POW! (pose of the week)

Pose of the week: Garudasana - because sometimes when you're all twisted up, you loosen something that lets you fly like an eagle! Or maybe I heard a Steve Miller band song on the radio today.

So, readers, I promised a good one this week, and Eagle is a great pose! It's going to build focus and develop willpower like any good yoga pose, but it's going to strengthen the lower body while it stretches the upper body. I'm talking about opening up your shoulders and back while working those feet, ankles, calves, and thighs.

You start in mountain posture and then shift your weight onto one leg (let's start with the left). You'll wrap your right leg up, over the left thigh and wrap your right lower leg around your left, hooking the right foot behind the left calf. Sound's crazy, right? I had a friend in high school who would sit comfortably like this all the time. Anyway, hooking the right foot behind the calf helps to hug your legs together for a strong, stable pillar. Now you can move on to your arms.

Once the legs are twisted around each other, hold the arms out in a T. Remembering that the right LEG is on top, you'll now entwine the arms together similarly with the opposite ARM on top. So you'll place the left upper arm over the right upper arm and wrap the lower arms, ending up with palms facing. Hold the touching palms right at your nose level, elbows shoulder height, and you've arrived!

Another thing I like about Garudasana is it's versatility. What I mean is that you can do this standing or lying on your back! I always seem to have an easier time doing this one on the floor. I know that the whole "balance" thing is taken out of the equation here, but I'm able to wrap my legs more completely here, and it feels like I'm working my abdominals a tad more when I'm on my back.

Oh, here's another example to help you out:

Just kidding! I don't recommend doing this variation first time out...although I must point out that she's wisely using the wall to support herself. Slacker.

PS - Thanks to a shout out on hubby's facebook yesterday, I think we may have picked up a bit of traffic over here on YATS. If you wouldn't mind posting a comment or feedback just to let me know you stopped by, I'd love it! In the meantime,

I want to fly like an eagle, to the sea. Fly like an eagle, let my spirit carry me...