Best Thing about Eagle Pose in Bikram Yoga

Sometimes I think the best thing about Eagle Pose or Garurasana, is it is the last pose before the water break.

Imagine twisting your body like a pretzel stick and that is what Eagle Pose or Garurasana looks like. And who doesn’t like pretzels? Because of how you twist the arms and legs, it improves the flexibility of the 12 major joints in the body.

Health Benefits:

• Flushes out the kidneys
• Brings blood to the sexual organs
• Improves sexual vitality
• Improves flexibility of the 12 major joints in the body
  

How to do the posture:

• Stand with feet together
• Twist right arm under left and clasp hands together
• Pull elbows down so fingers are below the nose
• Squat down like you are sitting in a chair
• Lift the right leg up and over the left, wrapping your right foot around your calf
• All 5 toes of the right foot should be visible
• Align the body so the elbows and knees are in one line
• Repeat on other side

This pose is like a yen yang thing for me. I like it because it is fairly easy for me, for some reason I have always been able to twist my legs so my feet wrap around. And yet, it is hard for me BECAUSE it is so easy for me. I have to sit more and wrap harder or pull my elbows down even more. It is even harder to do the posture with less effort and only sit part of the way down, then all you are doing is straining the muscles to keep you in an unnatural position. You might as well go all the way and at least get the full benefit!

Give 100%, get 100% benefit.
Photo couresty of Bikram Yoga Dallas