Challenge Your Eagle Pose with Yoga Props

Right about now you’re thinking Yoga equals physical like exercises some people call postures or poses.  For example, you twist your arm this way around your other arm and stand on one leg and wrap your leg around that standing leg and you’re now doing a pose called Eagle (Garudasana in Sanskrit).  At first you feel a little unbalanced or maybe you feel strong and pliable.  Either way you feel you did it.  Overtime practicing it, we hope daily, you feel more comfortable in Eagle pose.   

Somewhere in the process you discover a place deep within yourself.  You find a silence, a center of peace.  A lot is going on within you as you achieve your Eagle pose.  Remember just focusing your mind, by keeping your mind silent, with no thoughts helps you to maintain your balance.  As you achieve the Eagle pose more frequently your shoulder muscles lengthen, your ankles strengthen, and your calf muscles can lengthen and strengthen.   

Wow!  Eagle pose sounds challenging BUT rewarding.  You may ask what if I’m a little challenged.  After learning the Eagle pose in a safe environment, with your yoga teacher’s assistance, you could use a wall as a prop.  With the wall behind your back you could safely discover how to balance in Eagle pose.  While sitting in a chair, another prop, you could focus your attention on the upper part of Eagle pose wrapping your arms, which helps you lengthen your shoulder muscles.  You have many options.  

Props are tools to help you achieve a pose.  You can achieve Eagle pose with some adaptations and enjoy the benefits.  Your teacher can lead you to discover how to accomplish poses with modifications and props.  You can soar above the challenges like a real live Eagle.  In the path of yoga we all have challenges as we challenge ourselves.  Props are tools to help us overcome our challenges and achieve our yoga poses.  Eagle really does symbolize rising above the challenge.