(gah-rue-DAHS-anna)Garuda=themythic“kingofthebirds,”thevehicleofVishnu.ThewordisusuallyrenderedintoEnglishas“eagle,”thoughaccordingtoonedictionarythenameliterallymeans“devourer,”becauseGarudawasoriginallyidentifiedwiththe“all-consumingfireofthesun’srays.”EaglePose:Step-by-StepInstructionsStep1StandinTadasana.Bendyourkneesslightly,liftyourleftfootupand,balancingonyourrightfoot,crossyourleftthighovertheright.Pointyourlefttoestowardthefloor,pressthefootback,andthenhookthetopofthefootbehindthelowerrightcalf.Balanceontherightfoot.Step2Stretchyourarmsstraightforward,paralleltothefloor,andspreadyourscapulaswideacrossthebackofyourtorso.Crossthearmsinfrontofyourtorsosothattherightarmisabovetheleft,thenbendyourelbows.Snugtherightelbowintothecrookoftheleft,andraisetheforearmsperpendiculartothefloor.Thebacksofyourhandsshouldbefacingeachother.Seealso TwistUpInKnots,UnwindYourMind:EaglePoseStep3Presstherighthandtotherightandthelefthandtotheleft,sothatthepalmsarenowfacingeachother.Thethumboftherighthandshouldpassinfrontofthelittlefingeroftheleft.Nowpressthepalmstogether(asmuchasispossibleforyou),liftyourelbowsup,andstretchthefingerstowardtheceiling.Step4Stayfor15to30seconds,thenunwindthelegsandarmsandstandinTadasanaagain.Repeatforthesamelengthoftimewiththearmsandlegsreversed.GOBACKTOA-ZPOSEFINDERPoseInformationSanskritNameGarudasanaPoseLevel1ContraindicationsandCautionsStudentswithkneeinjuriesshouldavoidthispose,orperformonlythelegpositiondescribedintheBeginner’sTipbelow.ModificationsandPropsBeginningstudentsoftenfindthebalanceinthisposeveryunstable.Aswithallstandingbalancingposes,youcanuseawalltobraceandsupportyourbacktorsowhileyou’relearningtobalance.DeepenthePoseLookatthetipsofyourthumbsonceyou’reinthefullpose.Typicallythethumbtipspointalittlebitofftothesideoftheupperarm.Pressthemoundoftheupperthumbintothebottomhandandturnthethumbtipssotheypointdirectlyatthetipofyournose.TheraputicApplicationsAsthmaLowbackacheSciaticaPreparatoryPosesAdhoMukhaSvanasanaGomukhasanaPrasaritaPadotta