EagleSave PDF
Garudasana
gar-oo-DAH-sah-nah
Strengthens legs; stretches shoulders and upper back
Improves circulation
Improves coordination and balance
How to perform Eagle
- Stand with your feet together. Bend your knees slightly. Cross your right thigh over your left thigh with an inhale. Hook your right toes behind your calf.
- Raise your arms to shoulder height with an inhale. Cross your right arm under your left arm with an exhale. Bend your elbows and bring your palms to touch.
- Gaze at one point ahead of you. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Slowly unwind with an exhale. Return to standing. Change sides.
Alignment cues
- Reach elbows upward
- Draw shoulders downward
- Gaze at a fixed point to balance
- Lengthen spine
Modification: Rest your top toes on the floor rather than hooking them behind your calf.
Avoid this pose if you have a knee injury or low blood pressure.
More yoga poses to discover
Eagle (Garudasana in Sanskrit) is a beginner yoga pose that belongs to the balancing and standing categories. This asana targets glutes & hip flexors, shoulders and upper back & lower traps, and also involves ankles, middle back / lats, quadriceps and wrists muscles. Eagle improves circulation; strengthens legs; stretches shoulders and upper back and also improves coordination and balance. Refer to the illustration and instructions above for how to perform this posture correctly. Discover more yoga asanas and yogic breathing exercises in our free yoga pose directory – a visual resource for yoga teacher training students as well as practitioners of all levels. Finally, shop our best-selling Yoga Cards products!
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