Yoga|PracticeEaglePose,StepbyStepKatHeagberg5min.Thefirsttimemyteacheraskedmetodoeaglepose,Ithoughtshewaskidding. Ihavetocrossmyarmsinasuper-awkwardpositionthat'salsoareallyintenseshoulderstretch,crossmylegsinawaythatmakesmyouterhipscryformercy,andsomehowfigureouthowtotuckmytoesbehindmycalf—whilebalancingononeleg? Andyouexpectmetostill"breathesmoothlyandevenly"whileI'matit?LOL! Butno,thisposewasnojoke. Garudasana (oftentranslatedas"eaglepose,"thoughtechnicallyagaruda isnotactuallyaneaglebutagloriousmythicalbird)isachallengingbalanceposethat'squitecommonincontemporaryyogaclasses.Whetheryoupracticevinyasa,hotyoga,orIyengar,you'veprobablyencounteredeagleposeatsomepointinyouryoga-life. Becauseofitsprevalence,Iusedtoassumethateveryonebutmelikedgarudasana—thatIwastheonlyoneattemptingtotimemybathroombreaksaroundthe"balance"portionofclass,shootingdagger-eyesattheteacherwhenshe'daskustoholdtheposeforwhatmytighthips,crampyfeet,andachyshouldersdeemedwaylongerthannecessary.That'swhyIwasshockedwhenduringadiscussionwithfellowteachersonour"leastfavoriteposes,"eagleposerankedasthenumberonemostdreadedasana.(Seriously,evenabove chinstand!) AlthoughitfeltgoodtoknowIwasn'taloneinmygarudasanaaversion,Ireallydidwanttolearnto"makefriends"withthispose.Itmightneverbemyfavorite,butIdidwanttoquellmyurgetohightailitoutofthestudioeverytimetheteachercalledout"eagle"!Imean,thisposeissaidtoprovideatonofbenefits—includingimprovedbalance,lower-bodystrengthening,hipopening,andreliefforanachyupperbackandshoulders.AllofwhichIfiguredIcouldprobablyuse.Ibegantofocusoneachpieceofthepose,andhowallofthepiecesfittogether,asopposedtoseeingeagleasonebiguncomfortableshape.Forthosereasons,Ichallengedmyselftoincludegarudasanainmymorningpracticeeverysingledayforayear.Althoughitwasinitiallyunpleasant,Idiscoveredthatwithconsistentpractice,mybalancebegantofeelsteadier,myhipslessstiff,andmyshoulderslessgrouchy.Butitwasn'tuntilIassistedoneofmyteachersduringatraining,andwatchedherbreakdowntheposestepbystep,thatIreallysta