Yoga aims to bring peace between mind and body, nature and man. By performing yoga, a yogi undergoes solidarity. Practicing yoga serves the purpose of self-discovery in oneโs life. Yoga is adapted to overwhelm the regrets of life, which leads to Moksha (a state of deliverance) and Kaivalya (liberty). There are about 200 yoga poses. This article discusses an eagle yoga pose that helps to increase strength and serenity.
1. Meaning of Eagle Yoga Poses
The word Yoga in Sanskrit is Yoke, Yuj, or Unite. Yoga started in India before religion and belief systems existed. Long back, yoga existed only in India, but now all the other countries have adopted it. In 2015, as over 190 countries started practicing yoga, they started International Yoga Day on June 21.
Eagle yoga poses are one of the most common yoga poses, and they increase the strength and balance of the body. In Sanskrit, the eagle yoga pose is called Garudasana. Garuda means eagle, which is known as the king of birds. Asana means position or pose. As per Hindu scripture, the chariot of Lord Vishnu was the eagle or the garuda.
The eagle pose resembles the eagleโs beak. The yogi, while performing the eagle pose, should ride the energy of the pose and stay in the moment instead of resisting it. This yoga pose requires you to balance. Balancing opposing elements like masculine, feminine, stability, power, and motion.
2. Reason Why You Should Practise Eagle Yoga Pose
The eagle yoga pose is a standing posture that requires much attention while practising. It is a very knotty yoga posture. At first, you must bend the knees and place your right thigh over the left thigh. Then, twist your right foot in a spiral manner around the left calf to lock it.
Now, you have to take your left hand to the right and curve your right hand over your left hand. The right elbow should touch the opposite side of the left-hand elbow. Touch both palms. Lift your shoulders and stretch your fingers toward the roof. This posture seems very tedious. But itโs extremely beneficial for the body. The eagle pose helps your body balance and tightens your muscles and upper back.
3. Advantages of Eagle Yoga Poses
We all know that practising yoga improves our lives and health. Yoga helps us be calm and achieve peace of mind. Each yoga pose has different benefits for our bodies. Here are the advantages of an eagle yoga pose.
3.1. Strengthens Deep Breathing
In this yoga, when you fold the eagle arms with both hands and stretch them, the back part of the lungs opens up. That helps increase the capacity of the lungs. When you start taking deep breaths, your lungs are cleaned. Your blood cells get oxygen, which helps in purification. This enables you to live an allergy-free life if you suffer from dust allergies.
It helps decrease stress and blood pressure, which controls your heart rate and increases immunity. You gain energy, and deep breathing helps with food digestion and helps you maintain proper posture.
3.2. Helps in Balancing and Focusing
As this is a standing posture, you must stand still while wrapping one leg around the other. However, when you perform this pose, you will focus on standing still on one leg. The balance will improve when standing on either your right top leg foot or your left foot. The chances of falling reduce once you master the art of balancing. The focus will help you in your studies or any work that needs concentration.
3.3. Increasesย Stretching of Hip
This eagle pose stretches your hips. When you sit in a chair pose and stretch your hips, they will stretch wider. Also, when you tightly wrap your legs around, your hips stretch deeper. When you stretch, your body will be flexible and fit. Your hip joint is between the femur and pelvis. These two bones are important for strength.
Exaggerating your hips deeper will improve flexibility. If your hip muscles are tight, you canโt bend much. By stretching, your hip muscles will get loose, and you can bend easily. This one benefit will help a lot for runners, cyclists, etc.
3.4. Help to Strengthen Your Leg Muscles
So, when you wrap either your left leg or right leg around the weight in your left thigh or right thigh, the eagle yoga pose increases the strength of your leg muscles. It can also help you cope with arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. This is beneficial for swimmers, runners, and jumpers. It will upgrade your life and strengthen you to help you complete routine tasks.
4. Step-by-Step Process of Eagle Pose
- Start by sitting in a chair pose, also called Utkasana in Sanskrit. The eagle pose can also be done by doing the Tadasana mountain pose in Sanskrit.
- Raise your left foot, then curl your left thigh around the right thigh. Try to take your left thigh and lift it as much as possible over your right thigh. Hook the left foot around your right limb in a clockwise manner.
- Now, you have to put your left arm below the right arm. Bend your elbows, and your fingers should point up toward the sky. Then, get hold of your right thumb using your left hand. Slowly lift your elbows to the shoulder height.
