How to do Garuda Mudra
- Sit upright with your shoulders relaxed, on the floor or on a chair.
- Turn your palms toward your body and cross your hands at the wrists, right hand in front of the left.
- Hook the two thumbs together so the hands are linked, and spread the other fingers wide, like the wings of a bird.
- Rest the hands on your lower belly for about 10 slow breaths, then move them up to the navel for 10 breaths and to the upper belly for 10 breaths.
- Finally place the hands on your breastbone, turn the fingertips toward your shoulders and keep the wings spread for a few more breaths.
- Hold for 1–4 minutes in total, up to three times a day, then release and rest your hands on your thighs.
Traditional benefits
- Traditionally used for tiredness and sluggishness, to lift energy
- Traditionally used to support blood circulation and warm, "awake" hands
- Traditionally used for balance between the left and right sides of the body
- Traditionally used for courage and a lighter mood, like an eagle rising
Keep in mind
- Traditionally avoided with high blood pressure; choose a calming mudra instead and follow your doctor’s advice.
- Mudras do not replace medical care. Keep taking prescribed medicine and see a doctor for ongoing fatigue.
- Keep the thumb hook light if you have arthritis or wrist pain.
Garuda mudra is a two-hand gesture that looks like a bird in flight: the hands cross at the wrists, the thumbs hook together and the fingers spread wide. Named after Garuda, the eagle of Indian mythology, it is traditionally used to lift energy when you feel tired or sluggish. Here are the Garuda mudra benefits, its meaning, the steps and one important safety note.
What is Garuda mudra? Meaning in English
What is a Garuda? In Hindu and Buddhist stories, Garuda is the king of birds, a great eagle who carries the god Vishnu. So the Garuda mudra meaning in English is "eagle gesture". Garuda stands for strength, speed and freedom, and he is the enemy of serpents, which in yoga symbolise fear and sluggishness.
What is mudra in yoga? It is a hand gesture used to direct attention and breath. Garuda mudra is one of the most visual: the linked thumbs are the bird’s body and the spread fingers are its wings. Dancers know the same shape as Garuda mudra in Bharatanatyam, where it shows a flying bird.
How to do Garuda mudra
Asking which mudra is this, with crossed wrists and spread fingers? It is Garuda; the Garuda mudra images at the top of this page show the linked hands. The steps above move the hands up the body, as many mudra books describe it. Tips:
- Keep the wings wide but soft. Spread the fingers without straining them.
- Move with the breath. Each position gets about 10 slow breaths. The rising movement matches the feeling of lifting energy.
- Shorter is fine. If time is short, hold it at the upper belly or chest for 1–2 minutes.
It needs both hands in front of the body, so it is best done seated. If you wonder which mudra is best while walking, Gyan or Prana mudra is easier.
Garuda mudra benefits (Garuda mudra ke fayde)
The benefits described in mudra books are about energy and circulation:
- Tiredness. It is a short pick-me-up for the afternoon slump. For ongoing fatigue, see yoga for chronic fatigue and talk to your doctor.
- Circulation. Tradition lists it as a mudra for blood circulation, especially for cold hands. Gentle movement helps too: see yoga for cold hands and feet.
- Balance and courage. The crossed hands link left and right sides, a natural mudra of connection; the rising wings are a natural mudra of confidence and courage.
Garuda mudra spiritual benefits are described as freedom and lightness, like a bird leaving the ground. Some books also list Garuda mudra for eyesight, because eagles see so well. There is no evidence for that; for tired eyes, try yoga for eye strain.
Garuda mudra chakra link
Because the hands travel from the lower belly to the chest, teachers link the gesture with the lower chakras rising toward the heart chakra. See our chakras guide.
Garuda mudra side effects and high blood pressure
The main traditional caution is high blood pressure. Because the gesture is meant to stimulate, mudra books advise people with high BP to avoid it. If you are searching for a mudra for high blood pressure, a mudra to lower blood pressure or to reduce high BP, choose calm, slow-breathing practices instead, keep your medicine and read yoga for high blood pressure. No mudra should replace treatment for high BP.
Other Garuda mudra side effects are minor: tired wrists or a restless feeling if you hold it late in the evening.
Garuda mudra vs Eagle Pose
Eagle posture yoga has its own pose: Garudasana, where the arms and legs wrap around each other. Garuda mudra is only the hand gesture. You can hold the eagle posture for balance and the mudra seated for energy; both share the image of a focused eagle.
Related mudras and their benefits
Each mudra and its benefits suit a different need, and there is no one mudra for all problems or a best mudra for overall health. What is Gyan mudra? Index fingertip to thumb, and the benefits of Gyan mudra are focus and calm. The benefits of Vayu mudra relate to gas relief and stiffness, Apana mudra is the usual mudra for stomach problems, and Apana Vayu is the traditional mudra for heart health. The benefits of Kubera mudra centre on setting goals.
How to do the touching the earth mudra (Bhumisparsha): let the right fingertips reach down to the ground. What is a mudra in Buddhism? The same idea: a gesture with a meaning. All hand mudras and their benefits are on our mudras chart.
Garuda mudra benefits in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada or Hindi are the same as in English; the box below explains them in Hindi.
गरुड़ मुद्रा (Garuda Mudra) — हिंदी में: हथेलियाँ शरीर की ओर रखकर दोनों हाथ कलाई पर क्रॉस करें, दायाँ हाथ आगे। दोनों अंगूठे आपस में फँसाएँ और बाकी उंगलियाँ पंखों की तरह फैलाएँ। हाथ पेट के निचले हिस्से से धीरे-धीरे छाती तक ले जाएँ, हर जगह लगभग 10 साँस। कुल 1 से 4 मिनट करें। गरुड़ मुद्रा के फायदे: परंपरा के अनुसार यह थकान दूर करने और ऊर्जा बढ़ाने में सहायक है। उच्च रक्तचाप (हाई बीपी) में इसे न करें।
More mudras
Frequently asked questions
What is Garuda mudra?
Garuda mudra is the eagle gesture: the hands cross at the wrists, the thumbs hook together and the fingers spread like wings. It is traditionally used to lift energy.
What are the main Garuda mudra benefits?
Traditionally it eases tiredness, supports circulation and balances the two sides of the body. There are no clinical studies on it.
How long should I hold Garuda mudra?
Hold it for 1–4 minutes, moving the hands from the lower belly up to the chest, up to three times a day.
Can I do Garuda mudra with high blood pressure?
Tradition advises against it, because the gesture is meant to stimulate. Choose a calming mudra with slow breathing, and keep your blood pressure treatment.
Is Garuda mudra the same as Eagle Pose?
No. Eagle Pose (Garudasana) is a standing balance with wrapped arms and legs. Garuda mudra is only a hand gesture, usually done seated.
Does Garuda mudra improve eyesight?
There is no evidence for this. For eye strain, take screen breaks and see an eye doctor for changes in your vision.
Mudras are a traditional practice for focus and relaxation. Research on specific health effects is limited; use them alongside, not instead of, medical care.