My Favourite Asanas #2 – Eagle or Garudasana

Along with tree pose, I think of this as being one of the poses people think of when they think of people doing yoga. Despite its cartoon-y nature, it’s quite tricky and, ultimately, pretty rewarding.

Unlike tree pose, there isn’t anything obviously eagle-y about it at first glance, but it is there.

Trying to find a focal point past the entwined forearms and hands, I am unable to maintain the usual combined binocular picture of the world I’m used to. Instead, I get two images, one from each eye, like most creatures do (can you think of another creature with both eyes on the front of the head rather than the sides?). My eyes flicker from side to side getting used to this new perspective.

In this crouched but taught position, knees bent, elbows pushing up, I am really aware of the musculature around my shoulders and upper arm – there is a coiled sense of strength which I can release if I dip my shoulders, arch my neck back and spread my arms out and behind me, fingertips lifting up and back. Flying.

I don’t know if this variant even has a name, but it feels great.

My Favourite Asanas #1 – Half Pigeon or Ardha Kapotasana

Generally speaking, I like asanas that I feel I can do quite well and dislike those I’m rubbish at. This one is an exception. From the first time I tried it, I’ve been attracted to the feeling of danger as I put a stretch on my glute that threatens to do something dreadful, something catastrophic that I might never recover from. It’s a big old muscle and it protests loudly but, however much it feels like it might, it doesn’t rip and pop my hip socket out like a jointed chicken. Then, ever-so-gradually, I start to let go, lean forward and settle towards the floor. The sense of danger transmutes to a duller aching that starts to feel intensely satisfying as I take the tension out of my shoulders and soften everything, until the belly is connected to the shin, the cheek to the mat, the arms to the floor…

I sit a lot at work, so there is generally a fair bit of tension in my hips. This was the pose in which I first noticed that holding tension in a muscle to protect it actually makes things worse. It takes a leap of faith to relax fully and let the muscle really stretch out. The mixture of a great, deep stretch with a little bit more surrender every time completely hits the spot for me. This one’s on my Desert Island Practice for sure. 

The desert island I have in mind for my Desert Island Practice