- After inhaling and exhaling, repeat the exercise by changing your legs and arms. Remember, you should use both opposite arms and opposite legs while doing the eagle pose. For example, if your standing leg calf is right, wrap your left calf over that and curl the right arm over the left hand.
5. Eagle Yoga Pose Should Be Avoided By,
Eagle pose is helpful for everyone, but sometimes you have to do it with all your strength. Yoga is a must-do physical exercise for high- and low-BP people. But try to avoid tedious yoga poses. Instead, practice what is easy and wonโt make you tired. Below are the conditions to avoid this pose.
- Avoid this yoga pose if you have recently had surgery or injured your knee, hip, ankle, or elbow.
- If you suffer from low or high blood pressure, you must avoid performing this yoga pose.
- People with arthritis should not do this yoga pose because it is a standing posture. In this posture, all your upper body weight goes on your legs, and wrapping your legs and arms around each other will affect your joints.
- People who have capsulitis, pain, and stiffness in their shoulder. As you know, when you have to use your arms, it will affect the shoulder. This yoga can cause extreme shoulder pain. It is better to do a yoga practice that will help soothe your frozen shoulder. Avoid performing risky yoga postures.
6. Tips for Beginners to Practice This Yoga Pose
Eagle pose variations will help you practice the eagle pose. Start with simple yoga poses to control balance. Start with hip rotation.
- Even by practicing the eagle pose, your hips will get loose. But if your hip is too stiff, then swing your leg sideways. After the sideways swings, do the front and back leg swings.
- Later, rotate each leg inward and backward. These should be done for 10โ15 minutes each. These are some warmup exercises that will help you do the eagle pose.
- Practice the Baxter bell pose or dynamic goddess pose. The goddess pose is a type of squat. Both exercises help shape the structure of the thigh. The Baxter bell pose provides intensive internal hip and thigh support and helps stretch your pelvis. Do Baxter bell pose and dynamic chair pose at least 10 to 12 times daily.
- Later, do Utakasana, the dynamic chair pose. Also, run, swim, jump, and do other activities that should help strengthen your inner thighs.
- Rotate both your ankles anti-clockwise and clockwise. This exercise will make your ankles flexible and stronger, help you balance correctly without falling, and increase your ankleโs range of motion. Also, swing your ankle.
- Gomukhasana helps you stretch your arms, ankles, shoulders, and knees. This pose also opens the hips. Try to do the hip-opening pose.
Then, slowly start practicing the eagle pose. If you have tried balancing on one leg but have not succeeded in an eagle pose, just lean on the wall and do the posture. If you have trouble hitting your right or left foot to the top leg thigh, you can try it by sitting down. Then, once you get the knack, try again standing and leaning alongside the wall.
7. In The End
The eagle yoga poses improve your ability to focus and balance. Practicing yoga improves your life. If you have anger, then practicing yoga can reduce it. Yoga has many benefits. Yoga can cure any disease, and it can also help you reduce weight. Donโt only focus on one yoga pose. Try to do every pose but one after the other. Donโt risk yourself by falling. Use a comfortable yoga mat. For better learning, go to a yoga tutor. Yoga has become a worldwide habit.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
What are the common mistakes made in this Yoga Pose?
Some beginners make common mistakes, so remember that a pattern is necessary. If you do this pose improperly, you may feel the pain. Before performing this posture, see a video or go to yoga classes. Be assured about your arms, feet, thighs, and legs.
At what time should you do Eagle Pose?
If you want to benefit from this postureโs positive effects, the best time to practice it is in the early morning. You shouldnโt consume anything before doing yoga, as it will affect the rest of your body.
Which arm should be on top while doing the Eagle pose?
It doesnโt matter which arm should be on top. You can use whichever arm you prefer. But remember, the arm and leg that you are using should be opposite to each other.
Can beginners perform Eagle Pose?
As this is a complex pose, beginners should perform it slowly. They have to practice slowly. They first have to go with the easy yoga poses. They then can jump to difficult ones. But beginners must be careful, as this pose is risky and knotty.
What are some other similar poses like Eagle Pose?
Some other similar poses are the downward-facing dog (Adho-Mukha Shavasana in Sanskrit), Childโs Pose (Balasana in Sanskrit), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Konasana in Sanskrit), and Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana in Sanskrit), etc.
Last Updated on by Sathi
Top Comments