Sue Ransom Yoga

How often do you stand on one leg, your legs wrapped around each other and your arms similarly entwined? And, if you try it, is it possible to think of anything else other than what you’re doing? Welcome to eagle pose (garudasana in sanksrit).

This asymmetrical standing balance is a great one for focusing your concentration. It’s twisty and complicated. It’s pretty much an all-over strengthener, develops balance, and gives a nice stretch to the upper back. It’s not one you can surreptitiously do in the supermarket queue – people would notice 😊- but one of the great things about incorporating it in your yoga practice is just the way it expands your variety of movement. And it’s so very good for us to move in a variety of ways that differ from out everyday habits of movement. Through focused attention and breath, we seek balance and stillness as we try to achieve this difficult asana.

As with all the poses there are variations. I like to layer this posture up. If you do this you can add in what you like and take it to the level you want on any given day. Centring in tadasana it can feel lovely to take big stretch through, linking fingers, raising arms and pushing palms towards the sky as you come onto the balls of your feet in palm tree pose. (And doing the same between each side of the pose feels gorgeous as it gives you an opportunity to lengthen out and untangle yourself). As your heels return to the mat and you lower your arms, bring your left forearm in front of your face, hook your right arm underneath stacking your right elbow underneath the left, and wrap your right forearm upwards taking your palms towards each other. Perhaps they will touch. Or maybe not. Stand still and appreciate the delicious stretch across your upper back. Keep your forearms high. You are in eagle arms.

From here keep a tall spine as you hinge from knees and hips coming into chair pose with eagle arms. Then, with your right foot securely grounded into your mat, raise the left one and take your left thigh over your right snuggling them together. Here you can place your left foot on a block (a book is a good substitute if you’re practicing at home and don’t have a block), or maybe onto your mat. You may like to wrap your left foot around your right calf or ankle. In this posture please don’t strain your knee in order to get your toes around the opposite calf/ankle. Rather encourage that to happen over time by including subtle changes to the movement of the hips, thighs, ankle and foot as well as the knee.

When you’re holding have a play. You could bring your spine into a more upright position. Alternatively you could take this into more of a forward fold. Hinging from the hips experiment with bringing your elbows to your thigh. Or your forearms to your thigh with your forehead following.

Breathe and be still…

Can you feel any part of your body which isn’t involved in the asana? Garudasana is an all-body strengthening pose – can you feel the power of it as you hold? Can you feel the generation of internal heat? Moving up through your body your standing leg foot, ankle and calf muscles are worked and strengthened in their weight-bearing capacity. Your hip abductors are working to stabilise your pelvis, as are your trunk stabilisers. While the abdominal muscles are an essential part of the body’s core, the core technically includes all the stabilisation muscles of the torso. So the muscles in the back, hips and shoulders are all part of the core, and must work with the abdominal muscles for core stability, making garudasana a great core strengthening asana. Repeat to the other side.

Enjoy…

Best to check with your health care professional before practicing yoga. I share yoga in beautiful Tasman Bay near Nelson, New Zealand. Please contact me for more information about weekly group sessions, private sessions, workshops and to book.