NOTES

September 2015

YOGA

When a storm
is coming, all
other birds seek
shelter. The
Eagle alone,
avoids the storm
by flying above
it. So, in the
storms of life ..
may your heart
soar like an
Eagle.

I dream I am an eagle ..
.. and l dream I can spread my wings
Flying high ..

the foundation for inner harmony. The need for something

to be different in this moment is nothing more than a worry,
and worries simply lead you in circles.
Its always the right time to embrace the present just the
detached awareness and acceptance of right here, right
now. Only then do you have the power to focus on your
challenges and opportunities more mindfully and that
changes everything.

I just assume that you know of ABBA and their songs. It is

not the most popular one, but one I always loved and now I
just got to think of the lyrics. The quote on eagles became
my ignition for September Yoga Notes.

Spring day, on this side of the world. You know I am still

confused about the seasons, but I love the thought of spring,
new and fresh starts.
I have a lot going on at the moment and even if it does not
need to be storms, I admit I worry and think too much. So
even if I am aware of it, I am not in control. But with the
following lines from the writers Marc and Angel, I
understand that I can, if I just persist.

Spring is such a great time, inspiring and enlightening, not

only literally. At the same time it is about grounding, focus,
balance and peace. Therefore, Garudasana is the perfect
pose, as described on the YogaJournal website:

In Garudasana your body might feel awkward and

constricted, but you can still ride the wind like an eagle.
Riding the wind means riding the flow or energy of any
situation or any challenging pose. Not to be confused with
going with the flow or getting bowled over by circumstances, riding the energy of a situation means remaining
open to what is occurring and finding a way to become
stable, spacious, and steady within that situation, without
resistance. When you resist, youre more likely to get tired
and give up. In Garudasana, resistance will likely cause you
to tense up and lose your balance. But when you stay open
to possibilities, even when faced with obstacles, you may
find that your energy renews itself endlessly.

Who would you be, and what else would you see, if you
erased the thought thats worrying you?
Worry is the biggest enemy of the present moment. It does
nothing but steal your joy and keep you very busy doing
absolutely nothing at all. When you spend time worrying,
youre simply using your imagination to create moments you
dont want.
Realize that, somewhere within us all, there does exist a
supreme self who is eternally at peace. Because inner peace
does not depend on external conditions, its what remains
when youve surrendered your ego and worries. Peace can
be found within you at any place and at any time. Its
always there, patiently waiting for you to turn your attention
toward it.
Peace of mind arrives the moment you come to peace with
whats on your mind. It happens when you let go of the
need to be anywhere but where you are, physically and
emotionally. This acceptance of the way things are creates

So with this in mind, I will try to soar like an eagle, above

Enjoy the beautiful spring with all its opportunities and the
month of September,

Namaste

www.yogamarie.com | twitter @meyogamarie |

YOGA NOTES September 2015

Garudasana
the eagle pose

1. Stand in Tadasana. Bend your knees slightly, lift

your left foot up and, balancing on your right foot,
cross your left thigh over the right. Point your left
toes toward the floor, press the foot back, and then
hook the top of the foot behind the lower right calf.
Balance on the right foot.

2. Stretch your arms straight forward, parallel to the

floor, and spread your scapulas wide across the
back of your torso. Cross the arms in front of your
torso so that the right arm is above the left, then
bend your elbows. Snug the right elbow into the
crook of the left, and raise the forearms
perpendicular to the floor. The backs of your hands
should be facing each other.

3. Press the right hand to the right and the left hand
to the left, so that the palms are now facing each
other. The thumb of the right hand should pass in
front of the little finger of the left. Now press the
palms together (as much as is possible for you), lift
your elbows up, and stretch the fingers toward the
ceiling.

4. Stay for 15 to 30 seconds, then unwind the legs

and arms and stand in Tadasana again. Repeat for
the same length of time with the arms and legs
reversed.

Beginner's Tip
Beginners often find it difficult to wrap the arms
around until the palms touch. Stretch your arms
straight forward, parallel to the floor, while holding
onto the ends of a strap. Follow the rest of the
instructions stated in step 2 above and keep the
strap taut between your hands. Beginners also find
it difficult to hook the raised-leg foot behind the
standing-leg calf, and then balance on the standing
foot. As a short-term option cross the legs but,
instead of hooking the raised foot and calf, press
the big toe of the raised-leg foot against the floor to
help maintain your balance.

Benefits
Strengthens and stretches the ankles and calves
Stretches the thighs, hips, shoulders, and upper
back
Improves concentration
Improves sense of balance

Variations
Here's a challenging variation of Garudasana. From
the pose as described above, exhale and lean your
torso into a forward bend, pressing the forearms
against the top-leg thigh. Hold for a few breaths,
then come up with an inhalation. Repeat on the
second side.

Contraindications and Cautions

Students with knee injuries should avoid this pose,
or perform only the leg position described in the
Beginner's Tip below.

Theraputic Applications
Asthma | Low backache | Sciatica

Preparatory Poses
Adho Mukha Svanasana | Gomukhasana |

Prasarita Padottanasana | Supta Virasana |

Supta Baddha Konasana | Upavistha Konasana |
VirasanaVrksasana

Follow-up Poses
Garudasana is usually sequenced near the end of
the standing pose series. The arm position in the
pose is particularly useful in teaching how to widen
the back torso in inverted poses like Adho Mukha
Vrksasana and Sirsasana.

www.yogamarie.com | twitter @meyogamarie |