Benefits of Garudasana

Submitted by Kevin Pederson on August 10, 2011

Garudasana is also known as the eagle pose and this asana is highly recommended for those who want to improve their overall sense of balance and also achieve a state of tranquility and calm.

Improved balance and strengthened ankles, knees and legs are among some of the benefits of Garudasana (Eagle Pose). Endurance, flexibility, and strength are prerequisites in the performance of Garudasana. The benefits of Garudasana or Eagle Pose also include improved concentration and a calm mind.

To perform this posture, you should be standing in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) with your feet spread at hips width and parallel to each other. Stretch your spine and look forward. Let your core muscles contract while your weight is shifted to your right foot with your knees bent slightly. As you breathe in bring your right leg up and across your left thigh. Maintain your balance while preventing the left knee from going too far forward from the toes. Once you become comfortable in this position, let your right legs toes wrap around the back part of your right legs lower calf muscle and ankle. Keeping your left knee bent slightly, remain steady by contracting the core muscles. Concentrate on your breathing and look at a focal point. Then, keep your left elbow on the inside part of your right hands elbow and let them bend to make your forearms come perpendicular to the ground. Let your palms be turned outwards and continue to cross your forearms to make the palms come together. Gently bring your elbows forward to spread your upper back and shoulders. Also let your right thumb press against your left hand to make your wrists twist more. Remain in this position for a few breaths and come back to the Mountain Pose by slowly unwinding your limbs. Repeat it by reversing the leg and arm positions.

Along with the benefits of Garudasana, the Camel Pose (Ustrasana) will help improve the digestive and reproductive system. It also helps in stretching the intestine and stomach and is effective in bringing a cure to constipation. The bending of the back helps stretch and loosen the vertebrae and also in stimulating the spine’s nerves. However, those who suffer from high blood pressure, heart problems, and back pain should avoid performing this posture. The benefits of Garudasana along with Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) will help enhance the development of your body. Performing the Half Moon Pose is very effective for the hips. It helps in strengthening the hip abductors and the muscles that are connected in the area of the quadrates, piriformis, obdurate, and femoris. It is also beneficial in improving the balance and well-being of the practitioner. Along with the benefits of Garudasana, practicing the Tree Pose (Vrksasana) will help strengthen the spine, ankles, calves, and thighs. It will also stretch the area of the groin and inner thighs and improve balance.

For you to reap the benefits of Garudasana and other yoga postures, it is important that you keep some time aside to practice them regularly and sincerely. Maintaining a proper diet will also go a long way in the development of your body and ensure optimum functioning of all your systems and organs.

'Garuda' means eagle and 'asana' means pose. Garuda known as king birds also happen to be the vehicle of Vishnu. Even though most of the yoga poses aims towards balance and tranquility, by the look of the asana it will be more visible. This asana would help in loosening up your joints. Stretching your muscles would help in making all the parts of your body more fit.

While doing the asana sense of balance would be achieved as you are standing on one foot. It would look similar to you being wrapped by yourself. As this is a standing pose many beginners do not happen to find the right balance (they can start with beginner yoga poses ), for this they can use the wall to support the back. This can be done with different variations and can be very challenging. You should consult your doctor before doing any of the yoga poses. Even though these are very beneficial it would depend upon your body whether you can manage these asanas.

Even though this may look like a difficult asana but by regularly doing it you may master it and would be able to reap its benefits. The key for all the asanas is that you have to remain in that pose for at least 15 to 30 seconds which would be more beneficial for you. The key areas which this asana focuses are the ankles, calves, thighs, hips and shoulders.

The benefit which you can get from this asana is the strengthening and stretching of you ankles and calves. These areas which may be neglected would be treated well by this asana. The stretch would help your thighs, hips, shoulders and upper back. The pull which is created in this asana would help making you more relaxed. So when you are relaxed the level of concentration also improves as you are also keeping a check on your breathing while doing this exercise. There is balance all over your mind body and soul which keeps you always in check for the better things in life.

Another one of the key features and benefits of the garudasana or the eagle pose is that it is the only pose in yoga that tends to open up 14 of the largest joints in the skeletal system of the individual. Besides benefits such as enhanced flexibility in ones knees , hips and ankles, the garudasana or the eagle yoga pose also tend to promote the supply of fresh blood to the reproductive system, kidneys and also the sex organs. This in turn helps in clearing up the reproductive problems and also results in an increase in the sexual vitality of the individual which are the additional benefits of the garudasana or the eagle pose. The benefits of the garudasana or the eagle pose may also include an increase in ones height and curing of medical conditions such as rheumatism of the hands and legs and even sciatica.