Eagle pose in yoga seems to be another balance asana, but its actually a journey toward freedom.
Learn how to twist and fly with this guide.
There are three distinct parts to the pose.
The first is remaining upright.
In the second part we curl into the nest of our legs, which engages the abdominals.
The final part is the coming out of the pose, where we spread our wings and fly away.
registered yoga teacher and co-owner ofYoga Sanctum LA
Eagle can also be broken up into upper and lower halves and then sprinkled into other yoga asanas.
The arms and upper body can be practiced in a variety of alternative poses, like thewarrior posesorhalf moon.
There is a dynamism to the balance requirements as you move between stages.
Moving through the stages is also a sure-fire concentration boost.
Its hard to think about anything else when youre focusing on not falling.
Leg strengthening
There are a number of yoga asana that strengthen our outer hipsbut not eagle pose.
Itlengthensour outer hips and glutes and strengthens our inner thigh muscles, our adductors.
This asana helps me rehabilitate and feel balanced and strong after doing a lot of warrior poses.
Agility improvement
The various phases of eagle require a lot of agility.
registered yoga teacher and co-owner ofYoga Sanctum LA
From the beginning, you are weaving parts of your body together while balancing on one foot.
Eagle also asks us to hug in with certain areas, but expand in others.
All of these seemingly contradictory asks require agility and an ability to move with nuance.
Start slow and make your breath the most important piece, she advises.
Using props and/or backing off is a great way to land your eagle so that fit your needs.
My relationship with the posture has definitely changed over the years.
Try arm variations, such as grabbing opposite shoulders, rather than the traditional arms, suggests Narula.
This will create a similar opening in the upper back, without overly taxing the shoulders.
If it’s crucial that you avoid the wrapping altogether, you might always press palms and forearms together.
Once in the pose, really sit back with the hips, bringing more weight into your standing heel.
This upper arm tug-of-war helps glide the shoulder blades down your back.
Take a huge exhale and really round your spine to make it bring your elbows to your top thighs.
This will hollow your belly and allow you to tuck you in nicely.
Eagle pose variations
1.
Eagle crunch
Want some extra core work?
Try addingthe eagle crunchto your flow.
Reasons you might want to skip eagle
Pregnancy
Eagle is generally contraindicated for pregnant people.
Hip openers prepare us for birth, such as those involving external rotation or our hips, says Narula.
Shoulder injury
Shoulder injuries can prohibit people from getting their arms across their chest.
The hands can also be brought to the heart as yet another option.
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