Recipe and Health Articles

Garuda means eagle and asana means pose. According to Hindu mythology Garuda is the king of birds, he transports Lord Vishnu and is said to be eager to help humanity in its fight against demons. The goal of the Eagle pose (Garudasana) is to compress everything together and keep it in one line shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. This pose is intended to keep the practitioner alert, and help the mind to focus on one`s direction in life.


Steps:

• Stand straight with the feet together.
• Place hands on hips. Now bring the left leg up and cross the left thigh over the right.
• Hook the left foot around the right calf. With practice one will be able to wrap the foot behind the calf. Keep the hips and trunk facing forward and the spine erect. If balance is difficult, stand in front of a wall and take fingers to the wall for stability.
• Bring the arms out in front. Cross the right arm over the left and bring the palms to touch.
• Lift the elbows while keeping the shoulders sliding down the back.
• Hold 5-10 breaths.
• Repeat on the other side.

Health benefits of Garudasana:

• Garudasana strengthens our legs, knees and ankles.
• Improves sense of balance.
• Improves concentration.
• Stretches the thighs, hips, shoulders and upper back.
• With this Asana we can get rid of stiffness in the shoulders and relieve neck tension.
• This posture enhances powers of concentration, our sense of balance and grace of our body.