My Journey with Garud asana
To be truthful, when I attempted Garudasana or Eagle Pose, the first time I attempted to practice it, I was a rat. I crossed my arms the wrong way, my leg supporting me was waving as a leaf in the breeze, and I had no doubt I did not appear at all like the elegant figures I had seen on the Internet.
I was a first-time yoga student, and I needed to seek a solution to how to calm down my mind and relieve the pain in my shoulders and hips after spending hours at a desk. One of the teachers advised me not to give up because it was a powerhouse in terms of focus and stability. I was cynical but open-minded, and hence I adapted it into my routine.
Three months later, everything had changed not only physically, but also mentally. My steadiness was greatly increased, the stiffness in the upper part of my back that had plagued me for a long time started to dissolve, and I developed a special feeling of calm concentration that I could take out of the mat. This is no longer a stretch; it is a tune-up. I will explain to you why Garudasana is something I can not compromise in my life and how you will be able to do it as well.
What is a Garudasana (Eagle Pose)?
We should deconstruct the name; it is not bad. The mythical king of the birds is referred to as Garuda in Sanskrit and is commonly represented as a mighty eagle, and is believed to be the vehicle of god Vishnu. “Asana” means pose or posture. We are literally referring to the Eagle Pose, then.
But this is not about imitating a bird to have fun. Garudasana, which is a standing and balancing pose in my case, is a pose where the limbs of the body are wrapped around one another in a certain manner. It seems complicated, yet its meaning is deep: it is meant to pull your energy in. When everything is wrapped up, there is no option but to focus. It compels you to cease scanning the room and to get focused on one stable object and to concentrate your consciousness not on extraneous objects. It is an emotional meditation that works your legs, shoulders, and your mind at the same time.
Reasons to Do Garudasana: The Life-Changing Facts.
I did not hold on this pose during the first frustration because of the bragging rights. Old-en times and recent anatomy support the benefits that I had. This is what adding Garud asana to your workout routine will do to you:
Enhances Balance and Focus: This is the one. Walking on one foot demands and develops grave attention. I would have my head in a computer browser with 50 tabs open. The Eagle Pose practice made me know how to seal all the tabs and focus on one thing: not falling over. This one-mindedness or drishti is also a skill that can be directly translated into increasing concentration in the workplace and in life overall.
Tones Your Legs and Ankles: This is not a leg day, but a disguised one, as the wrapping may deceive you. You are working your quads, glutes and calves as you contract the hips downwards. The standing ankle receives an awesome workout that provides stability that prevents twists and sprains in normal activities.
Opens Your Upper Back and Shoulders: It is an open-air miracle that this is available because most of the days, I sit humping over a laptop or a phone. Garud asana has a natural counter-stretch of the forward hunch in the arm position. It extends the spaces between your shoulder blades (rhomboids and trapezius) and increases shoulder joint movement, which is helping to reverse that terrible technology-stiffens-the-neck position.
Improves Proprioception: This is a fancy term to describe your body and its capacity to know where it is in the space. The complicated wrapping procedure better calibrates your neural circuits, turning you into a more spatial and coordinated person. I was also more confident walking along rocky trails and was more comfortable with myself and my movements just in general.
Stretches the Hips, Thighs and Back: Stretch The leg wrap gives a deep stretch to the outer hips and the back of the standing leg thigh. Any person who sits throughout the day will find this to ease the glutes and the sciatic nerve which may be causing huge pains.
My Step-by-Step Plan to Overcoming Eagle Pose.
Ready to give it a shot? Let’s do this together. Locate empty area, and perhaps hold on to a wall in case you feel uncertain.
In Mountain Pose (Tadasana): Stand straight, with feet together, one hand at the side of the thigh and another at the side of the thigh. Deep breathe and feel stable with your feet.
Bend Your Knees and Shift Weight: Bend forward slightly on both knees and lean your weight to your left ankle.
Wrap the Legs: Lift off the right foot. Cross the left thigh with the right thigh. Now may I know, can you put your right foot behind your left calf. The aim is to ultimately have the foot completely encircled but having the thighs cross is a massive achievement! I began by simply stepping my right toes on the floor on the left ankle.
Wrap the Arms: Lengthen your arms and be in the position of right Leg up, right Arm out, both straight forward. Bring your right arm under your left one. Bend the two elbows; and bring the palms together, in case you can. And when your palms are not touching that is alright! You may squeeze the back of your hands or you may just get at your own shoulders. It is important to raise your elbows and pull your hands back out of your face and make a gorgeous stretch in your upper back.
