga.

5. Treats Sciatica

Sciatica is the pain that mainly affects your back, hips and legs. This results from compressing the spinal nerve root of the lower back, which occurs mainly for sitting for long hours. So, when you practise the eagle pose, your lower back bones get toned, relieving your sciatica.

6. Strengthens Your Legs

When you are in this yoga pose, your body weight is put on one leg. This affects the lower leg bones, also known as the tibia and fibula. So, if you are looking for ways to tone your legs, this posture can be very effective. Furthermore, it also strengthens your legs.

7. Elongates Arms and Thighs

Our arms and thighs are the assets that help us move. Although they are always in motion, they need specific exercises to develop their strength. As you twist your legs and arms to correct your posture and balance, you also stretch these body parts that eventually elongate your arms and thighs.

8. Improves Blood Circulation

The twisting and stretching in this yoga promotes better blood circulation. It also works wonders on your muscle cramps and stiffness. Hence, including this posture in your routine workout can help you perform daily activities efficiently.

9. Reduces Neck and Shoulder Pain

To strike the exact posture for this asana, you are required to stabilise your neck and shoulder. Thus, making Garudasana one of the best ways to treat a tight neck and shoulder.

Other Benefits

As you have to twist your body, your internal organs like kidneys get squeezed. This helps in body detoxification.
Eagle Pose significantly improves the digestive system and controls bowel movement

How to Perform an Eagle Pose (Garudasana)?

eagle pose in yoga — (source: purnayoga828)

The procedure of Garudasana demands high focus and concentration because it is all about carefully balancing your whole body on one leg. So here are the steps to guide you through the process.

Step 1: Stand upright with your eyes focused at a point.

Step 2: Give some pressure to your right leg and bend the knees. You must feel an alternate force to lift your head to lengthen your spine.

Step 3: Take your left foot and cross it over the right thigh and curl it up to fix it there. Make sure to point your left toes to the ground.

Step 4: Bring your arms forward and put your left arm over your right, making a twist. Then move your right hand towards your face.

Step 5: Now cross your forearms and press palms; here, you will need to try to raise your elbows to your shoulder height.

Step 6: Hold on to this position for some time and sense the stretch in your spine.

Step 7: Slowly release your arms and legs and return to the first position to repeat the same with your other leg.

What Are the Tips for Practising Eagle Pose?

If you are a beginner, here are some tips to help you practise the eagle pose.

Always do a warm-up session before doing the Garudasana.
Instead of hooking one leg onto another, you can cross your legs and use your bigger toe to press against the floor. In this way, you can work up to maintain balance.
Make sure to press your hands flat against each other. However, if wrapping your arms is uncomfortable, place them on opposite shoulders.
You should keep your breathing regular; holding your breath is never recommended in this asana.
Stop practising this posture if you feel dizziness or pain.
It is important to do this asana on an empty stomach. So, you can eat at least 4-6 hours before doing the Garudasana.

What Are the Precautions and Contraindications of the Eagle Pose?

Garudasana is a complex yoga posture; hence it is vital to beware of its precautions and contraindication. If you have any of these medical conditions, you should refrain from practising this yoga.

Shoulder, elbow, knee or wrist injury
Twisted or enlarged veins
Arthritis
Knee pain

If you are pregnant, consult your doctor before trying this eagle pose.

What Are the Easy Modifications of an Eagle Pose?

This section is especially for those who are just beginning to learn the Eagle pose. You can try these easy modifications to become more familiar with the pose.

You can use a wall to rest your back for the first few times. Once you gain more confidence, try balancing without the wall.
If you find it is tough to hook your lifted foot, place a block under that foot. Use this as a kind of kickstand.
Another way to try the eagle pose is by sitting on a chair.

Apart from the multiple health benefits of garudasana, it is one of the most effective stretching exercises. It can strengthen your back, hips, shoulders, thighs and calves. Further, maintain adequate circulation of blood and clear your mind to improve focus and concentration. So, if you have read the entire write-up, you now know how to get started with this exercise.

FAQs About Garudasana

All

Why do most people find it challenging to do the eagle pose?

Individuals may find it hard to do the eagle pose because they have tight or stiff shoulders and back. To ease your muscles, you can start with preparatory poses like downward-facing dog, cow face, hero, and tree pose. These will open your muscle knots and help you practise this posture.

What are some of the counter poses for garudasana?

Balasana (child’s pose), Adho-Mukha Shavasana (downward facing dog), Utkata Konasana (goddess pose), Setu Bandha Konasana (bridge pose). These are some counter postures you can try to transition out of garudasana.