#4 Garurasana - Eagle Pose
This is a compression posture. First you compress, then you let go, releasing and opening up the major joints in your body (hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows and wrists).
To begin Eagle Pose:
Feet together on the line. Look at arms and identify which is right and left. Don't mix them up.
Arms over your head sideways. Right arm under left. Cross your arms and twist like ropes. Bring hands in front of your face. Thumbs towards your face. Baby fingers towards mirror. If you can't bring palms together, interlace fingers. Pull elbows down towards floor to get your fingertips below your nose.
Sit down until your hips touch the chair. Upper body leaning back. Stay down.
Lift right leg up and over your left leg. Twist like ropes. Put right foot underneath left calf muscle. Sit down more and twist like ropes. Upper body back. No gap between ankle and calf muscle.
Bring knees to right, upper body to the left. Get your feet, knees, elbows, hands, everything in one line in the mirror.
If your foot is coming out, sit down more. If you are losing your balance, upper body lean back more. Suck your stomach in and sit down. Pull your elbows down. Upper body back.
Change…Repeat for the other side
Benefits:
The main benefit of Eagle Posture is to open the shoulders for Standing Head to Knee Pose. Elbow over elbow. Thumbs face in. Wrists straight. Pull elbows down. Continue nonstop to pull elbows down to stretch the shoulders.
Beginners or clients with tight shoulders or larger chest or abdominal area may have difficult time, but THAT IS OK!! Put elbow under elbow and continue to pull down to develop the flexibility in the shoulders. Eagle Pose also helps to stretch the neck and shoulders, where we store the majority of our tension.
Bikram Yoga Burr Ridge
