Garudasana
Adelaar Houding | Eagle Pose
Improves balance
Opens back
Stretches shoulders, upper back, hips & thighs
Strengthens the legs
Contra-indications:
Knee and ankle injuries
GETTING INTO THE POSE
From tadasana, shift the weight to the left foot.
Bend the knees and cross your right knee over the left, if you can, hook your right foot behind your left calf.
Sitting bones go slightly towards the backs of your knees to make space in the lower back, feel the abdominal muscles tighten.
Spread the arms out in front of you and cross your left arm over your right.
Bend the elbows and bring the fingers of your right hand to the palm of the left hand to bind. The pinky sides of your hands point straight forward.
Bring the elbows to shoulder height and the hands away from the face so that the hands are pointing straight up.
Shoulders away from ears.
Make the seat a bit deeper by bending your knees a little further.
Gaze straight ahead.
BREATH
Inhale: make length between the sitting bones and the crown, between the shoulders & between the shoulders and the ears.
- Or -
Breathe to the back of the rib cage (the upper back)
GETTING OUT OF THE POSE
Untangle the arms and legs and come back to tadasana.
PREPARATORY POSES
Gomukasana | Cow face pose
Utkatasana | Chair pose
Vrksasana | Tree pose
Gomukasana Garudasana | Cow face pose with eagle arms
SUBSEQUENT POSES
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REPLACEMENT POSES
Gomukasana | Cow face pose
Utkatasana | Chair pose
Vrksasana | Tree pose
Gomukasana Garudasana | Cow face pose with eagle arms