Some Thoughts On Garudasana (Eagle Pose)

See everyone? My Sanskrit is really coming along now. This past weekend we had an essay due based around a pose covered in the ever-so-in-depth Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar. If life is a yoga sequence, (And lets face it, isn't it REALLY?) this book is a step by step manual for how to live. I chose Garudasana since I am in love with the pose. Hey now, it's also seasonally appropriate! (Get it? Thanksgiving, it's a bird!) Here are a few tidbids I gleaned from Iyengar and one or two other sources.

BKS Iyengar: So blissful, so fashionable.

In Light on Yoga, Iyengar states that Garudasana strengthens the ankles and releases tension in the shoulders. He states that the garuda, or eagle, is the king of all birds. According to Iyengar, “Garuda is represented as the vehicle of Vishnu and as having a white face, an aquiline beak, red wings and a golden body.” Garudasana is a very powerful pose. I feel strong and alive when I’m wrapped right arm under left and right leg over left. I feel rooted and confident. Until I read Iyengar’s description of Garudasana, I hadn’t thought much about what colors might be associated with an eagle. Red and golden are perfectly related to the Chakras I feel most connected with while in this pose.

            Manipura Chakra is located in the solar plexus or mid-spine, and its color corresponds with the image of the eagle’s golden body. Manipura Chakra is centered on power and ambition. Both of these qualities must be present in the yoga student to achieve this pose. Conversely, when a student achieves this pose, there comes a feeling of power and ambition. Though Iyengar’s eagle has red wings, the Muladhara Chakra associated with the color red is located in the tailbone. Considered the root Chakra, Muladhara is supportive and extends down from the base of the torso through to the legs and feet, all essential components of Garudasana. This pose requires a strong sense of balance. Visualizing the physical locations of the Muladhara and Manipura Chakras helps to focus on and maintain that balance. Lately I’ve been concentrating on engaging Mula and Uddiyana Bhanda while in this pose, and have found that very helpful in staying balanced. These Bhandas correlate with the Muladhara and Manipura Chakras as well.

            Establishing a steady drishti is something I find difficult in Garudasana. Since the arms are raised in front of the face, I find myself trying to find a point between my arms in front of me. When my arms obstruct this point, it is extremely tough to stay balanced. When I try to focus on a point on my forearms, I find that it is too close and my balance becomes compromised. Iyengar does not comment on drishti for Garudasana in Light on Yoga, though in his photo his arms are more tightly wound than mine generally are, so there is less obstruction in front of the eyes. Keeping an internal drishti is an option during any pose, though is difficult in the more intermediate balancing postures. 

Eagle. See how happy she is?

        

    Garudasana would be well placed in a class built around themes of strength, courage or cultivation of personal power. It is also an excellent choice for those that work while sitting at a desk. The arm placement in Garudasana helps to draw the shoulder blades away from each other, opening the upper back. The legs and ankles are also fired up in this pose. This posture is a welcomed relief for those that sit hunched over a keyboard and computer screen all day, though the effects of Garudasana are certainly beneficial to all.