Eagle Pose (Right)

How to do Eagle Pose (Right)

1. 1Begin standing tall in Mountain Pose with your feet together and arms relaxed by your sides.
2. 2Soften both knees, shift your weight onto your left foot, and lift your right thigh high over your left thigh.
3. 3Hook the top of your right foot behind your lower left calf, or let your right toes hover outside your left ankle.
4. 4Extend your arms forward at shoulder height, then swing your right arm underneath your left arm.
5. 5Bend your elbows, wrap your forearms around each other, and press your palms together with your elbows lifted to shoulder height.
6. 6Sit your hips back and down as if sinking into a chair while drawing your lower belly in and up.
7. 7Fix your gaze on a steady point past your forearms and hold for several deep breaths before untangling to stand tall.

Benefits

• Strengthens the standing ankle, calf, and quadriceps muscles.
• Opens the upper back by deeply stretching the rhomboids and trapezius.
• Increases flexibility across the outer hips, glutes, and iliotibial bands.
• Improves proprioception, single-leg balance, and joint stability.
• Stimulates healthy circulation across the hip and shoulder joints upon release.

Common mistakes and cues

• Dropping the elbows

  Keep your elbows lifted to shoulder height and press your forearms away from your face to properly expand the upper back.

• Collapsing the chest

  Maintain an upright torso and engage your core rather than rounding forward over your crossed thighs.

• Twisting the pelvis

  Square both hip points directly forward toward the front of your mat instead of letting the right hip pull back.

• Sickling the standing ankle

  Distribute your weight evenly across all four corners of your standing foot to protect the ankle and knee joints.

Modifications and props

• Kickstand foot

  Rest the toes of your crossed right foot on the floor or on a foam block outside your left ankle for steady balance.

• Shoulder hug bind

  Cross your arms and hold opposite shoulders with your hands if wrapping the forearms creates wrist or shoulder strain.

• Wall support

  Lean your back lightly against a wall while wrapping your limbs to build hip and shoulder mobility with extra security.

• Chair seated option

  Perform the leg and arm binds while seated upright on a sturdy chair to isolate the joint stretches without balancing.

Cautions

• Knee injuries

  Avoid forcing the foot wrap around the calf if you experience twisting tension or pain in either knee joint.

• Shoulder impingement

  Release the full forearm wrap and take an open hug if you feel sharp pinching across the rotator cuff.

• Late-stage pregnancy

  Practice with a wall or chair nearby to prevent balance loss as your center of gravity shifts.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

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