Thrive Posture Focus - Eagle Pose

Eagle Pose

Eagle Pose is a compression posture that opens up all of the major joints: hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows, and wrists. Pulling down on your arms during Eagle helps to slowly stretch out the neck and shoulders, releasing the tension there.

Sanskrit: Garurasana

Benefits: Eagle is the only posture that opens the 12 largest joints of the body, helping to improve flexibility in each. Through compression, this posture supplies fresh blood to the reproductive system and kidneys. Eagle can tone the calves, thighs, and hips while strengthening the back and shoulders.

Technical Points:

Twist your arms like ropes
Hands/palms together, thumbs towards your face
Pull your elbows down towards the floor, until your fingertips go below your nose
Suck your stomach in
Sit down as if sitting in a chair
Upper body leaning back
Twist your legs like ropes
Foot underneath your calf muscle
All five toes visible from the front
No gap anywhere between ankle and calf muscle
Feet, knees, elbows, and hands, everything in one line

Important Things to Remember:

If you are unable to bring your palms together, interlace your fingers
Fingertips should not go higher than your nose
If your foot is coming out, sit down more
Sink down deep in the standing leg, as far as possible
Squeeze your knees, ankles, and thighs
If you’re losing the balance, lean your upper body back more
Get your leg higher on the thigh so you can twist better
Slide your foot down towards the ankle to get rid of any gap between the ankle and calf