Find Your Focus and Sink: Find a fixed point in front of you, which does not move–a point on the wall, on the floor, in the carpet or anything that is not moving. This is your focal point. Ok, now, as you breath out, sit your hips a little lower like you are sitting on an invisible chair.
Rest and Relax: Remain here and take 5-10 deep breaths. Attempt to maintain a soft steady gaze on what you are focusing on. Sense the power of your standing leg and the tension of your back.
Going through the Wobbles: My Best Advice to a beginner.
I would rather have someone explain these things to me when I was new. They would have spared me a great deal of plashing!
Play with the Wall: There is nothing disgraceful about this. And lean against a wall with your back against it, or lean against it beside the wall with one hand on it. This will enable you to concentrate on the wrapping and the stretch without having to panic and fall.
Begin with the Baby Eagle: It may seem that the entire wrap of legs is impossible, but just go with the top. Lay your right thigh on top of your left one and your right feet on the ground to balance. You receive 90% of the benefits of hip and balance.
Don’t Force the Bind: When your shoulders are compressed, you will not make your hands touch each other, just round up your upper back and spoil the posture. Concentrate on the high lifting of the elbows- that is where the magic lies as far as the upper back is concerned.
It is all right to wobble: falling out of the posture is a way to do it! Each time you stumble and stand up you are training those tiny proprioceptive stabilizer muscles and making yourself more proprioceptive. Embrace the wobble.
Who needs to be careful about Garudasana.
Although Garud asana is incredible, it is not all the time or every person. Do not attempt this posture if you have a recent or severe injury to the knees, ankles, shoulders or elbows, or unless you have a doctor or a competent yoga therapist who is well acquainted with this practice. Pay the most attention to your body. In case you experience sharp pain (not deep stretch), stop immediately.
Taking the Eagle as a Woven Life.
You do not have to complete a 90-minute Yoga session to benefit the Eagle Pose. I began doing it when I was brushing my teeth! It is a great exercise to include in any warming up exercise before running or any other sports activity as it loosens the ankles and hips. It is also an excellent active rest in a long working day to reposition your body and mentality.
My Last Reflections: Wear the Tangle.
Garud asana, however, did not only teach me body balance, it taught me patience and perseverance. It is an attitude that takes you just where you are. On some days I manage to wrap deep and other days I am merely holding the basic shape. And those two days are an ideal.
The actual victory is in appearing, wrapping, and concentration of your mind. Then roll out your mat, my lad, and take a breath, and have it. You will perhaps discover that in the mess of your own body you have a wonderful feeling of liberty and power.
Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: My shoulders are extremely tight and I cannot even touch my palms. What should I do?
A: Worry not of the palms touching! That is quite a sophisticated element of the pose. Make the emphasis on crossing your arms and raising your elbows up. You may even push the palms of your hands or simply squeeze onto your own shoulders. The main aim is to unlock the upper back, and not tie the hands.
Q: My supporting leg becomes fatigued and shaky within no time. Is that normal?
A: Absolutely! The trembling is an indication that the stabilizing muscles are busy and becoming firmer. It is quite natural, particularly when one is new to the pose. There is nothing to do but just continue breathing and attempt to retain a few seconds longer each time. A wall can be used to support you to be able to develop endurance without much fear of falling.
Q: Garudasana: how much time do I need in Garudasana?
A: I began with a goal of 3-5 deep breaths on each side. With practice, you will be able to train to hold anywhere between 30 seconds up to a full minute. It is all about quality rather than quantity- it is preferable to have something that is well formed and spend a less period than to have something with poor form and spend longer time with that.
Q: Does Garudasana aid in the treatment of sciatica?
A: It can be extremely useful to certain individuals since the leg wrap offers a stretch to the piriformis muscle in the gluts, which on other occasions can cause irritation to the sciatic nerve. Nevertheless, when you have acute sciatica, you should be extremely gentle and also get the medication of a healthcare professional or an advanced yoga instructor because there are specific poses that can worsen it.
Q: It is more appropriate to do the pose at the end or at the beginning of the workout?
A: I can get along very well there! In the first stage of a workout, it is a great warming up technique that helps loosen the ankles, hips, shoulders and focus your mind. It is a fantastic method to relax at the conclusion of a workout and do some deep and static stretching and balancing.