How Garudasana (Eagle Pose) Got Its Name
Have you ever wondered why the pose Garudasana (eagle pose) looks nothing like an eagle?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It’s because Garuda doesn’t just mean eagle–it’s the name of a vast deity, the carrier of Lord Vishnu, with the torso of an eagle (head, body, and wings) and the legs of a man.⠀
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So why is this pose named after Garuda?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Imagine you start in tadasana–arms spread out to your sides like open eagle wings, legs standing strong like Garuda’s. To find garudasana, you then compress yourself in size, wrapping arm around arm, leg around leg.⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When Garuda was born, he emerged from a massive egg, and he was as radiant as a million suns–so brilliant, that he blinded anyone who looked upon him. So the gods begged him to reduce himself in size.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Later, when Garuda’s mother was kidnapped by serpents (nagas), they told Garuda they’d free her if he brought them the nectar of immortality (amrita). But to get the amrita, Garuda had to steal it. The amrita was stored behind an obstacle course of sorts, and to steal it, Garuda performed a number of incredible feats; one of them was to shrink himself in size to fit through a spiked ring, only to emerge as large and glorious as before.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The next time you perform garudasana, imagine yourself as the epic being, Garuda, wrapping your wings around yourself in order to shrink in size–to live amongst the mortals, and to save the ones you love.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We are all spiritual beings, larger than life–cosmic miracles experiencing a temporary human existence, shrunken in size. Never forget who you are.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Made out of love. ⠀
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If you love hearing the mythology of the asana, join me November 11-16th in Bali for The Gods of Yoga teacher training course (50hrs of continuing education for yoga teachers), co-hosted by a Balinese priestess, to learn all these stories through ceremony and hands-on experience on the Island of the Gods.⠀⠀