Garudasana

Garuda, the great eagle who carries Vishnu, lends his name to this coiled standing pose. In the Gheranda Samhita it appears among the standing postures that steady the mind by demanding it entirely. The classical reading is one of binding: the limbs wrap around the centre line as the senses are wrapped inward. Everything in the pose pulls toward the midline — the classical description of what concentration itself feels like in the body. When the pose releases, the tradition holds, the joints that were compressed are flushed with new circulation, as a wrung cloth is released.

1. Stand tall and bend the knees slightly.
2. Lift the right leg and cross it high over the left thigh; if possible, hook the right foot behind the left calf.
3. Cross the left arm over the right at the elbows, and bring the palms together, or press the backs of the hands.
4. Lift the elbows to shoulder height, draw the hands away from the face, and sink the sitting bones as if sitting into a chair.
5. Fix the gaze on one unmoving point. Hold five to ten breaths, unwind slowly, and change sides.

Single-leg balances like Garudasana are well supported by research as training for proprioception and fall prevention, particularly in older adults. The crossed-limb position also creates a sustained isometric contraction around the shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. The deep compression across the upper back between the shoulder blades provides a stretch rarely reached by other poses, and physiotherapists note its usefulness for desk-bound upper backs.