Garuḍāsana is a challenging and beautiful pose. In its best form it embodies the paradox of effort and the ease of surrender. It provides us with an opportunity to practice noticing and accessing the flow of energy created in our body as we stand, twist, and balance. It can increase our physical strength and improve our poise while co-creating an emotional balance. It facilitates the joining of our body, breath, and mind at that sweet spot between effort and ease where we can spread our wings and ride the wind – on and off the mat. “The large birds of prey – the falcon and the eagle – who soar so majestically achieve this mastery in flight by surrendering to the currents of the air, with only a few movements of their wings.” [1]
“Garuda, though often translated as “eagle,” is actually a mythical bird. . . a magical species who are often described as ‘outrageous’ because of their extraordinary ability to fly and fly and fly …and never land. They never have to land because they never get tired. And they never get tired because they ride the wind.” [2]
Phonetic pronunciation: guh-ru*-dah-suh-nuh *u as in “put” [3]
garuḍa = Eagle (mythical bird)
āsana = Pose
Execution of the Pose [4]
· From tadāsana (mountain pose) find a focus point (drishti) somewhere in front of you. Keep your gaze fixed on this spot throughout the posture.
· Shift your weight to the right leg. Step the left leg out (abduct) slightly to the left side, and keep your toes on the ground.
· Inhale to create space in the spine and keep the pelvis square.
· Bring your hands to your hips, and roll your shoulders open as you exhale and bend both knees.
· Be sure that your body weight falls straight down from the spine and that your knees do not extend out beyond your feet.
· Flex your hips as if you were going to sit in a chair.
· Lift your left foot off the ground, and cross your left knee over your right leg above the right knee, keeping both knees bent.
· If possible, hook your left foot behind your right calf.
· Keep your tailbone extended toward the floor and your ribcage and chest
lifted and open.
· With every breath in, reach the crown of the head upward.
· Maintain length in the entire spine from the low back to the neck.
· Keep your body weight balanced with your hips reaching back and your spine perpendicular to the floor.
· Inhale and stretch your arms apart out to your sides.
· Exhale and cross your arms in front of your chest by moving your right arm over your left arm above the elbows.
· then bend your elbows so the backs of your hands come together in front of your face.
· If you can, comfortably, press your palms together, essentially wrapping your arms.
· Bring your hands in line with your gaze.
· Continue to focus on your breath – the smoother and steadier the breath, the steadier the balance.
· Breathe into the space between your shoulder blades, feeling your shoulder blades move away from each other with each inhalation.
· Be sure to drop your shoulders away from your ears.
· To exist the posture, inhale and slowly unwind your arms.
· Uncross the left leg and place the foot on the floor.
· Inhale and straighten the right leg.
· Prepare to reverse the order for the other side by returning to tadāsana.
Benefits
· Loosens and strengthens ankles and hips
· Loosens wrists and shoulders
· Releases tightness between shoulder blades and across sacrum
· Cultivates confidence through balance
· Improves concentration
· Strengthens legs
Cautions
· Ankle injury
· Shoulder injury
· Hip Replacements
· Students with knee injuries should avoid this pose, or perform only the leg position described in the Beginner's Tip below.
Beginner’s Tip [5]
Beginners often find it difficult to wrap the arms around until the palms touch. Stretch your arms straight forward, parallel to the floor, while holding onto the ends of a strap. Follow the rest of the instructions stated in step 2 above and keep the strap taut between your hands.
Beginners also find it difficult to hook the raised-leg foot behind the standing-leg calf, and then balance on the standing foot. As a short-term option cross the legs but, instead of hooking the raised foot and calf, press the big toe of the raised-leg foot against the floor to help maintain your balance.
____________________________________
[1] Swami Sivananda Radha, Hatha Yoga, The Hidden Language, (Timeless Books, 2007), p. 181.
[2] Cyndi Lee, Basics – Eagle Pose (Yoga Journal, March, 2011).
[3] Stick figure instructions, pronunciation and translation provided by Mikelle Terson, Asana Learning Deck, http://www.yogablossom.com/
[4] Kathy Lee Kappmeier and Diane M Ambrosini, Instructing Hatha Yoga, (Human Kinetics, 2006), p. 95.
No comments:
Post a Comment